Managing a successful business environment relies heavily on the ability to collect and leverage crucial information from essential tools. Every company produces huge amounts of data on a daily basis through the use of tools like service desks, CRM systems, and even contact centers. Ensuring you know how to leverage your assets correctly means being able to track the usage, performance, and even the configuration of every tool your team needs.
A configuration management database, or CMDB is a system used to store configuration records through their lifecycle, and track the relationships between them. Your CMDB stores information on the configuration of hardware, software, facilities, systems, and even personnel in your organization. Today, we’re going to look at why CMDB software is so essential in the modern business landscape.
What Does CMDB Software Do?
With CMDB technology, companies can access overviews into the configuration and utilization of various business assets you have. It’s up to the IT team and business leaders to determine which items in the company should be tracked, and how to manage that information. This configuration data can also include insights into the relationships between assets, and the history of any changes made to the technology, such as who owns or uses the item. The core functions of a CMDB software solution will depend on a number of factors, including what kind of tool you choose to invest in. Some of the most common characteristics include:
- Intuitive dashboards with configuration item metrics and analytics making it easier to track the health of important investments in your business ecosystem.
- Compliance features offering detailed insights into the current state of items in your landscape for auditors and IT professionals.
- CI (Configuration Item) creation tools and discovery tools capable of collecting software and hardware information on an automated basis.
- IT service mapping, access controls, and support for federated data sets designed according to specific business policies.
When Do Teams Need CMDB Technology?
The overarching goal of the CMDB is to provide companies with the information they need to make better decisions for ROI and business performance. By combining all of your configuration data in one place, it’s easier for leaders to understand the critical configuration items in their landscape, and their relationships. Today’s business leaders generally use CMDB software for things like root cause analysis, impact analysis, legal compliance, change management, and even incident management. Used correctly, CMDB solutions can solve a number of problems, including those associated with outdated information and siloed data.
Before implementing a CMDB, most companies will have data scattered across various systems with various users, making it harder to see all of their configuration items and the relationships between them clearly. CMDB technology reduces the confusion and helps teams to see important contextual information when making decisions, which have a direct impact on business results. CMDB technology reduces the risk of slow issue resolution, and poor decision making in an environment where companies are trying to invest in growth and evolution. As these tools grow more advanced, they’ll continue to make their way into various business use cases.