ServiceNow is evolving quickly.
Its new Workflow Data Fabric and enterprise connectors now allow organizations to link ServiceNow workflows to big data platforms and data lakes like Snowflake, BigQuery, and Databricks. This represents a major leap forward for analytics, reporting, and AI-driven insights—for structured data.
But there’s one area that remains unsolved:
Unstructured documents inside ServiceNow workflows.
They are still stored as ServiceNow attachments, where neither governance nor AI can reach them.
And this oversight blocks the full potential of ServiceNow’s AI strategy.
ServiceNow + Data Lakes = Great for Structured Data
Organizations increasingly rely on data lakes to:
- Consolidate enterprise records
- Run large-scale analytics
- Support AI model training
- Combine ServiceNow data with third-party systems
- Improve cross-system visibility
ServiceNow’s new Workflow Data Fabric enables “zero-copy architecture,” meaning the platform can access external data without duplicating it.
This works extremely well for fields like:
- Incident data
- Change records
- Asset information
- HR case fields
- CSM transaction details
These are structured and fit naturally into data lake schemas.
But What About the Documents? (The Hidden Gap)
Every workflow in ServiceNow eventually touches a document:
- Contracts
- HR onboarding paperwork
- Project artifacts
- Legal files
- Requests & approvals
- Compliance materials
- CUI content in federal agencies
- Customer deliverables
Documents make up over 80% of enterprise knowledge — but they aren’t stored in the data lake.
Instead, ServiceNow stores them as binary attachments:
❌ Outside Microsoft 365
❌ Not governed
❌ Not labeled
❌ Not searchable
❌ Not usable by AI
❌ Not compliant for CUI/Zero Trust
❌ Not version-controlled
❌ Not lifecycle-managed
❌ Not accessible through ServiceNow’s AI tools
This means that while ServiceNow evolves toward a rich data fabric, its document layer remains stuck in 2005.
Why This Blocks AI in ServiceNow
AI engines — especially Microsoft Copilot — depend on being able to read, analyze, and reason over content inside documents.
But Copilot can only access documents stored in SharePoint/OneDrive, because that’s where:
- Sensitivity labels
- Metadata policies
- Retention rules
- Security
- Version control
- Permissions
- Audit logs
- CUI controls
- AI indexing
…already exist.
When documents sit inside ServiceNow as attachments, AI simply cannot touch them.
Your AI strategy collapses at the attachment layer.
DocIntegrator: The Missing Link in ServiceNow’s Data Architecture
ServiceNow’s data lake strategy solves half the equation.
DocIntegrator completes it.
DocIntegrator ensures:
1. Documents are stored in SharePoint — not ServiceNow
Immediately upon upload, DocIntegrator routes documents into SharePoint and replaces the attachment with a live governed link.
2. SharePoint governance applies automatically
Retention, sensitivity labels, metadata, version control — all applied instantly.
3. Documents become AI-ready
Copilot can now:
- Summarize
- Classify
- Extract data
- Draft content
- Recommend next steps
- Power automated workflows
4. ServiceNow workflows are unchanged
Users never leave the ServiceNow form.
5. Data lakes + DocIntegrator = Complete architecture
- Structured workflow data → data lake
- Unstructured documents → SharePoint
- Workflow orchestration → ServiceNow
- AI → Copilot / M365 AI
Together, they form a holistic, modern, AI-ready enterprise architecture.
Why This Matters for Federal, DoD, SLED, and Regulated Industries
ServiceNow attachments violate or complicate:
- Zero Trust
- CUI / FOUO handling
- NARA retention
- Records compliance
- Audit prep
- Legal discovery
- Sensitive data workflows
SharePoint (especially GCC/GCC High) solves all of these natively.
DocIntegrator ensures every workflow benefits.
Conclusion
ServiceNow’s data lake strategy is a major advancement — but it only addresses structured data.
The real value in AI transformation comes from your documents.
DocIntegrator ensures that documents remain governed, compliant, and AI-ready — while preserving the power of ServiceNow workflows.
This is the architecture organizations need for the next decade.
Call to Action
Ready to modernize your document workflows and unlock AI?
👉 Start a DocIntegrator trial in the ServiceNow Store
👉 Request a demo