At the Organization Level
Let’s begin at the macro level and take a look at the organizational impacts of CMDB data inaccuracies. The ways that inaccuracies and poor data quality can impact processes and systems across your organization are as varied as they are serious. These problems can arise from issues in asset management, change management, and incident and problem management. They can result in lost productivity caused by downtime, and may even impact supply chain management, financial management, and any other organization-wide system, depending upon your industry and your organization.Problems With Asset Management
Data inaccuracies and incomplete data can cause tremendous problems in IT asset management. One key problem caused by CMDB data inaccuracies is the errors they can cause in the reporting license usage. And while that financial impact may be large enough on its own to merit taking problems with your CMDB data model seriously, the reality is that’s not where the asset management problems stop. Asset refresh problems, issues with understanding usage, and even equipment losses can all be attributed in some cases to poor quality or incomplete data.Problems With Change Management
Sound decisions regarding organizational change depend upon good quality and complete data. Understanding the impacts of proposed changes, no matter how small, is essential to making a proactive change that enhances ITSM. Can you make simultaneous changes across the organization? How will one change affect the others? Without good, complete data in your organization’s CMDB, you can’t possibly know the answer. Changes that are not based on sound data are ones that have a tendency to create problems and incidents, and problem and incident management are where the most visible impacts of CMDB data inaccuracies typically occur.Problems in Incident and Problem Management
But how do you respond effectively to incidents? How do you manage problems when you’re working from a position built upon incomplete or inaccurate data? A bad or incomplete CMDB gives you little insight into the potential and emerging impacts of an incident, make it harder to link incidents to their underlying problems, and lead to an incorrect classification of the effects of incidents – which in turn leads to greater inaccuracies.What Can Be Done: Protecting the CMDB Data Model
If all of this seems a bit overwhelming, it is – by design. The myriad of problems caused and exacerbated by issues with your CMDB should be taken very, very seriously. But, the news isn’t by any means all negative. In fact, you can do something (many things) to protect your CMDB. Maintaining a complete CMDB loaded with high-quality data is not only possible, it’s essential.
