Step-by-Step Guide toBuilding a CMDB - RightStar

Stage 1. Assemble the Project Team and Define the Project
Your CMDB goals should be clear, concise, and plainly describe the overall deliverables of the
project. Once you are satisfied with your goals, it will be easy to create the mission statement,
which naturally flows from the established goals.
Task-by-Task Guide
Figure 3.1 shows the tasks for establishing your CMDB goals.
Task 1.
Assess Current
Environment
Task 2.
Summarize
Related Problems
Task 3.
Research General
CMDB Goals
Task 4.
Identify CMDB
Project Goals
Task 5.
Write CMDB
Project Mission
Statement
Task 6.
Obtain Support of
Key Stakeholders
Figure 3.1. Tasks for establishing CMDB goals
Task 1. Assess Current Environment
The CMDB can drive improvements across many functions and processes in IT. However, overall
project success depends on the CMDB being aligned with current business, IT executive,
and process owner priorities.
You should start your process of defining project goals by assessing the current environment
at two key levels. First, assess the overall IT initiatives prioritized by the IT executive team.
Second, identify and assess the IT functions that can benefit from a CMDB and determine the
current priorities of those individual groups.
Start at the top by researching your CIO’s and project sponsor’s top priorities. What are the key
strategic initiatives that your CIO is pursuing What is important to your CMDB project sponsor
What are the key measures that are being tracked What are the important initiatives and goals
for the IT functions related to your project How do these relate to the overall corporate strategy
Make sure your CMDB project supports the goals and objectives of your IT executives, which
should in turn align with the needs of the business. This will increase the chances that financial
and people resources will be allocated to your CMDB project. If your CMDB project does not
support the highest-level goals and objectives of the organization, you should ask yourself why
you are pursuing a CMDB right now.
If a corporate goal is to increase Web sales by 25 percent, and IT’s goal is to help facilitate this
goal by ensuring the Web store remains operational 99.99 percent of the time, then consider
ways the CMDB can help. If a corporate goal is to improve customer satisfaction by ensuring
timely delivery of orders, and IT’s goal is to enable prompt order fulfilment, then how can the
CMDB assist in meeting this goal Look for ways that you can align the goals of your CMDB
project with overall IT and company goals and initiatives.
Now identify the various IT groups and functions that may benefit from a CMDB. Reach out to
the owners of various IT processes and services, and get them involved in discussions about
how a CMDB may benefit them.
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