We’ve reviewed the year that was, how business big and small had to fast forward their digital transformation to accommodate remote work and keep their businesses in business. Some IT leaders have said because of the pandemic, they were able to expedite digitalization and digital transformation within their organizations. Efforts previously envisioned to take months or years were moved forward and achieved in a matter of weeks.

A 2020 McKinsey Global Survey found 31% of organizations have fully automated at least one business process, and another 35% of organizations were piloting automation of at least one process. Although automation has streamlined workflows to some degree, it doesn’t provide visibility into processes to aid optimization efforts.

With organizations relying increasingly on software applications that they use, it is critical to understand what software applications you have, who are making use of them, how are they supported, and what is the cost associated with them. Software asset management (SAM) practices that are well-developed and well-understood are the key to maximizing the value from your software assets.

Do your projects often lack a sense of general direction? Are you regularly confused about what you should be doing next? To be productive and efficient, you should implement a project management workflow into your operation. This can help to bring order to chaotic situations and enhance your team’s productivity across the board. A project management workflow is a crucial component of any effective operation.

At ServiceNow, our people show up every day driven by a core set of values aligned to a single mission: Inspire our customers to workflow any challenge. This includes helping our customers be successful as they operate within a complex and dynamic regulatory landscape.

I recently had the pleasure to talk with Jesse Miller from SouthStar Bank about some amazing IT results they were delivering. Southstar Bank, headquartered in Moulton, Texas — about midway between San Antonio and Houston — is a community bank specializing in residential mortgage, real estate and construction lending, operating 15 full-service branches in rural and urban communities across the Central Texas region.

More and more, working smarter and faster means building more intelligent software with a focus on AI capabilities to enhance machine learning, increase automation, and produce faster, more accurate predictions. Unlocking the benefits of artificial intelligence is a central focus for the ServiceNow Advanced Technology Group (ATG)—a customer-centered innovation group founded in August 2020.

Providing flexible solutions to your users creates a more co-operative and engaging environment where people can choose how, and where they interact with your services. That’s why over the past year we’ve been working on adding more choices when it comes to engaging with Ivanti Service Desk, and our latest Microsoft Teams App opens up an entire new channel for communication.

There’s an old joke that goes something like this: back in the days of vaudeville, comedy acts were all the rage. This young guy wants to get into the business, but he’s not sure his act is good enough. He knows all the great comedians of the time would put on a gorilla suit, and the audience ate it up. So the first time he goes up in front of an audience, he throws on the suit and prepares to walk out on stage.

Sunblock: Check. Life vest: Check. Zero trust security: Wait, what? Summer gives us all a little breathing room and a chance to relax. This summer, perhaps more than any other in our lifetimes, we’re all looking forward to loosening up. As we get a hint of normalcy, or at least what “normal” is going to look like now that we’re in the Everywhere Workplace, many people are letting their guards down. We want folks to relax. We really do.