Organizations rely on data more than ever. How to ensure that the data is accurate, complete, and valid? The new, entirely blueprint-driven Data Certification feature in the DCM Data Quality Workspace helps to tackle this challenge.
The first version of the Data Certification feature was included in DCM R6.4, released in January 2026. You can read the full release notes from our knowledge base.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
1. Design a blueprint
Using the Data Certification starts, as always in DCM, by creating a blueprint. You can use predefined blueprint templates or build your own from scratch. Either way, the blueprints define the requirements also for the certification. So, you can also use the blueprints you’ve already created for data compliance audits and remediation.
Please note that if the blueprint includes related records with field setups, additional references, and relationships, they are also included in the certification.
Here’s an example of a blueprint and what should be certified based on the blueprint.
2. Configure certifications
In addition to creating blueprints, you also need to decide which blueprints are used for data certifications. This happens on the Data Certification Configuration record by selecting the blueprint that will serve as the basis for your certification, defining the frequency for certification, and selecting the assignees, either dynamically or as defaults.
Read more about the data certification configuration from our knowledge base.
3. Run an Audit
Next you run audits: you should schedule them for trends and automation. We recommend running audits weekly.
When the scheduled audit is executed after the start date, DCM generates the certification tasks for all relevant records. Each task contains the exact set of items to be certified. In addition to data compliance percentages and audit messages, what is new with the DCM Data Certification is that you also get the certification tasks to validate your data regularly.
4. Engage your Data Providers with the Personal Data Quality Workspace
Data providers certify or correct the data in their personalized data quality workspace.
In the certification task list, they can get a simple view of personal tasks already in progress on top, followed by the rest of their tasks.
Clicking ‘Certify’ will open the data certification view, showing already certified, open, or rejected entries. If the audit marks data as non-compliant, users can also correct it directly through the certification interface.
All in all, DCM is really about getting people involved in data management activities. CMDB team or CI Class owners simply cannot certify hundreds of thousands of records without help from operations or business people.
WHY SELECT DCM DATA CERTIFICATION VS. OUT-OF-BOX PRODUCTS?
As part of the Data Content Manager, Data Certification completes the product. DCM Data Certification allows to certificate any data on the platform. The big difference compared to out-of-the-box products is that it is entirely based on the blueprints. It is easy to configure and explain with its visual form. And it can also include relationships.
Key benefits in a nutshell
- Reliable, consistently high-quality data enables the ServiceNow AI Platform
- Clear ownership and accountability for every data element
- Certification of any data on the platform
- Seamless correction of issues during certification
- Recurring, automated tasks that support making data quality efforts part of the “business as usual”
- Transparent reporting for domain owners and leadership
- Comply with regulatory requirements
If you want to see DCM Data Certification in action, look at our webinar recording here:
DCM Open House – Data Certification Demo – January 29, 2026
If you want to know what else is new in the DCM 6.4 release, you can check these out:
If you want to discuss more about data certification or you have some questions, contact us. We are happy to run a demo for you.
