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Change Management Automation

Change Management Automation For Continuous Deployment Using Servicenow And Azure Devops Pipeline

Quick Overview

This case study illustrates how an organization successfully automated its Change Management process as part of Continuous Deployment using ServiceNow and Azure DevOps Pipelines.

Client Profile

The client is a technology-driven company with a complex software environment. They have a large user base and frequently release updates to their applications. Their challenge was managing these changes efficiently, ensuring compliance, and reducing the time it took to get new features to their customers.

Client Requirements

The client sought a solution to streamline their Change Management process while maintaining the necessary controls. Their goals included:

  • Automating the creation of Change Requests (CR) in ServiceNow when code changes were proposed.
  • Implementing a seamless approval workflow in ServiceNow, ensuring that changes met compliance standards.
  • Integrating ServiceNow with Azure DevOps Pipelines to trigger deployments automatically upon approved CRs.
  • Real-time visibility into the status of Change Requests and deployments.

Ensuring auditability and compliance with industry regulations.

Aitorch Approach

Aitorch, a technology consulting firm, collaborated with the client to achieve their objectives:

  • ServiceNow Configuration: Aitorch configured ServiceNow to automatically create Change Requests whenever new code changes were pushed to Azure DevOps Repositories.
  • Approval Workflow: An automated approval workflow was set up within ServiceNow, routing Change Requests to the relevant stakeholders for review and approval. The workflow considered the type of change and its potential impact on the environment.
  • Integration with Azure DevOps Pipelines: Aitorch integrated ServiceNow with Azure DevOps Pipelines. Once a Change Request was approved, it triggered the corresponding deployment pipeline in Azure DevOps.
  • Real-time Monitoring: Aitorch developed dashboards in both ServiceNow and Azure DevOps to provide real-time visibility into the status of Change Requests and deployments.
  • Audit Trail: Detailed logs were maintained in both systems to ensure auditability and compliance.
Challenges
  • Custom Workflow Design: Designing a custom approval workflow in ServiceNow that aligned with the organization’s Change Management policies and procedures required careful consideration and configuration.
  • Integration Complexity: Integrating ServiceNow with Azure DevOps Pipelines involved addressing challenges related to authentication, data synchronization, and handling errors gracefully.
  • User Adoption: Ensuring that all stakeholders, including developers, change managers, and approvers, were comfortable with the new automated process was crucial.
Results

The implementation of Change Management Automation using ServiceNow and Azure DevOps Pipelines led to significant improvements:

  • Efficiency Gains: Manual processes were replaced with automated workflows, reducing human errors, and speeding up change approval and deployment.
  • Faster Releases: Changes were deployed faster, allowing the organization to release new features and updates to users more frequently.
  • Compliance Assurance: The automated workflow ensured that all changes went through the necessary approvals and compliance checks.
  • Visibility and Reporting: Real-time dashboards provided clear visibility into the status of Change Requests and deployments, allowing for better decision-making and reporting.
  • Auditability: Detailed logs and records facilitated compliance audits and provided a historical record of all changes.
Environments Used
  • ServiceNow: Used for Change Management Automation, approval workflows, and audit trail.
  • Azure DevOps Pipelines: Utilized for automated deployments triggered by approved Change Requests.
Conclusion

By successfully automating Change Management using ServiceNow and Azure DevOps Pipelines, the client achieved their objectives of improving efficiency, compliance, and the speed of software releases.