ServiceNow and Workday are titans in their respective domains – one in IT service management, the other in managing human capital.
Integrating these two platforms enables seamless data flow, process automation, and countless other benefits.
But what does this integration look like under the practice?
In this blog, we’ll explore ServiceNow Workday integration, sharing tips, tools, and secrets for a super-solid integration.
To achieve robust integration, it’s important to define the scope in the first place.
Data Synchronization: Syncing employee data, organizational hierarchies, job positions, and more.
Process Automation: Automating workflows that span both platforms, such as onboarding, offboarding, and other HR-related requests.
Event-Driven Actions: Triggering actions in ServiceNow based on events in Workday and vice versa.
There are several ways to integrate ServiceNow with Workday. Here are some of the primary approaches.
iPaaS platforms like Zapier or Workato provide a no-code/low-code environment for building integrations.
These platforms offer pre-built connectors for ServiceNow Workday integration, enabling visual drag-and-drop configuration.
However, these solutions are generally better suited for less complex, event-driven integrations.
By considering the below key points, you can establish a robust and efficient ServiceNow Workday integration.
Syncing employee data from Workday to ServiceNow can be achieved by scheduling API calls to pull data from Workday and update ServiceNow.
API Endpoint Example: Use Workday’s ‘Get_Workers’ API to retrieve employee data.
ServiceNow Integration: Create a scheduled job in ServiceNow that periodically fetches data from Workday and updates the ‘sys_user’ table.
When a new hire is created in Workday, an onboarding workflow can be triggered in ServiceNow.
Similar to onboarding, offboarding processes can be automated by subscribing to termination events in Workday.
Map organizational data between Workday and ServiceNow to ensure accurate representation in both systems.
You can use Workday’s ‘Get_Organizations’ API to retrieve organizational structures and update ServiceNow’s department and cost center tables.
System of Record
Identify which system will be the system of record for each data point. Ideally, the source system (Workday for HR data, ServiceNow for incident data) should be the system of record to ensure data accuracy.
Data Mapping
Define how data fields between the two systems will be mapped and translated. This includes identifying corresponding fields and any necessary data transformations.
Data Security
Establish secure methods for data transfer between the systems, following compliance regulations and best practices.
Bi-directional Workflows
Create workflows that trigger actions in both systems.
For example, a new hire record in Workday could initiate an onboarding workflow in ServiceNow.
Business Rules and Triggers
Define rules to automate specific actions based on events in either system.
An example might be automatically provisioning IT equipment upon employee approval in Workday.
Centralized Reporting
Decide where reports will be generated (Workday or ServiceNow) and ensure data consistency for consolidated views.
While integrating ServiceNow with Workday offers numerous benefits, it also presents several challenges that you must address.
⚠️ Workday and ServiceNow often use different data models and formats, requiring thorough data mapping and transformation processes
⚠️ Both ServiceNow and Workday impose API rate limits and throttling mechanisms, which can affect integration performance
⚠️ Determine if real-time integration is necessary or if batch processing at regular intervals suffices
⚠️ Integrating sensitive data like employee information requires robust security measures to protect data privacy and comply with regulations
⚠️ Integration processes can encounter errors due to network issues, data discrepancies, or system failures
⚠️ Consider the volume of data being transferred and the impact on system performance
⚠️ Stay informed about API changes and updates from both platforms to make necessary adjustments to the integration
⚠️ As integration volumes and complexity grow, ensuring scalability and optimizing performance becomes critical
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