Sandvik

ServiceNow makes it easier to track data, search for information, and create reports

Sandvik, a group with approximately 250 internal companies and 40,000 employees, chose to use the ServiceNow platform for internal IT invoicing. Henrik Öhlin, Service Architect at Sandvik, shares insights about the project, which has provided the group with a future-proof solution.

What problem did you need to solve?

“Sandvik needed a more modern platform, and the decision to move to ServiceNow was made public in January 2020, with a tight deadline. The solution had to be implemented before the end of the year to replace the existing platform, which covered both IT Service Management and IT Invoicing.

Together with Bo Bergenheim, Business Analyst at Netgain, we carried out a pre-study that created strong internal understanding of the platform and our needs within IT Invoicing. With a prototype and demo environment, it was easier to see how smooth the solution was and to understand all its possibilities. Once we began working on implementing the solution in ServiceNow, the timeline was tight. We managed to deliver successfully, largely thanks to great collaboration!”

What was the result?

“Sandvik now has a unified solution that is very powerful and offers significant possibilities. With the ServiceNow platform, we have gone from 45 servers to a single system for Service Management and Invoicing. IT Invoicing is now more integrated with the organization’s core data — when we make a change to a cost center, it only needs to be updated in one place.

The differences compared to our old platform are enormous: it is now easy to track data, search for information, and create reports. The system is transparent, flexible, and scalable. The delivered result is a first version of an IT Invoicing solution aligned with the agreed strategy — ‘good enough’ to replace the previous solution.”

What were the biggest challenges?

“Simplifying and bringing everything together in one place! We had many systems and data stored in multiple locations. Every month, hundreds of thousands of documents and transactions circulated for internal invoicing, and we had many base configurations that complicated the project. In fact, IT Invoicing as a whole was a major challenge for Sandvik.”

What are the biggest advantages of having everything in ServiceNow?

“The openness and flexibility are tremendous. The reporting functionality is fantastic. Everyone can search, configure, and extract data. Our Business Controllers in particular are very satisfied, and they can even help us with troubleshooting. We also have much better control over our input data. We can see internal invoicing volumes and follow the data more easily. It’s simple to decentralize, even on a global scale.

Above all, Sandvik would never be able to manage internal invoicing without a system like this. The solution also makes it easy to scale and add more internal customers in the future.”

What is important to keep in mind?

“The importance of a pre-study cannot be overstated — it is crucial for a successful implementation. A thorough pre-study and demo environment minimize project risks and create internal understanding. We have largely stayed with the model we initially outlined, and it has worked very well.”

How did the collaboration with Netgain work?

“The collaboration has been fantastic, and we worked hard together to deliver this solution. I’ve worked with Netgain since 2006 — besides being highly skilled, they know Sandvik well, which is of course a big advantage. Netgain has also consistently added value — whenever I ask a question, Netgain always has an answer.”

What are the next steps on the ServiceNow platform?

“Sandvik has great opportunities with the ServiceNow platform! We are still stabilizing what the project delivered, but we are well on our way. Once we are ready, the focus will shift to simplification and likely moving toward a request- and subscription-driven invoicing model over time.”