The snapshot
1
Digital transformation was hampered by a critical lack of visibility and control over business applications, necessitating a replacement for an obsolete Alfabet tool.
2
The project implemented ServiceNow Enterprise Architecture, Software Asset Management (SAM), and Operational Technology (OT) modules in a hybrid Waterfall and Agile model.
3
The successful first-wave implementation enabled the sunset of the old system, realising planned cost savings and providing the CISO organisation with immediate OT visibility of previously unknown manufacturing devices.
A Global Manufacturing Leader
The client is a global, high-tech engineering group specialising in solutions that enhance productivity, profitability, and sustainability, operating in the manufacturing, mining, and infrastructure industries. It holds world-leading positions in various areas, including equipment, tools, and digital solutions. With approximately 41,000 employees and sales in over 150 countries. This company is a significant global enterprise.
The Challenge
The Client’s digital transformation journey was hampered by a critical lack of visibility and control over the business applications throughout their lifecycle.
The biggest pain point was an obsolete tool, “Alfabet,” which was no longer fit for purpose. The client aimed to bring a high level of transparency and simplicity to the entire application landscape, but faced several critical questions:
- Which business applications were truly owned, and what were their total costs (licence, operational, and infrastructure)?
- Which applications should you invest in versus divest?
- Which business capabilities lacked adequate application support?
- Which critical business services were at risk due to underlying end-of-life hardware and software?
- Clear view of licence consumption and associated costs from various on-premise and cloud application vendors.
- For Operational Technology (OT), you lacked visibility into connected devices and the cyber and information security risks they posed.
The Goal
The objective was to start gaining control and modernise its IT operations. The overall goal, codenamed “Project Harmony”, focused on three key areas:
1
Streamline Application Management and enable the sunset of the old “Alfabet” system.
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Optimise Software Asset Management (SAM) to gain control over software assets.
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Gain Control of OT Assets to enable regulatory compliance and meet security requirements.
The Solution
The solution implemented three key ServiceNow modules:
Enterprise Architecture (EA)
Software Asset Management (SAM)
Operational Technology (OT)
The Methodology
The project utilised a hybrid Waterfall and Agile model, blending structured planning with flexible execution:
- Assessment phase (8 Weeks): A deep dive to analyse the existing landscape, validate plug-ins, examine data from the old “Alfabet” system, and document business application criticality, relationships, and global/local locations. This initial phase directly informed the actionable roadmap.
- Implementation phase (approx. 4 Months): The core build and deployment of the three ServiceNow modules.
This combined approach allowed for the foundational stability of the Waterfall method during the initial assessment, while the Agile framework was used to manage stories and development tasks efficiently during implementation.
The client chose Devoteam to implement ServiceNow because of our local presence and highly compatible cultural fit.
Satyendra Shrotri,
Project Manager, Devoteam ServiceNow Partner
The Result
Measurable Results
The successful implementation delivered clear, quantifiable benefits across IT and manufacturing operations:
- Cost savings on Enterprise Architecture – The project enabled the sunset of the old “Alfabet” system, realising a planned cost saving on its global licences and redirecting investment into the modern ServiceNow platform. Cost avoidance due to discontinuation of Licenses was approximately 2300KSEK and cost invested in ServiceNow EA was 400KSEK
- Increased visibility of licences – Software Asset Management (SAM) provided the long-awaited single-view visibility of licences. This now allows for tracking consumption, entitlements, and costs for cloud applications, M365, laying the foundation for improved efficiency.
- Enhanced OT security and visibility – For the CISO organisation, the OT implementation immediately brought visibility of previously unknown manufacturing devices in two initial locations. This critical insight allows the client to identify threat areas and significantly enhance their overall security posture.
The Better Change
- The sunset of the obsolete “Alfabet” system realised planned cost savings on its global licences and redirected investment to the modern platform.
- Software Asset Management (SAM) provided single-view visibility of licences, enabling tracking of consumption, entitlements, and costs for cloud, M365, and SAP applications.
- Operational Technology (OT) implementation immediately brought critical visibility of previously unknown manufacturing devices, significantly enhancing the security posture.