Posted by Don Casson
Wed, Jul 26, 2017
Align from top to bottom, with customers first: the fifth key to getting it right
Successful Service Asset and Configuration Management (SACM) begins with the customer. As with everything else involved in running a successful enterprise in a data-driven world, having the customer in mind is an important first step. And if you want customers to return, you must achieve efficiency and improve the effectiveness of your technology supporting them.
Topics: ITIL, IT Asset Management, CMDB Challenges, CMDB Consulting, ITIL Consulting, CMDB, Configuration Management Database, ITIL Process, ITIL Strategy, Configuration Management, Service Asset and Configuration Management, Service Asset, SACM
Posted by Don Casson
Mon, Jul 24, 2017
In my last post, I discussed two keys to help you get moving in the right direction for simplifying service asset and configuration management (SACM) – Key 1: Know why it hasn’t worked, and Key 2: Know why you are doing this. Now let’s move beyond the “why” and into the “what” to provide useful tips for the planning and implementation stages.
If you get the process of planning your service asset and configuration management (SACM) program right from the very start, you increase your chances of achieving a successful implementation. There will be roadblocks ahead, but also plenty of good opportunities for lessons learned along your journey. You will have policy, process and technology to design and build, so you should really think things through. And the process may be twice as hard and take twice as long as you may initially think, to get it right.
Therefore, be sure to start with something important, but manageable – this is the third key to simplified asset and configuration management. Limit the data by beginning with a manageable universe of data points that you can understand and manipulate, with manual intervention when necessary. For asset management, this might be one to three top software licenses, or a class of high value servers. And a focus on one to two high value, tier-1 type services (only ones that really matter) is the best way to structure your configuration management planning efforts.
Next, it’s on to the fourth key: pilot, learn and then apply.
Topics: ITIL, IT Asset Management, CMDB Challenges, CMDB Consulting, ITIL Consulting, CMDB, Configuration Management Database, ITIL Process, ITIL Strategy, Configuration Management, Service Asset and Configuration Management, Service Asset, SACM
A key purpose for keeping track of all asset and configuration information is to ensure and maintain delivery of services, which keeps your customers happy. This is the “why” behind your efforts to build an effective configuration and asset management program.
ITIL describes Service Asset and Configuration Management (SACM) like this: “the process responsible for ensuring that the assets required to deliver services are properly controlled, and that accurate and reliable information about those assets is available when and where it is needed. This information includes details of how the assets have been configured and the relationships between assets.”
I place emphasis on “deliver services” above because this is the crux of the challenge in effectively and accurately managing your IT assets and configurations.
Topics: ITIL, IT Asset Management, CMDB Challenges, CMDB Consulting, ITIL Consulting, CMDB, Configuration Management Database, ITIL Process, ITIL Strategy, Configuration Management, Service Asset and Configuration Management, Service Asset
Posted by Don Casson
Mon, Jul 17, 2017
... and three questions to help you avoid getting lost in all the data!
What happens when you build an Asset and Configuration Management program based on ITIL-defined processes? You position yourself to achieve such benefits as cost reduction, improved management of risks and optimized operational efficiencies.
Here’s what happens next: you must figure out on your own how to succeed with these best practices.
In other words, ITIL is good in helping you lay the foundation for an effective configuration and asset management operation, but the part where you must successfully execute it is entirely up to you. Here is where asking the right questions can make a world of difference in the success of your asset and configuration management program.
Topics: ITIL, IT Asset Management, CMDB Challenges, CMDB Consulting, ITIL Consulting, CMDB, Configuration Management Database, ITIL Process, ITIL Strategy, Configuration Management
Health care compliance is a dynamic and growing burden. Managing and proving compliance with complex, changing and even conflicting regulatory requirements is difficult. And it must be incorporated at the individual employee level – at the point where the work is done. Health care carries a high and unique burden for both regulatory and legally driven compliance due to the dangerous nature of its work.
Topics: HP CAE, HP CA, Data Center Automation, IT Consulting, CMDB Challenges, CMDB Consulting, Change Management, IT Consultants, ITIL Consulting, Datacenter Automation, Database Automation, Healthcare Compliance, Change Advisory Board, CMDB, Workflow Automation, Healthcare IT
Configuration and Change Management best practices are growing faster than ever. It can be difficult to keep up with the changes and make the right IT management decisions. Perhaps you are deciding on which technology to move forward with in your data center? Or do you already have a product in-house but aren’t sure how to make the most of it? You may just need a little (IT) social networking to get you going!
Topics: IT Consulting, CMDB Challenges, CMDB Consulting, Change Management, Configuration Management Database, Social Networks
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