Let’s face it—enterprise integration is complicated. Getting your CRM, ERP, and various cloud services to play nicely together can feel like a never-ending puzzle. The time and expertise it takes can be overwhelming for even the most experienced teams.
But that’s where ServiceNow steps in.
Known as the “platform of platforms,” ServiceNow sits on top of your existing systems, making integration feel way less daunting. What sets it apart is its suite of pre-built tools that streamline the entire process, saving your teams countless hours. One standout tool? IntegrationHub.
IntegrationHub takes the heavy lifting out of integrations, connecting your systems quickly and efficiently so your team can get back to what really matters—driving growth and innovation.
Curious about how IntegrationHub can transform your business? Welcome to ServiceNow IntegrationHub 101: What Every Business Should Know.
What Is ServiceNow IntegrationHub?
ServiceNow IntegrationHub is your go-to solution for connecting ServiceNow workflows with other systems quickly and effortlessly.
Designed to cut down the usual costs, complexity, and risks of traditional integrations, IntegrationHub simplifies cross-enterprise automation. The result? Your systems work together smoothly without the usual headaches.
What really makes IntegrationHub stand out is its low-code approach, seamlessly built into ServiceNow’s workflows and developer tools. Whether you’re a pro developer or just getting your feet wet, you can connect workflows across any system without drowning in code. It’s all about making integrations faster, easier, and more accessible for everyone on your team.
Key Components of ServiceNow IntegrationHub
To fully grasp the power of IntegrationHub, it’s important to understand its key components. Let’s break down the elements that make up this low-code tool:
Flow Designer:
Flow Designer is the primary interface. It allows users to create automated workflows by linking together different actions, which can be triggered by various events. This low-code environment makes it accessible to both professional developers and citizen developers, enabling the creation of powerful automations without extensive coding knowledge.
Spokes:
Spokes are pre-built connectors that allow IntegrationHub to easily connect with other applications and services. These spokes contain actions specific to a particular application, such as Salesforce, Microsoft Teams, or Slack. ServiceNow provides over 200 out-of-the-box spokes, representing thousands of actions that businesses can use to quickly set up integrations without the need to develop custom connectors from scratch.
Action Designer:
Action Designer is a tool within IntegrationHub that allows developers to create custom actions for specific use cases. These actions can be reused across different workflows, enabling businesses to tailor their integrations to meet unique needs. This feature is particularly useful for organizations with proprietary systems or specialized workflows that aren’t covered by the out-of-the-box spokes.
Flow Templates:
Flow templates are pre-built workflows that can be used as starting points for automation projects. They include seeded integrations that simplify the setup process, allowing users to jumpstart common tasks and processes without needing deep knowledge of Flow Designer or IntegrationHub spokes. These templates are especially beneficial for citizen developers who want to quickly create effective automation.
Integration Solutions:
Integration solutions are end-to-end, pre-built integration packages designed to address common business use cases. These solutions include everything needed to automate a particular workflow, from connectors to pre-configured actions. They help businesses achieve the fastest time to value, allowing them to implement and start using integrations with minimal setup time.
Remote Tables:
Remote tables allow ServiceNow to access data from external systems as if it were stored locally. These in-memory virtual tables behave like physical tables within ServiceNow but pull data in real-time from other systems. This feature is crucial for customer service and support operations, where agents need access to up-to-date information from multiple sources to resolve issues quickly.
API Triggers:
API triggers enable flows to be started by inbound API calls or webhooks from external systems. This feature allows IntegrationHub to interact with other platforms in real-time, triggering workflows based on external events. It eliminates the need for complex scripting, making it easier to set up responsive integrations.
Connections Dashboard:
The connections dashboard is a simplified interface for managing and configuring connection and credential aliases. It allows users to view existing connections, add new ones, and edit or update connection details, all from a single location. This tool helps streamline the management of integrations, reducing the time and effort required to maintain them.
Usage Dashboard:
The usage dashboard provides an overview of the integration activities within ServiceNow. It tracks metrics like the number of transactions processed and helps ensure compliance with licensing terms. This feature is particularly useful for organizations that need to monitor and optimize their integration processes.
Pre-Built Connectors: Easily Connecting to Top Platforms and Systems
One of the best things about ServiceNow IntegrationHub is its huge library of pre-built connectors, or “spokes.” These connectors let you integrate ServiceNow with all your favorite platforms and systems—fast and without the hassle of custom development.
No more building from scratch. Just plug and play. Here are some of the key platforms IntegrationHub can connect to:
| Category | Platforms/Systems |
| Communications and Collaboration | – Slack – Microsoft Teams – Twilio |
| IT Productivity and Identity Management | – Active Directory – Okta – Office 365 |
| IT Operations Management (ITOM) and DevOps | – Jira – AWS (Amazon Web Services) – GitHub |
| Core Enterprise Systems | – SAP – Salesforce – DocuSign – Oracle |
What Are the Benefits of ServiceNow IntegrationHub?
Now that you have a good understanding of the key components and the connectors with leading platforms, it’s time to explore the benefits of using IntegrationHub for your business:
1. Accelerate value realization
In business, speed matters. IntegrationHub helps you quickly connect new tools to your existing workflows, so you start seeing results faster. With ready-to-use connectors and a simple setup, you can hit the ground running and realize value in no time.
2. Cut through integration complexity
Integrating different systems can be a headache. IntegrationHub makes it easier by providing a straightforward platform with pre-built connectors. It cuts through the complexity, so you can focus on what matters without getting tangled in technical details.
3. Remove friction in operations
Smooth operations are key to success. IntegrationHub automates workflows and ensures seamless data flow, removing the friction that slows you down.
4. Trim costs
Keeping costs in check is crucial. This solution helps by reducing the need for costly custom integrations and cutting down on maintenance time. You get the integrations you need without the hefty price tag, freeing up resources for other priorities.
5. Elevate IT performance
Your IT team is busy enough. This platform simplifies their job by automating routine integration tasks, allowing them to focus on bigger projects.
6. Reduce Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)
When considering integration options, it’s easy to overlook hidden costs. Building and managing the complete integration lifecycle for a single system like Salesforce, SAP, or Workday often costs more than the entire IntegrationHub Enterprise package. This tool is a game changer for dramatically driving down the total cost of ownership (TCO) for ServiceNow integrations, making it a smart financial choice for your business.
Are There More Opportunities for Your Business?
Absolutely! ServiceNow IntegrationHub opens up endless possibilities for businesses looking to optimize and scale. One of its biggest strengths? Creating secure integrations that break down data silos between departments, which is a game-changer—especially when scaling GenAI initiatives.
When data flows seamlessly across your organization and connects with external platforms, you’ve got the perfect setup for training AI models efficiently. This interconnected data ecosystem spreads valuable insights throughout the company, empowering your teams to make smarter decisions and drive innovation.
But the real magic? It drastically cuts down the time needed to integrate different platforms, minimizing business disruptions that could cost big bucks and cause frustration. Faster integrations mean savings on time, resources, hardware, software, talent, and cloud costs.
Opportunities for Developers (and Beyond)
IntegrationHub isn’t just for developers—it’s for anyone looking to dive into digital transformation. With its no-code and low-code capabilities, even those without a coding background can create impactful integrations, giving more people the chance to be part of the change.
For pro developers, IntegrationHub streamlines the process with tools like Action Designer, making it easier to build reusable spokes and actions. Plus, the growing library of flow templates helps everyone—from rookies to pros—get started quickly, showcasing best practices and sparking fresh ideas.
The Importance of System Integration: Cutting Friction in Operations
As we’ve mentioned in our series, connecting your company’s tools, systems, and platforms is key to building a smarter, more connected organization. Friction—whether it’s delayed operations, repetitive tasks, or frustrating customer experiences—slows growth and innovation.
No one wants to input the same info multiple times to track a purchase, and no employee wants to send countless emails for simple data requests. Efficient, secure, and scalable integration ensures that knowledge flows freely, reducing friction and setting the stage for a smoother, more innovative operation.
That’s why robust integration isn’t just important—it’s essential.
Why Inclusion Cloud Is Essential for Your ServiceNow IntegrationHub Success
At Inclusion Cloud, we specialize in making the most out of ServiceNow IntegrationHub, ensuring that your integrations are not just functional but optimized to meet your business goals. We understand that completing an end-to-end process often involves piecing together multiple actions and steps, even for basic operations.
We handle the intricate work of setting up bidirectional integrations, mapping and translating data between systems, and managing the configurations on both ends. Our role in the chain is crucial because while IntegrationHub provides powerful tools, the true value is unlocked when these tools are configured and maintained by experts who understand the nuances of both ServiceNow and the systems it connects to.
Expertise Matters, Even with Low-Code Solutions
While ServiceNow IntegrationHub simplifies many of the complexities of system integration with its low-code and no-code features, it still requires a level of expertise to ensure that these integrations are effective and reliable.
No-code doesn’t mean no-complexity.
Building and maintaining robust integrations often involves handling additional licenses, managing transaction volumes, and dealing with unexpected challenges like downtime and attachment handling.
That’s where Inclusion Cloud becomes your ideal partner. As members of the ServiceNow partner ecosystem, we take on these challenges for you, ensuring faster time-to-value, enhanced security, and expanded capabilities for the platforms in your tech stack. Contact us to streamline your operations and make the most of your ServiceNow investment.
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