ServiceNow for PPM: Features, Pros, Cons and Pricing

ServiceNow is a project portfolio management (PPM) tool designed to help organizations manage multiple projects, whether in a program or portfolio. But whether is this the right product for an organization is a question that can only be answered by exploring the software in detail.

That’s exactly what we’ll do; look at what ServiceNow for PPM is, what it does and how much it costs. After a thorough review of what ServiceNow does well and where it can improve, potential users of the tool can make an informed decision on whether it’s for them.

What Is ServiceNow?

ServiceNow is a cloud-based platform that provides a suite of applications and services designed to automate and streamline business processes. It is used primarily for IT service management but also extends to other business functions, such as human resources, customer service, security and more.

It helps teams improve efficiency by automating repetitive tasks and streamlining workflows. But ServiceNow is also a cost-saving tool, again through its automation, which improves service delivery and reduces operational costs. It is also a project management software as it has features for managing and tracking portfolios, resources and financials.

Of course, many project portfolio management software products on the market do what ServiceNow does and more. For example, ProjectManager is award-winning project and portfolio management software that automates workflows and has task approval settings for quality control. Plus, powerful project portfolio roadmaps collect all projects in a program or portfolio and display them on a Gantt chart that can manage resources, track time and manage tasks. Our roadmaps also can be filtered, view which projects are open and who’s assigned to tasks as well as highlight key metrics for stakeholders. Get started with ProjectManager today for free.

Import ServiceNow projects into ProjectManager — ProjectManager offers robust PPM features in modern, easy-to-use software. Learn more

ServiceNow Views

Before deciding on the right project portfolio management software, let’s explore ServiceNow’s different tools.

Project Workspace: This centralized dashboard allows project managers to view and manage all aspects of a project. It includes real-time updates, task progress, milestones and financial data, with drag-and-drop functionality for task updates and resource allocation.
Gantt Chart: Gantt charts are bar charts that provide a visual timeline displaying project tasks, dependencies and milestones. They’re used for scheduling work, identifying bottlenecks and monitoring progress.
PPM Dashboard: This portfolio dashboard monitors project metrics, such as the health and status of multiple projects. It offers insight into budget utilization, resource allocation and alignment with organizational goals.
Kanban Board: Used to visualize workflow and popular in an agile environment, kanban boards track project tasks and workflows in a board layout. The board is ideal for managing workstreams and iterative tasks.
Resource Management View: This interface helps to manage team capacity, allocate resources to tasks and balance workloads. It includes heatmaps (a visual representation of data that uses color gradients to show the level of resource utilization across different projects, teams or individuals) and availability indicators to prevent resource conflicts.

ServiceNow PPM Features

We’ve looked at various tools or views, now let’s zero in on the features included in ServiceNow PPM.

Project Planning and Scheduling: Create and manage project plans with tasks, dependencies and milestones. Timeline and scheduling tools help with on-time delivery.
Resource Management: Assign resources based on skills, availability and project needs. Monitor and adjust resource allocation to optimize productivity.
Portfolio Management: Group projects into portfolios for better tracking and prioritization. Evaluate portfolio health, risk and value delivery.
Time Tracking: Track hours spent on project tasks for accurate reporting and billing. Integrates with financial tools for cost management.
Issue Management: Identify, log and manage project risks and issues. Provides tools for mitigation planning and tracking resolution.
Team Collaboration: Built-in communication tools to facilitate collaboration among team members. Integrates with external tools, such as Slack and Microsoft Teams for seamless communication.

Plans and Pricing

ServiceNow doesn’t list its plans and pricing structure on its website. However, research reveals that its pricing depends on several factors, including the number of licenses, features, industry and location. For example, a subscription may cost less in the United States than in Europe. Manufacturers might need different software than a financial institution.

The cost of ServiceNow can range from $100 per user, per month to over $500,000 annually. There’s also an annual maintenance fee that starts at $200. The company offers different types of licenses, including Fulfiller, Business Stakeholder and Unrestricted User. Each license is designed for a different user role and access level.

To get a more accurate picture of what ServiceNow PPM will cost for a specific user or company, contact sales. They will provide a custom quote.

For those who are concerned when a product hides its costs, check out ProjectManager. Our software plans and pricing are stated on our website, except for enterprise solutions, which are always a more customized fit. As evident from our pricing structure, ProjectManager is a more affordable project portfolio management software with features and tools equal and superior to ServiceNow PPM.

ProjectManager's project portfolio dashboard feature — Plan, projects, track progress and manage resources with ProjectManager. Learn more

Pros and Cons of ServiceNow as a PPM Tool

One thing we can be more detailed about is the product itself and where it succeeds and where it fails. To better understand whether ServiceNow is a PPM solution right for an organization, take a look at the following lists of pros and cons.

Pros

Offers tools for demand management, resource management, project planning, financial tracking and portfolio analysis
Dashboards and reports tools provide real-time insights into project and portfolio performance, resource allocation and financial metrics for more informed decision-making
Scalable solution that can work with small teams up to large enterprises
Workflow automation reduces manual effort and streamlines processes
Highly customizable allows users to tailor the platform to fit specific needs

Cons

Expense, with substantial costs for licensing, implementation, customization and ongoing maintenance
Many PPM features aren’t standalone and require integration with other ServiceNow modules, further increasing costs
Overwhelming and complex for new users, who will require extensive training and experience to fully use its PPM features
Customization is time-intensive and requires skilled administrators or consultants
Setup, integration and tailoring for organizational processes take a lot of time and organizations might find themselves paying for features they don’t need, especially if their needs aren’t tied to IT
Highly optimized for IT, which means non-IT teams or industries will find the software less relevant, for example, those in construction, manufacturing or creative services
Non-intuitive interface with day-to-day operations and troubleshooting requiring support from administrators, which slows down responsiveness
Limited pre-built reporting features and dashboards that lack flexibility make it hard to create customized reports without extra configuration or custom development

FAQ

Lastly, there are some frequently asked questions about ServiceNow PPM that are listed below with short answers to help potential customers make informed decisions about the project.

Can ServiceNow PPM Be Customized?

Yes, the software is highly customizable. Organizations can tailor the platform to fit their specific processes by creating custom fields and forms to collect project data, customizing workflows and more.

Does ServiceNow PPM Have a Mobile App?

Yes, there is a mobile app available for Android and iOS devices.

Is There a Free Trial for ServiceNow PPM?

Yes, ServiceNow does offer free trials, but they are typically for specific products or solutions rather than the entire platform. The availability of a free trial depends on the ServiceNow product or module that one is interested in.

ProjectManager Has More PPM Tools Than ServiceNow

ServiceNow for PPM has a lot of problems, and the price is one of many. Why settle for expensive, difficult-to-use software that has limited reporting and dashboard analytics when users can subscribe to a reasonable PPM software that has all the features of ServiceNow and more? Plus, ProjectManager is easier to use with a more modern and intuitive interface with risk management features including likelihood and impact. It’s a collaborative platform with document management, such as version control and global search, mobile apps, works with Mac products and tracks projects in real time. We’ve already illustrated our superior roadmap features, which link all four types of task dependencies, filter for the critical path and set a baseline to track variance, but there’s more.

PPM Reports and Dashboards

While ServiceNow has limited reports and dashboards, ours provides customized portfolio reporting to keep stakeholders, managers and their teams informed with high-level and in-depth data. Portfolio dashboards are like an instant status report, capturing key performance indicators (KPIs) such as time, cost, workload and more. Build portfolio dashboards with filters for specific insights. Easily generated reports on portfolio status, tasks and timelines can be filtered to highlight status, customer, priority and more. They can be shared with stakeholders or even printed out if they prefer.

Robust Resource Management Features

Resources can be scheduled on Gantt charts or the roadmap. Team availability can be set when onboarding by noting their PTO, vacation and global holidays and even skill sets. This makes assigning tasks easier. The Gantt chart and roadmap can also schedule nonhuman resources. Once assignments have been made, managers can toggle to the team page or the color-coded workload chart to get an overview of resource utilization. From there, managers can balance the team’s workload to keep them working at capacity, which avoids burnout and boosts productivity.