xtype, the Technical Governance Platform for ServiceNow, has announced the launch of its 2026 State of ServiceNow Operations Survey. This initiative was unveiled during The ServiceNow World Forum in New York, marking a significant step forward in understanding the complexities of managing the Now platform amid accelerating adoption and evolving AI capabilities.
The comprehensive survey seeks to provide insight into the various challenges faced by platform teams, such as managing complexity, enforcing technical governance, and preparing for GenAI while balancing velocity, compliance, and scale. By examining operational realities such as environment sprawl, change control, upgrade strategies, and audit readiness, xtype aims to benchmark the current state of ServiceNow delivery.
Building on the 2025 report's findings, last year highlighted several critical governance challenges for ServiceNow customers.
- 70% of organisations reported that clone-down processes negatively impact development workflows.
- Only 57% of mature users leverage commercial tools for deployment automation, despite managing complex, multi-instance environments.
- 83% of retail organisations cited governance and compliance as their top operational challenge.
- 70% planned to adopt GenAI within 12 months, indicating significant investment in AI capabilities.
- Only 30% limit admin privileges to just development instances.
According to Ron Gidron, CEO of xtype, “ServiceNow isn’t a single system—it’s an ecosystem of interconnected instances spanning production, development, test, training, and regional environments.” This realisation underscores the need for robust technical governance. The 2026 survey will position ServiceNow teams to evaluate their maturity, identify gaps, and learn where peers succeed in scaling safely and delivering efficiently.
The focus of xtype's research remains on enhancing ServiceNow investments through the identification of operational best practices and gaps in technical governance. As enterprises continue to expand their footprints and embrace advanced capabilities like GenAI and Agentic AI, effective governance of the Now platform emerges as vital for accelerated delivery, compliance, and security.
Scott Willson, Head of Product Marketing at xtype, stated, “ServiceNow is one of the most strategic investments enterprises make. Without strong technical governance, that investment is at risk.” This research provides teams with a clear understanding of managing operational challenges, scaling, and building a robust foundation for AI innovation.
Participate in the Survey
ServiceNow customers are encouraged to participate in the 2026 State of ServiceNow Operations Survey. The survey takes approximately 5 minutes and delves into:
- Technical governance models and access control strategies.
- Deployment and upgrade practices across instances.
- GenAI readiness and platform innovation trends.
- Compliance risks, audit concerns, and security postures.
- Team structures, tool stacks, and process automation.
Survey participants will gain early access to the complete 2026 State of ServiceNow Operations Report once published.
