So, what do I do? A conversation about ServiceNow
My work with ServiceNow is about understanding what needs to be done and finding a way to get the basics right, with the right people and tools.
Grab your coffee. ☕ This story involves technology, learning and a classic that never goes out of fashion: “It’ll only take a minute”.
So, what is ServiceNow?
ServiceNow is a platform for organising and automating business workflows. Think of an access request, customer support or an HR request: there are details, people responsible and steps to follow before it is resolved.
The platform offers products for these needs. You will come across names such as IT Service Management, Customer Service Management and HR Service Delivery. That is where the famous alphabet soup begins. You do not need to memorise it to keep following the conversation. 😅
And where does my work fit in?
I am currently a Senior Technical Architect at The Cloud People Brasil. My career has taken me through development, support, integrations and consulting to solution architecture.
I often encounter a situation that is still unclear: little information, vague agreements and someone saying that tomorrow we can complete a task I have never done before.
The “only a minute” part has already been decided. We still need to work out what the job involves.
That is where I come in: I look for the necessary information and speak directly to the people who understand the request. It might be a requirement, an acceptance criterion or a reported fault. First, we need to know what will be delivered.
Understand, implement, test and document. That is it.
To make that work in practice, I simplify the approach and reuse workshop materials, process guides, documentation and official videos. The aim is to make use of knowledge that already exists.
And there is another important part: in my work, I aim to configure the product for the purpose it was designed for. Training, certification and experience help us understand its configuration options before we start creating fields and rules with thousands of lines of code.
When a need goes beyond that purpose, I explain the boundary to the client. Developing a custom application with App Engine may be an option to assess — it is a different decision from configuring an existing product.
🧭 NORA Guidance | Before adding a makeshift extension Check what the contracted product covers and which configuration options it offers. If the need is to develop a custom application, assess that route along with its requirements and contractual arrangements. What is agreed needs to respect the solution’s purpose.
What difference does this make to people’s lives?
One of my greatest satisfactions is seeing a fault fixed more quickly because knowledge from a previous incident was reused. Or preparing implementation material and later seeing it replicated internally.
The delivery helps the people working now and those who will need that knowledge later. That is why documentation is part of my basics.
And receiving praise after a good delivery? Of course that counts. It is satisfying to see that care recognised. 🙂
And now that artificial intelligence has arrived?
It helps enormously in my daily work. I use AI to summarise complex topics, make them easier to understand and support app creation.
My experience has been positive. The practical point I emphasise most is keeping track of contracted credits and limits: nobody wants to stop halfway through a task because the allowance has run out.
We already have enough complexity. Running out of credits in the middle of it is a chapter we can do without. 😅
And what part does NORA play in this story?
NORA — Market Signals is where I share this perspective on ServiceNow: what the community is discussing, what matters to businesses and which skills belong in this world.
I see a life of major challenges and good opportunities. And it goes far beyond architects and developers. There are paths in process analysis, administration, support, implementation and project management.
That is the variety I want to make more understandable here. With sources, conversation and humour that reflects real life: sometimes the satisfaction of a good delivery; sometimes the laugh that follows another “it’ll only take a minute”.
Sources and editorial transparency
ServiceNow AI Platform: general platform concepts.
App Engine: custom application development.
Career Journeys — ServiceNow University: examples of career paths.
Career background: André Costa Moreira’s professional profile. Experiences, opinions and expressions: interview with the author. The access request is illustrative; no client or project is identified. The view of opportunities is personal and does not promise employment; the reported use of AI does not guarantee results.
Sources consulted on 1 November 2026. Capabilities and availability depend on the product, contractual arrangements and environment.
Content consolidation and writing support: NORA — Market Signals.
Editorial review and final approval: André Costa Moreira.
