ServiceNow’s Xanadu release brings a wave of exciting enhancements across the Creator Workflows ecosystem, particularly within App Engine and its new generative AI capabilities. These upgrades will help both developers and business users to push digital transformation further, with smarter, more automated tools. Let’s dive into the most impactful ones.
1. App Engine Innovations
New Integrated Development Environment (IDE)
One of the key enhancements in the ServiceNow Xanadu release is a modernised Integrated Development Environment (IDE) that significantly speeds up the app development lifecycle. With powerful debugging tools and a more user-friendly interface, the IDE also includes AI-based features that guide your developers throughout the whole process. It’s definitely going to boost the productivity of any developer, no matter how experienced.
Flow Designer Enhancements
The next big enhancements came for Flow Designer. Thanks to the new templates, it’s much easier to automate complex workflows and additionally, the tool received deeper integrations with third-party services. Moreover, the AI recommendations built into the Flow Designer will help your developers create workflows faster, cutting down on manual configuration and accelerating time to value.
AI-Driven Code Recommendations
App Engine’s built-in AI can now suggest code optimisations and offer guidance on the next steps during app creation. By automating routine coding tasks, this feature will significantly minimise errors and help developers focus on more complex logic.
Now Assist for Developers
Xanadu’s release brought one of the key improvements – integration of Now Assist into App Engine. Now Assist provides real-time AI support, whether it’s suggesting code fixes, generating flows, or aiding with debugging. This minimises the learning curve for newer developers while speeding up the app development process for all.
2. GenAI & Now Assist Expansion
We already mentioned some of the AI features and enhancements that came with the ServiceNow Xanadu release for Creator workflows. Now, let’ deep-dive into more of them.
AI Agents
One of the most anticipated features, AI Agents, can now autonomously handle tasks in areas like IT support, HR, and customer service. These AI agents use historical data and real-time inputs to make decisions, execute tasks, and improve workflows, reducing the need for human intervention in routine processes.
Generative App Creation
Thanks to the GenAI capabilities, you can create applications by simply describing what you need in plain language. The engine generates the necessary workflows, data models, and interfaces, simplifying the development process for those with limited technical expertise. It’s a huge step forward in enabling citizen development on the platform.
AI Skill Kit
The AI Skill Kit has been already introduced in the Vancouver release, but Xanadu brought significant enhancements to it. Now you can use AI Skill Kit to train AI agents on specific workflows and business rules. It gives you a chance to make the automation more personalised and effective, matching your organisation’s unique business objectives.
GenAI-Powered Data Visualisation
Thanks to the new release and Generative AI tools, you can now automatically produce data visualisations and dashboards based on user queries. This means that your teams can skip the tedious work of analysing data and building reports, and make decisions faster.
Now Assist in Sourcing and Procurement
Now Assist has also been expanded into back-office functions like Sourcing and Procurement. It helps automate tasks like managing supplier relationships, processing orders, and responding to procurement inquiries, reducing manual effort and improving efficiency.
Cross-Industry Integration
Last but not least, Now Assist is now integrated across industries such as telecom, retail, and financial services. It understands the regulatory and operational nuances of these sectors, making it a powerful tool for automating industry-specific workflows.
3. Integration Hub Enhancements
While talking about the Xanadu release, we can’t forget to mention some significant upgrades to the Integration Hub. Now, it is much easier to connect the Now Platform with external systems and streamline workflow automation thanks to a number of enhancements:
- Enhanced API Integration: One of the key improvements is the support for Avro messaging, which enhances the tracking and management of API requests. This update improves the efficiency and reliability of data exchanges with external platforms, reducing the overhead of API management.
- Flow Designer Integration: Flow Designer’s connection with Integration Hub has been upgraded with new features like refined access controls and detailed flow annotations, making workflows more secure and compliant. The ability to sign flows and actions further enhances control over automation.
- Expanded Pre-Built Connectors: Integration Hub now includes more pre-built connectors to popular third-party systems, making it easier to automate cross-platform workflows. This reduces the need for custom development and speeds up integration efforts.
Examples include:
– SalesForce
– Microsoft Teams
– Google Workspace
– Slack
New Connectors in Xanadu release:
– Amazon Web Services
– Workday
– Twilio
- External System Connectivity: Xanadu strengthens Integration Hub’s ability to connect with external systems, ensuring a smooth flow of data between ServiceNow and other business platforms. This reduces manual data exchanges and helps businesses operate more efficiently.
4. RaptorDB Pro
One of the shining stars in the ServiceNow Xanadu release is undoubtedly the RaptorDB Pro. A high-performance database designed to handle the needs of large-scale enterprise applications. The key components include:
- Faster data Processing:
RaptorDB Pro enhances app performance by speeding up transaction times, resulting in quicker analytics and reporting. This helps product owners deliver faster insights and more responsive applications, particularly in data-heavy environments. - Increased throughput:
The 3x boost in throughput supports more workflows, enabling smoother integrations and scaling of applications. This translates to better handling of large volumes of data, ensuring consistent performance even as app usage grows. - Lighthouse Program: Through the Lighthouse Program, selected customers have had the opportunity to co-innovate with ServiceNow on RaptorDB Pro, and early adopters have already reported significant improvements in workflow speed and scalability.
Benefits of the RaptorDB Pro for Creator Workflows:
- Improved app performance: Scoped apps can handle large datasets more efficiently, improving user experience.
- Scalability: Enables complex, concurrent workflows without performance bottlenecks.
- Enhanced analytics: Real-time insights support app creators in building dashboards and data-driven features.
- Unified platform for operational data and analytics: Consolidates operational data and analytics, making it easier to derive and act on insights without multiple tools.
- AI workload scalability: Designed to handle the scale of AI-driven operations, perfect for AI-intensive applications.
Conclusion
Xanadu release brings unprecedented capabilities in app creation, automation, and AI-driven workflows. The combination of App Engine innovations, Generative AI enhancements, and the expanded reach of Now Assist ensures that organisations can accelerate their digital transformation efforts, automate routine tasks, and unlock productivity across all business functions.
If you want to know more about ServiceNow capabilities, get in touch with our team.