Navigating Challenges in Strategic Portfolio Management
Implementing Strategic Portfolio Management (SPM) in ServiceNow offers transformative benefits—alignment of investments with strategy, improved visibility into demand and delivery, and streamlined decision-making. However, like any large-scale change initiative, it comes with its share of challenges. Successfully navigating these obstacles requires a combination of technical skills, organizational change management, and strategic thinking.
By proactively addressing common challenges through strong leadership, structured change management, and cross-functional collaboration, organizations can unlock the full value of strategic portfolio management.
Helpful Tips
ServiceNow SPM is a powerful framework—but its success depends on more than technical configuration. By proactively addressing common challenges through strong leadership, structured change management, and cross-functional collaboration, organizations can unlock the full value of strategic portfolio management. With the right approach, these obstacles become stepping stones toward greater enterprise agility and strategic alignment.
1. Lack of Executive Alignment
Challenge: Without clear sponsorship and strategic alignment from leadership, SPM efforts often lose momentum.
Solution:
- Engage stakeholders early and often
- Tie SPM capabilities directly to strategic goals and KPIs
- Use executive dashboards to communicate progress and outcomes
2. Poor Data Quality and Governance
Challenge: Inconsistent or incomplete data undermines the value of portfolio insights and decision-making.
Solution:
- Establish clear data ownership and stewardship
- Implement governance policies for demand, project, and application data
- Align your data model with the Common Service Data Model (CSDM)
3. Low User Adoption
Challenge: End users may resist using new processes or tools, especially if they perceive them as administrative overhead.
Solution:
- Deliver role-based training tailored to each user group
- Simplify interfaces and automate repetitive tasks
- Highlight quick wins that demonstrate value early on
4. Misalignment Between IT and Business
Challenge: SPM is most effective when IT and business leaders collaborate, but silos can lead to misaligned priorities.
Solution:
- Foster cross-functional portfolio boards or governance councils
- Map initiatives to business capabilities, not just technical outcomes
- Involve business stakeholders in prioritization and planning
5. Over-Customization of the Platform
Challenge: Excessive customization can lead to technical debt, upgrade challenges, and inconsistent user experiences.
Solution:
- Follow ServiceNow best practices and use out-of-the-box capabilities where possible
- Leverage configuration over customization
- Document all changes and align them with strategic outcomes
6. Managing Change Across the Organization
Challenge: SPM changes the way organizations plan, prioritize, and deliver work. Resistance to change is natural.
Solution:
- Treat SPM implementation as a change management initiative, not just a tech rollout
- Use communication plans, feedback loops, and pilot programs to ease the transition
- Identify and empower change champions within departments
7. Lack of a Phased Roadmap
Challenge: Trying to implement everything at once leads to complexity and burnout.
Solution:
- Define a maturity roadmap based on organizational readiness
- Start with high-impact modules like Demand and Project Management
- Gradually introduce advanced capabilities like Investment Funding and Scenario Planning
Final Thoughts
ServiceNow SPM is a powerful framework—but its success depends on more than technical configuration. By proactively addressing common challenges through strong leadership, structured change management, and cross-functional collaboration, organizations can unlock the full value of strategic portfolio management. With the right approach, these obstacles become stepping stones toward greater enterprise agility and strategic alignment.
