ITAM: A Prerequisite for Building a CMDB (Part 3/6) – “4 Reasons Why ITAM is a Prerequisite for a CMDB”

ITAM: A Prerequisite for Building a CMDB (Part 3/6) – “4 Reasons Why ITAM is a Prerequisite for a CMDB”

This article series has been contributed by Peter Salfi at Provance.

In this series Peter explains why an Asset Registry, created within an IT Asset Management program, comprised of the appropriate mix of people, process and technology, is often an overlooked prerequisite to creating a CMDB.

It describes a less painful approach to creating a reliable and accurate CMDB that allows organizations to realize a high return on their investment in time, effort and expense.

• PART 1 – Introduction – “Houston, We Have A Problem!”
• PART 2 – The Link between ITAM and ITSM
• PART 3 – 4 Reasons Why ITAM is a Prerequisite for a CMDB
• PART 4 – Why Building a CMDB is challenging
• PART 5 – Summary of Comparisons – ITSM vs. ITAM
• PART 6 – Conclusion – “Back to the Apollo 13 Story”

Part Three – 4 Reasons Why ITAM is a Prerequisite for a CMDB

1. The “dots” need to be identified before you start connecting them.  Build an Asset Registry first.  Focus on identifying and understanding “what” you have to work with before worrying about how they need to come together to form a service.
2. An IT Asset Management program allows you to maximize the use of what you have.  The appropriate mix of people, processes and technologies provides the necessary foundation for comprehensive and accurate asset information.  Once in place, the necessary relationships to define services that drive client-centric value and operational-centric efficiencies can be established.
3. Building a CMDB is a journey, not a destination.  Starting with a CMDB is impossible.  A fundamental core set of data that you can rely on is needed first.  Evolve from an Asset Registry to a CMDB.  Building a CMDB from scratch cannot be done easily, if at all.
4. Starting with Asset Management is the responsible thing to do.  Without a reliable starting point, building a CMDB will be time consuming, labor intensive and costly.  Establish a proper roadmap to assure your organization takes the right steps in the appropriate sequence to save on effort and expense.

Continues….

Peter Salfi, Provance

Read Part Four ‘Why Building a CMDB is Challenging‘.

This article series has been contributed by Peter Salfi. To find out more about Provance IT Asset Management for Microsoft System Center visit Provance.