How a Utility Company Transformed Portfolio Management with ServiceNow SPM

Strategic planning at an enterprise scale is tough, especially when business units run on disconnected platforms. For large enterprises, inconsistent workflows, manual reporting, and siloed data can turn portfolio management into a guessing game rather than a data-driven process.

One major U.S. utility company faced exactly this challenge. With six regional subsidiaries and over 10.5 million customers, they struggled with fragmented ServiceNow implementations that hindered financial oversight and strategic decision-making. Here’s how V-Soft helped streamline operations, align processes, and unlock enterprise-wide visibility with measurable results.

The Growing Need for Unified PPM in Utilities

Utilities operate in a complex, highly regulated environment where capital planning and project governance are critical. Yet many organizations struggle with:

• Disconnected systems - Different business units customize tools in isolation, leading to reporting gaps.
• Manual processes - Spreadsheets and ad-hoc workflows slow down decision-making.
• Lack of real-time visibility - Without a single source of truth, executives lack accurate data for investment planning.

In this case, the problem was magnified by years of decentralized ServiceNow ITBM (now ServiceNow SPM) usage. Each subsidiary had its own customizations, making it nearly impossible to generate accurate cross-utility reports.

The Challenge: Fragmented Processes, Slowed Decision-Making

Before partnering with V-Soft, the company faced:

• Inconsistent Reporting - Dashboards were incomplete, requiring 20+ hours of manual reconciliation monthly.
• Slow Demand-to-Project Transitions - Manual workflows delayed project kickoffs by weeks.
• Over-Customized ServiceNow Instances - Heavy scripts slowed performance (e.g., demand forms took 8+ seconds to load).
• No Standardized Financial Tracking - Budgets and risks were managed differently across teams, complicating audits.

Without a unified approach, strategic planning and investment management suffered.

The Solution: A Phased Approach to Standardization

V-Soft conducted a current-state analysis, identifying gaps between the utility’s customizations and ServiceNow SPM best practices. The remediation plan included:

Phase 1: Demand & Project Modernization

• Replaced manual demand workflows with automated workflows, reducing delays.
• Implemented out-of-the-box Demand Workbench for prioritization and visibility.
• Optimized forms and business rules to cut load times and improve performance.

Phase 2: Financial & Portfolio Alignment

• Introduced portfolio-level financial tracking for better budget oversight.
• Automated timecard and resource management to align with project demands.
• Established data attestation workflows to ensure compliance and accuracy.

V-Soft didn’t just implement tech fixes; they worked closely with stakeholders to drive adoption through training and change management.

Outcomes: Faster Decisions, Better Visibility

Beyond efficiency gains, the utility now has:

✔ Audit-ready financial records with automated snapshots.

✔ Scalability for future SPM enhancements (e.g., resource management).

✔ Stakeholder alignment through structured governance.

Key Takeaways

This transformation offers lessons for any organization struggling with disconnected PPM processes:

1. Standardization beats customization - Aligning with ServiceNow SPM best practices reduces tech debt and improves scalability.
2. Automation drives efficiency - Manual steps in demand/project workflows slow-down execution.
3. Change management is critical - Even the best tools fail without stakeholder buy-in.

Is Your Organization Facing Similar Challenges?

If fragmented systems, manual reporting, or inconsistent processes slow down your strategic planning, V-Soft can help.

Book a free ServiceNow SPM assessment and see how a unified approach can transform your portfolio management.