In theory, the role of a platform owner is quickly defined: they are responsible for the overall development and governance of a digital platform such as ServiceNow. In practice, however, the role is often vague. Sometimes it's interpreted narrowly as an admin with extended responsibilities. Other times, it's viewed as a product owner of an isolated use case. But anyone looking to scale, stabilize, and strategically lead a ServiceNow platform needs more than that: platform owners require clear structures, defined areas of responsibility, and above all room to create real impact.

ServiceNow is not a conventional software solution. It’s modular, continuously evolving with the needs of the business, and integrates a wide range of functions and data sources. Managing such a platform requires much more than keeping individual applications up and running. It’s about architecture, governance, data quality, roadmaps, and scalability. And it’s exactly at this intersection that the platform owner operates.

It’s not enough for the role to be loosely anchored “somewhere in IT.” Effective platform leadership demands a clear mandate from top management. Platform owners must have the authority to set priorities, allocate budgets, and define roadmaps. They need access to business stakeholders to align requirements meaningfully, and they require an internal network to enforce governance structures. Without this backing, the platform risks becoming just another reactive maintenance project.

Another key element is operational impact. Platform owners must be able to measure how well the platform performs not just technically, but especially in terms of business value delivered. This calls for meaningful metrics: How many processes have been digitized? How many automation opportunities have been realized? How quickly can new services be launched? The goal is to position the platform as a true business enabler with clearly defined objectives, success indicators, and a mindset of continuous evolution.

At the same time, platform owners play a moderating role: they bridge the gap between strategic vision and technical implementation. They translate business requirements into platform functionality. They moderate conflicts between customization and standardization, between speed and governance. In this way, they become key figures at the intersection of IT, business, and transformation.

In many organizations, this role either doesn’t exist or is poorly defined. The consequences are clear: inconsistent development, growing technical debt, and lack of scalability. That’s why it’s so important not only to name the role formally, but to define it clearly and embed it effectively.

Bottom line:

Platform owners are not caretakers, they are designers, communicators, and drivers of progress. Any organization that wants to go beyond operational use and achieve strategic growth with ServiceNow needs exactly this kind of role: one with responsibility, with measurable impact and with the trust of senior leadership behind it.