ServiceNow

Research Note: ServiceNow Workflow Data Fabric

ServiceNow recently announced its new Workflow Data Fabric, an advanced data integration and automation platform that unifies enterprise data across disparate systems, enabling real-time, AI-powered actions and insights.

The new offering addresses a common enterprise challenge: siloed data that impedes operational efficiency and limits the potential of AI-driven automation. Workflow Data Fabric breaks down these silos, creating a seamless data ecosystem that powers enterprise workflows and enhances productivity.

New: Workflow Data Fabric

ServiceNow’s Workflow Data Fabric is an advanced data integration layer designed to unify enterprise data across various sources, enabling real-time, AI-powered actions and insights.

Here’s a breakdown of its essential components and functionality:

  1. Unified Data Access: Workflow Data Fabric consolidates data from diverse sources within and outside the ServiceNow ecosystem, allowing it to access structured, unstructured, semi-structured, and streaming data. This integration eliminates the need to swivel between multiple systems, bringing all data into a single, actionable platform.
  2. Zero Copy Connectors: With these connectors, Workflow Data Fabric allows seamless data integration without duplicating it. This “zero-copy” approach maintains security and reduces storage overhead while enabling instant data-driven actions. Partnerships with Databricks and Snowflake enhance its integration capabilities, ensuring interoperability with major data platforms.
  3. RaptorDB Pro and High-Speed Processing: The platform utilizes RaptorDB Pro, ServiceNow’s high-performance database, to drive rapid data processing. It includes real-time data streaming, robotic process automation (RPA), and process mining, allowing companies to process vast amounts of data swiftly.
  4. AI and Automation Capabilities: Workflow Data Fabric powers ServiceNow’s Automation Engine, including pre-built integrations and workflow automation tools. It combines machine learning and advanced AI models to enable autonomous issue resolution and streamline processes across customer operations, employee experience, and more.
  5. ServiceNow Knowledge Graph: This component transforms raw data into structured, contextual insights. It harmonizes and connects data across an organization’s people, processes, and systems, making it easier for AI agents to use the information effectively.
  6. Enhanced Customer and Operational Efficiency: Workflow Data Fabric integrates data from multiple systems into a single view for industries with complex data needs, such as retail and telecom.
  7. Strategic Partnerships and Market Implementation: Cognizant is the first partner to bring Workflow Data Fabric to market, helping clients implement this platform to transform their enterprise workflows. This partnership and others ensure a smooth adoption process for businesses looking to harness real-time, AI-powered insights.

Analysis

By establishing a unified data layer with real-time, cross-platform access, ServiceNow is tackling a persistent challenge faced by enterprises: fragmented data across siloed systems. With its Zero Copy connectors, Workflow Data Fabric allows companies to harness the full potential of their data without compromising on security or facing storage redundancies.

As enterprises increasingly adopt AI, a unified data layer like Workflow Data Fabric offers a robust, scalable solution for managing complex workflows and data across departments. With seamless integration, real-time access, and support for various data types, the new offering meets the needs of enterprises seeking to unlock data-driven insights and deliver competitive differentiation through automation.

ServiceNow’s strategic partnership with Cognizant ensures that Workflow Data Fabric reaches clients with immediate impact, driven by a reputable global integrator. This collaboration should accelerate adoption across industries, especially where complex workflows and extensive data are integral to operations, such as retail, telecom, and finance.

Overall, Workflow Data Fabric sees ServiceNow maintaining its position as the clear leader in AI-driven workflow transformation, bridging data, process, and people in ways that are aligned with current enterprise demands for efficiency and innovation at scale.

By unifying data without duplication and enabling AI-powered workflows, ServiceNow has created a future-ready platform that accelerates operational efficiency and supports data-driven decision-making. ServiceNow offers a compelling, future-ready solution for enterprises seeking to unlock data-driven decision-making and automation.

Disclosure: The author is an industry analyst, and NAND Research an industry analyst firm, that engages in, or has engaged in, research, analysis, and advisory services with many technology companies, which may include those mentioned in this article. The author does not hold any equity positions with any company mentioned in this article.