SPM Collaborative Workspaces: ServiceNow Strategic Portfolio Management (SPM) workspaces are designed to unite teams, stakeholders, and tools on a single, centralized platform, fostering more efficient collaboration, streamlined communication, and faster decision-making.

Also known as Collaborative Work Management (CWM), SPM Collaborative Workspace provides a central hub to plan, visualize, manage, and collaborate on work with your teams.  With powerful integrations and advanced features, these workspaces keep teams aligned, enhance decision-making, and optimize resource management—ultimately driving project success with tools that support better outcomes.

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SPM Collaborative Workspaces Benefits for Users

With ServiceNow SPM Collaborative Workspace, teams experience:

• Clearer Communication: Teams can collaborate in real-time, from managed boards, making it easier to align on goals, solve problems and stay aligned on projects.
• Boosted Productivity: All tools and information are in one place, so team members can focus on their tasks without switching between platforms.
• Smarter Decisions: Access to real-time data helps teams make informed decisions that support business goals.
• Optimized Resources: Efficient resource management ensures the right people are on the right tasks, reducing delays and improving outcomes.

Standard and Pro License SPM Collaborative Workspace Features

• Standard License offers essential task and document management, basic workflows, and limited automations within SPM Collaborative Workspaces.
• Pro License offers significant advanced customizations, full integration with Agile tools, deeper real-time collaboration features, enhanced resource planning, and powerful analytics to optimize workspace performance for complex projects and strategic initiatives.

SPM Collaborative Workspaces Feature	Standard License	Pro License
Spaces Creation	Create and manage Spaces and Boards	Create and manage Spaces, Boards, with advanced configuration options
Boards (Task Management)	Basic task management with List, Gantt, and Kanban views	Enhanced task management with advanced filtering and customization of task views
Custom Fields for Task Records	Limited customization of fields	Full customization, allowing for advanced workflows and task types
Workflows and Task Organization	Basic task organization with predefined workflows	Fully customizable workflows and organization based on project needs
Automations	Basic automations (e.g., sending notifications, simple reassignments)	Advanced automations with more conditional triggers (e.g., task priority changes, complex task dependencies)
Document Management (Docs)	Basic document management within the workspace	Advanced document management, including rich-text docs and integration with external platforms
Real-Time Collaboration on Docs	Real-time collaboration with team members	Full real-time collaboration with more robust version control and sharing options
Integration with Other Now Platform Records	Limited (e.g., basic incident linking)	Full integration with Now Platform records, including Incidents, Risks, Issues, and custom record types
Resource Allocation	Basic resource allocation for Boards	Real-time resource capacity planning and advanced allocation within the workspace
Agile and Hybrid Methodologies Support	Supports Agile and Waterfall project management	Advanced Agile management with deeper integration into Agile tools and enhanced support for hybrid methodologies
Strategic Planning and Roadmapping	Basic prioritization of tasks in Strategic Planning	Advanced roadmapping and strategic planning with detailed portfolio integration and analytics
Reporting and Analytics	Basic reporting tools for workspace performance	Advanced reporting with customizable dashboards and AI-powered insights for workspace performance
Gantt, List, and Kanban Views	Standard views available for task tracking	Enhanced customization of views, including the ability to create new views and modify existing ones for better task visibility

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Planned Upgrades in Xanadu

ServiceNow’s Xanadu Release is expected to bring several upgrades to Collaborative Workspaces, such as:

• Improved User Interface: A more intuitive, user-friendly design that enhances team interaction.
• Advanced AI-Driven Insights: New AI tools will provide predictive analysis and recommendations for better project outcomes.
• Expanded Integration Options: Expect deeper connections with third-party collaboration tools, improving flexibility and choice for users.

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Use Cases and Problem-Solving

SPM Collaborative Workspaces solve several problems and are ideal for various use cases, such as:

• Project Coordination: When managing large-scale projects across departments, Collaborative Workspaces ensure that all stakeholders have access to the same information, improving cross-team collaboration.
• Resource Management: Teams can avoid resource conflicts by using the workspace to track and adjust resource allocations in real time.
• Agile Project Tracking: Teams using Agile methodologies can easily track backlogs, sprints, and user stories, ensuring timely delivery of features.
• Document Control and Compliance: The platform helps teams ensure that the latest versions of all documents are available, reducing compliance risks and improving audit readiness.

In conclusion, SPM Collaborative Workspaces are a vital tool for SPM Product Owners, offering numerous features that streamline collaboration, improve project outcomes, and address complex challenges in project and resource management.

Requirements for Installation and Use

To install and use SPM Collaborative Workspaces, you need:

• An active ServiceNow instance with access to the SPM suite.
• Depending on your use case, additional integrations, such as Microsoft Teams or Slack, may be required for real-time collaboration.
• The Washington Release supports Collaborative Workspaces, but it is essential to check for compatibility based on your system’s customizations.

Standard vs. Pro License for Washington

• The Standard License provides basic project management, task tracking, and resource allocation tools.
• On the other hand, the Pro License offers advanced analytics, deeper integrations with Agile management tools, and enhanced reporting capabilities. For instance, real-time resource capacity planning might only be available under the Pro License in the Washington Release.

Other Resources for SPM Collaborative Workspaces

• Collaborative Work Management (servicenow.com)
• Create a folder in CWM (servicenow.com)
• Create a Space in CWM (servicenow.com)
• Dependencies in SPM – ServiceNow Community
• Features of SPM
• Managing work using Boards in CWM (servicenow.com)
• PPM Collaboration (servicenow.com)
• Share a Space in CWM (servicenow.com)
• SPM Project Templates – Dawn Christine Simmons (dawncsimmons.com)
• Timeline: ITBM to SPM