Step-by-Step Guide toBuilding a CMDB - RightStar

Stage 1. Assemble the Project Team and Define the Project
These examples meet most of the objectives stated earlier. Keep in mind that the goals and
the mission statement must complement each other, as shown in figure 3.2. Once these goals
have been achieved, they will be replaced by the next set of goals. All goals need to be prioritized
in order of importance to the business.
Mission Statement
To create a CMDB
and processes that
effectively support
business requirements,
compliance, and the
requirements of all
ITIL processes.
Goals
• Discover all infrastructure CIs and their relationships, verify the configuration
records against the infrastructure, and correct any exceptions by June 30.
• Provide accurate version control of all non-desktop system configurations
by Sept. 1.
• Connect data producers and consumers in incident management, problem
management, change management, and release management by Nov. 1.
• Provide a complete list of infrastructure CIs that support financial applications
for IT audit by Jan. 1.
Figure 3.2. Example CMDB mission statement with goals
Task 6. Obtain Support of Key Stakeholders
Distribute the goals and mission statement to key stakeholders for comments and input. This
distribution must include everyone who was consulted as a resource for the goals in task 1. Also
distribute to anyone else who will be influenced or affected by the CMDB when it is implemented.
Review comments and input as you receive them from the stakeholders. To reduce the chances
of conflict later in this project, follow up with all of the stakeholders — especially those who did
not provide any comments or input. After the project team reviews these comments, update
the goals and mission statement as necessary. Repeat this cycle until the key stakeholders
agree on a set of goal statements. If you can’t reach agreement then ask senior management,
including the sponsor, to be arbitrators.
The goals and mission statement will be incorporated into your business case in step 5. However,
you may want to get buy-in from the PEB at this point, before you define the expected benefits
in step 4, to make sure you are on the right track.
Summary
Reviewing and agreeing on the goals and mission statement for your CMDB project
is an important step. Going through this process will ensure all project contributors
and stakeholders are on the same page as to what you plan to achieve, why, and
how you will get there.
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