Common Service Data Model (CSDM) Assessment– Total

  • Release version: Yokohama
  • Updated January 30, 2025
  • 4 minutes to read
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    Summary of Common Service Data Model (CSDM) Assessment– Total

    The CSDM Assessment offers ServiceNow customers expert guidance and best practices to evaluate and enhance their Common Service Data Model (CSDM) framework within the ServiceNow AI Platform. This assessment includes personalized interactions with ServiceNow’s CSDM Subject Matter Experts and a tailored review of the customer’s organizational adoption of CSDM.

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    Assessment Approach and Customer Engagement

    The assessment involves multiple collaborative sessions with the customer, requiring active participation from various roles to address the full scope of CSDM application:

    • Introductory Session (up to 60 minutes): Introduces the initiative, sets expectations, and requests initial data and questionnaire completion.
    • Kick-off Working Session (up to 2 hours): Reviews customer materials, introduces CSDM value, maturity levels (Foundation Data through Fly), and discusses customer objectives and challenges.
    • Current State Discovery (up to 1.5 hours): Explores the customer’s CSDM roadmap and priorities for applications and services.
    • Scope Definition (up to 1.5 hours): Reviews guiding principles and defines the assessment scope based on customer priorities and maturity.
    • In-Depth Assessment: Conducted by the Platform Architect with customer SMEs to evaluate people, process, and technology aspects within the defined scope.
    • Customer Review Session (up to 2 hours): Presents findings, recommendations aligned to CSDM framework outcomes, and discusses next steps.
    • Optional Follow-Up Session (up to 60 minutes): Provides additional Q&A and guidance on leading practices as requested.

    Customer Roles and Responsibilities

    Successful assessment requires engagement from diverse customer roles, including:

    • Platform Owner and Administrator: Oversee and maintain the ServiceNow platform and its governance.
    • Enterprise Architect: Aligns business capabilities with strategic investments.
    • CSDM Data Modeler/Manager and CMDB Manager: Ensure data accuracy and integrity.
    • Application and Service Owners: Manage specific applications and service portfolios.
    • Process Owners and Security Administrators: Govern related processes and security compliance.
    • Technical Governance Board Lead: Leads policy and procedure establishment.
    • Optional Vendor Lead: Included if third-party partners are involved in CSDM-related developments.

    Information and Access Requirements

    The assessment requires access to the customer’s ServiceNow instance, including organizational charts, roadmaps, CSDM and CMDB data models, governance models, and dashboard screenshots. Access for the Platform Architect can be provided either by direct temporary login or by pairing with an authorized customer representative.

    Deliverables

    • Complete session slide decks with supplemental CSDM references
    • Current state in-depth assessment spreadsheet with standard recommendations
    • Action planning notes outlining next steps

    Scope Limitations

    This assessment does not cover:

    • CMDB assessment or detailed CSDM model design review
    • Technical troubleshooting or remediation of CSDM implementations
    • Service Mapping troubleshooting
    • Detailed review of technical governance processes

    Guidance to assess and improve the CSDM framework

    Overview

    CSDM Assessment provides Impact Customers with leading practices content and prescriptive guidance on the CSDM framework and how it supports processes within the ServiceNow AI Platform. It includes interactions with ServiceNow’s CSDM Subject Matter Experts and a personalized assessment and associated content on CSDM for the Customer’s organization.

    What You Get

    Introductory Customer Session (up to 60 min)
    • Introduce the CSDM Assessment initiative
    • Review initiative approach, scoping process, and depth of deliverables
    • Communicate expectations for Customer participation;participation,request Customer participant contacts
      Note:
      The CSDM Assessment entails active Customer participation from a variety of customer roles to address the breadth of the CSDM framework’s application across the organization.
    • Request completion of information gathering questionnaire, materials, data, and any other inputs
    Customer Kick-off Working Session (up to 2 hours
    • Review Customer-provided materials
    • Introduce CSDM, Its Value and Potential
    • Introduce the CSDM Assessment initiative. The Assessment dimensions include:
      • CSDM Maturity (Foundation Data, Crawl, Walk, Run, Fly)
      • People, Process, Technology
    • Review initiative approach, scoping process, and depth of deliverables
    • Discuss customer’s objectives for initiative
    • Discuss current state challenges and perceived obstacles
    • Review CSDM Basics
    Customer Current State Discovery Working Session (up to 1.5 hours)
    • Discuss customer’s CSDM Roadmap
    • Discuss customer’s identified top priority Applications and/or Services
    • Review customer’s CSDM data model related to top priority Applications and/or Services
    Customer Scope Definition Working Session (up to 1.5 hours)
    • Review CSDM Guiding Principles
    • Define CSDM Assessment Scope taking into consideration the customer’s Application/Service priorities and their current CSDM maturity level, and the following scope alternatives:
      • Foundation Data Assessment
      • Crawl Assessment
      • Walk Assessment
      • Run Assessment
      • Fly Assessment
    CSDM In-Depth Assessment
    • In-Depth Assessment activity for defined scope that includes assessment of People, Process, and Technology.
    • The Assessment is performed by the Platform Architect in partnership with the Customer Platform Owner and related data, application, and/or service subject-matter-experts (SMEs).
    Customer Review Session (up to 2 hours)
    • Present CSDM Assessment findings
    • Provide CSDM implementation recommendations
    • Align CSDM recommendations with CSDM framework value and outcomes
    • Discuss possible next steps for execution of recommendations and measurement of recommendation results
    CSDM Assessment Deliverables
    • Complete Working Session slide deck, including supplemental CSDM references
    • Current State In-Depth Assessment spreadsheet – includes standard recommendations
    • Action planning notes for next steps
    Follow-Up Customer Session (optional upon Customer request- up to 60 min)
    • Opportunity for Q&A related to CSDM
    • Provide additional guidance on leading practices

    Requested Customer Resources

    Customer representatives will be involved, especially to facilitate access to ServiceNow records and/or tools that will be inspected as part of the CSDM.

    Table 1. Customer resource and responsibilities
    Customer Resource Responsibilities
    Platform Owner- Required
    Platform Owner- Required Responsible for the overall accountability of the ServiceNow platform. Provides leadership and oversight to the System Administrators, ensures team alignment to business strategy and the ServiceNow roadmap, and is actively involved in the overarching governance of the platform.
    Platform Administrator- Required Responsible for day-to-day administration & maintenance, including configuration and support.
    Platform Administrator- Required Responsible for day-to-day administration & maintenance, including configuration and support.
    Enterprise Architect- Required Drives strategic investment decisions by understanding Business capabilities.
    CSDM Data Modeler / Manager- Required Maintains the accuracy and integrity of the CSDM, works with teams to certify data.
    CMDB Manager- Required Maintains the accuracy and integrity of the CMDB, works with teams to certify data.
    Application Owner(s)- Required Manages ServiceNow application(s) (e.g., ServiceNow HRSD owner.)
    Application Service Owner(s)- Required Manages all applications services across a given division (e.g., ITSM or HR application services owner.)
    Service Portfolio Owner(s)- Required Owns a portfolio– collection of Services. Monitors portfolio performance.
    Process Owner(s)- Required

    Owns the process(es) related to the service, or ancillary process. Defines process flow(e.g. ancillary processes such as: ITSM incident management, ITSM change management, Employee onboarding.)
    Technical Governance Board Lead– Required Leads the technical governance board that establishes policies and procedures for data, security, development, change, and release.
    Security Administrator- Required Leads the administration of ServiceNow security configuration that complies with Technical Governance guidance.
    Master Service Provider/Vendor Lead- Optional Include if customer is using a 3rd party development partner, and that partner is involved in design and/or development of applications and/or services leveraging CSDM framework capabilities.

    Requested Information / Access

    • Organization Chart
    • ServiceNow Roadmap
    • CSDM (Technical) Applications and (Technical/Business) Services Roadmap
    • CSDM Information Collection Questionnaire completed by Customer at least 1 week in advance of Customer Kick-off Working Session (to be provided by ServiceNow)
      • CSDM Data Model (template to be provided by ServiceNow)
      • CSDM RACI / Governance model
      • CSDM Data Foundations Dashboard screen captures
      • CMDB Data Model
      • CMDB Data Foundations Dashboard screen captures
    • The CSDM Assessment includes inspection of records and tools on the customer’s ServiceNow instance. Therefore, the ServiceNow AI Platform Architect will require access to the Customer’s instance. A couple of possible methods to satisfy the PA access requirement are:
      • Provide PA with temporary direct login access to system Customer’s instance with appropriate roles and permissions to access the necessary records and tools
      • Alternative 2: Pair the PA with a representative employee who has roles and permissions to access the necessary records and tools

    Exceptions

    This accelerator does not include:
    • CMDB assessment
    • Detailed CSDM model design review
    • Technical troubleshooting of current implementation of CSDM framework
    • CSDM technical remediation
    • Service Mapping troubleshooting
    • Detailed review of technical governance processes