Chasing the long tail
The third value trap is based in part on a rule of thumb called the Pareto principle, more commonly known as the 80/20 rule. This rule states that, in most situations, 80% of the effects can be attributed to 20% of the causes. While the exact numbers tend to vary, value indeed tends to be concentrated within a relatively small subset of the possible scope for your project. This is most clear in the high-volume process configurations in ServiceNow such as those found in the Service Request Catalog. The value trap of chasing the long tail is experienced when the need to enable all instances of a certain workflow or automation type, regardless of the diminishing returns as a team, is applied to processes that are time-consuming to implement but are used only a few times a year.
The appeal of aiming for 100% coverage
No team or project charter sets out with the goal of working on a seemingly endless list of low-value activities – yet, many projects end...
