This document discusses implementing an effective Configuration Management System (CMS) by: 1) Starting small with a single important service to prove value, then expanding incrementally. 2) Developing processes, roles, and tools to centrally deliver consistent information about the environment to support ITSM functions like change and problem management. 3) Continually measuring outcomes and aligning the CMS to business needs through metrics in order to justify further investment and improvement.

1. Awesome CMS!
Implementing Configuration
Management to Maximise Value
David Chambers
Warren Spier

2. Introduction
• Why Awesome CMS?
– Understanding the value of a robust
Configuration Management System (CMS)
– Real world examples of Configuration
Management implementations
– A set of guidelines to assist with your CMS
project

3. Why Configuration Management?
• The Purpose of a CMS
– The centralised, consistent delivery of information about a customer’s
environment, which provides input into several ITSM functions
• What is a CMS?
– A set of processes, roles and tools that combine to achieve business
outcomes
• It’s not just a CMDB tool
• CMS Benefits
– A good CMS implementation will result in:
• reduction of outages affecting the business
• Enhanced information to make informed decisions about
impacts to the environment
• Greater communication between IT and the business
• Being able to accurately track areas of improvement

4. Where to Begin
• Business Case
– What are the outcomes you want to achieve?
• Start Small
– Begin with a single service
• Select a service that is important to the business
• For a toll road company, we selected the capturing of toll road usage as a high
level service
Toll Operators TOS Application Databases Servers Network Toll Gantries
Service Model: Toll Road Usage
• Proof of Concept
– Once the service is selected, define the service model, which includes
the type of attributes to be tracked and the type and depth of
relationships to be identified
– Define and test the Configuration Management process and the
required roles

5. It’s all about the Business
• You want to be able to measure the
success of the POC, as this will support
further implementation
– Use metrics to support the business case
– Is your CMS usable?
• What were the major issues encountered in the
POC?
• What worked well?

6. Full Blown Implementation
• Support Model
– Owning versus Running Configuration
Management 1
Business
• Processes Services
– Configuration Management Policy and
Process 2
Applications
– Configuration Management Plan
– Change and Release 3
– Service Catalogue Management Infrastructure
• The Top Down Approach Top Down Approach

7. Continual Improvement
• Now that you’ve implemented your CMS, you need
to measure it’s effectiveness and alignment to
business requirements
– Use a combination of operational and strategic
metrics
– Use PDCA
– Auditing will allow objective assessment of the
effectiveness of your entire CMS through highlighting
potential inaccuracies
• Don’t stand still
– The business will evolve, so must your CMS

8. Change and Configuration are BFF
• Configuration Management cannot exist
without Change Management
• Regularly assess the information flow
between the two – it will soon become
evident if there is a process breakdown
• Ownership of change and configuration
should be separate, but the governance must
be in place to ensure they both work
harmoniously

9. Tool Selection
• Pragmatism is required when selecting tools
– There is no tool available to rule them all
– You should evaluate tools that are fit for purpose for your
business requirements
• A Spreadsheet may be all that you need
• CMDB tools should support CMDBf, have automated
functionality to capture CI details, and visually display service
relationships
• Discovery tools are useful when starting to populate your
CMDB
• The CMDB tool should be part of a broader ITSM toolset, and
as such you need to prioritise based on all functionality
required

10. Action Plan
• Constantly work with the business in all
phases
• Develop a roadmap, clearly identifying
benefits of your CMS
• Use a POC to justify further investment
• Start small and grow incrementally
• Continually measure and improve

11. Additional Resources
• Awesome CMS! is available
for download on our website:
– www.awesome-cms.com
• Contact us with any queries
about CMS – we’re happy to
help:
– info@awesome-cms.com