ServiceNow Service Catalog: Delivering Better Experiences at Scale

A modern service catalog isn’t just about submitting requests; it’s about getting real results.

Forget static lists. When designed right, the ServiceNow Service Catalog becomes a user-first interface that makes service delivery faster, smoother, and scalable.

Read how the right setup brings speed, clarity, and happier teams across the enterprise.

In today’s enterprise landscape, experience is a differentiator. Research shows that even a one-point increase in customer experience (CX) scores can generate over $1 billion in revenue for organizations (Forrester). While that statistic often applies to external customers, the same principle holds true internally. Employees expect fast, intuitive, and seamless access to services, especially when interacting with IT.

A well-designed service catalog is a powerful tool for delivering that seamless experience. Unfortunately, many organizations still treat their catalog as just a basic checklist; an outdated approach. A modern service catalog, especially one built on ServiceNow, should serve as a central hub where users can easily request services, track progress, and get what they need without unnecessary steps. It’s not just a list; it’s the digital storefront for all enterprise services.

The Mission: Make It Easy, Make It Scalable

A successful service catalog does two things well:

• It makes it easy for users to request what they need.
• It makes it seamless for teams to deliver those requests efficiently.

Whether someone is requesting a laptop, onboarding a new hire, or resetting a password, the process should be fast, clear, and automated. Users should be able to self-serve without second-guessing which form to use or whom to contact. Behind the scenes, smart workflows should route tasks, trigger approvals, and keep things moving; without manual follow-ups or inbox clutter.

When the service catalog is intuitive, everyone benefits: employees get what they need faster, and IT spends less time resolving tickets that could’ve been avoided.

A Four-Stage Approach to ServiceNow Catalog Design

To build a service catalog that actually delivers these promises, structure matters. ServiceNow’s best practices point to a four-stage process that brings clarity, efficiency, and long-term value.

Stage 1: Lay the Groundwork

It all starts with leadership. Without an executive sponsor, the catalog lacks the visibility and support needed to succeed. Equally important is assembling the right team; service owners who understand the processes and CX experts who advocate for the user. Together, they define what success looks like, whether it’s reducing fulfillment times, increasing self-service usage, or improving Customer Effort Scores (CES). These early benchmarks guide the process, ensuring the catalog delivers real, measurable value to both the business and its users.


Stage 2: Build Around the User

Users don’t care about your organizational chart; they want to find the service they need quickly. The most effective catalogs are designed around real-world needs, not internal structures. Instead of searching by department or decoding jargon, the catalog should reflect how users think and work. For example, a new hire just wants a laptop, software, and system access. Using ServiceNow order guides, these services can be bundled into a single streamlined request, eliminating the need for multiple submissions. Clear language and a clean, user-friendly layout reduce unnecessary steps, making the experience intuitive and supportive, leading to greater trust and frequent use.

Stage 3: Streamline Service Delivery

The moment a request is submitted, the behind-the-scenes engine should quietly take over. Approvals happen automatically, updates are sent before anyone thinks to ask, and tasks land with the right teams without delay or confusion. When no one is left wondering who’s responsible, things just move. It’s not about adding more people to the process, it’s about designing a system where the process flows without friction, ownership is clear, and progress happens without a push. That’s when service delivery feels effortless.

Stage 4: Keep It Alive

A service catalog isn’t something you set up and forget. It’s a dynamic part of your organization that needs constant attention to thrive. Over time, it evolves with usage and feedback, revealing where things are working and where they’re not. By tracking CES and NPS scores, you gain real-time insight into user experience, spotting bottlenecks or drop-off points before they become bigger issues. Services that no longer serve a purpose are retired, keeping the catalog lean and relevant. The goal is simple: keep it clean, fresh, and always useful, so it continues to meet the needs of the business without creating unnecessary clutter.

Conclusion

A great service catalog isn’t built in silos. It involves service owners, process managers, and most importantly, end users. Their experience determines whether the catalog is trusted or avoided. And while the ServiceNow catalog often begins as an IT tool, its value extends across the enterprise, supporting HR, finance, facilities, and more. That’s why designing it with user experience at the center isn’t just smart, it’s essential.