Skip to main content

A Final Word About CMDB/CMS

The five articles on CMDB/CMS that I provided in this issue of BSMdigest present many arguments for why you should take a fresh look at what you might achieve with the creative application of some of the better CMDB/CMS technologies.

However I would like to leave you with one reminder: just as a Configuration Management System initiative has the strong potential to be transformative in the best sense of the word -- it can’t be optimized, no matter how good the technology investment, without good leadership, communication and planning.

The list of ten areas most likely to impact CMDB/CMS deployments is from consulting and predates this research by two years. But if you’ll notice -- the first eight have nothing directly to do with technology!

1. Staff Buy-In

2. Staffing and Budget

3. Detailed Requirements

4. Executive Management Support

5. Follow Through

6. Process

7. Managing Expectations

8. Resistance to Change

9. Integration

10. Auto Discovery

But of course that’s why a true CMS can become so powerfully beneficial. Just as it holds the potential to deconstruct and reconcile many different management investments into a cohesive system, it also holds the potential to help transform how IT professionals work together, share information and optimize their time. And little else -- including cloud -- can make such a powerful and positive claim when it comes to true service management efficiencies.

About Dennis Drogseth

Dennis Drogseth is a Vice President at Enterprise Management Associates (EMA) with a focus on Business Service Management and CMDB. He serves in a cross- practice area role, looking at trends across IT and related technologies -- especially those related to integrating cross domain requirements, including CMDB/CMS, automation technologies, and analytics.

Drogseth does IT consulting on request and helps clients set metrics and define phases for critical IT initiatives. He also tracks IT organizational changes, in terms of how IT is evolving structurally and culturally from an organizational perspective.

Drogseth has 29 years of experience in various aspects of marketing and business planning for systems and network solutions. Prior to joining EMA, he worked to develop marketing strategies and new business models for Cabletron’s SPECTRUM management software, and spent 13 years with IBM in marketing and communications.

Click here to read: The Quiet CMDB/CMS Revolution

Click here to read: 16 Questions to Get You Started on CMDB/CMS

Click here to read the CMDB/CMS use cases for Asset Management and Financial Optimization

Click here to read the CMDB/CMS use cases for Change Management and Change Impact Analysis

Click here to read the CMDB/CMS use cases for Service Impact Management

Hot Topics

The Latest

According to Auvik's 2025 IT Trends Report, 60% of IT professionals feel at least moderately burned out on the job, with 43% stating that their workload is contributing to work stress. At the same time, many IT professionals are naming AI and machine learning as key areas they'd most like to upskill ...

Businesses that face downtime or outages risk financial and reputational damage, as well as reducing partner, shareholder, and customer trust. One of the major challenges that enterprises face is implementing a robust business continuity plan. What's the solution? The answer may lie in disaster recovery tactics such as truly immutable storage and regular disaster recovery testing ...

IT spending is expected to jump nearly 10% in 2025, and organizations are now facing pressure to manage costs without slowing down critical functions like observability. To meet the challenge, leaders are turning to smarter, more cost effective business strategies. Enter stage right: OpenTelemetry, the missing piece of the puzzle that is no longer just an option but rather a strategic advantage ...

Amidst the threat of cyberhacks and data breaches, companies install several security measures to keep their business safely afloat. These measures aim to protect businesses, employees, and crucial data. Yet, employees perceive them as burdensome. Frustrated with complex logins, slow access, and constant security checks, workers decide to completely bypass all security set-ups ...

Image
Cloudbrink's Personal SASE services provide last-mile acceleration and reduction in latency

In MEAN TIME TO INSIGHT Episode 13, Shamus McGillicuddy, VP of Research, Network Infrastructure and Operations, at EMA discusses hybrid multi-cloud networking strategy ... 

In high-traffic environments, the sheer volume and unpredictable nature of network incidents can quickly overwhelm even the most skilled teams, hindering their ability to react swiftly and effectively, potentially impacting service availability and overall business performance. This is where closed-loop remediation comes into the picture: an IT management concept designed to address the escalating complexity of modern networks ...

In 2025, enterprise workflows are undergoing a seismic shift. Propelled by breakthroughs in generative AI (GenAI), large language models (LLMs), and natural language processing (NLP), a new paradigm is emerging — agentic AI. This technology is not just automating tasks; it's reimagining how organizations make decisions, engage customers, and operate at scale ...

In the early days of the cloud revolution, business leaders perceived cloud services as a means of sidelining IT organizations. IT was too slow, too expensive, or incapable of supporting new technologies. With a team of developers, line of business managers could deploy new applications and services in the cloud. IT has been fighting to retake control ever since. Today, IT is back in the driver's seat, according to new research by Enterprise Management Associates (EMA) ...

In today's fast-paced and increasingly complex network environments, Network Operations Centers (NOCs) are the backbone of ensuring continuous uptime, smooth service delivery, and rapid issue resolution. However, the challenges faced by NOC teams are only growing. In a recent study, 78% state network complexity has grown significantly over the last few years while 84% regularly learn about network issues from users. It is imperative we adopt a new approach to managing today's network experiences ...

Image
Broadcom

From growing reliance on FinOps teams to the increasing attention on artificial intelligence (AI), and software licensing, the Flexera 2025 State of the Cloud Report digs into how organizations are improving cloud spend efficiency, while tackling the complexities of emerging technologies ...

A Final Word About CMDB/CMS

The five articles on CMDB/CMS that I provided in this issue of BSMdigest present many arguments for why you should take a fresh look at what you might achieve with the creative application of some of the better CMDB/CMS technologies.

However I would like to leave you with one reminder: just as a Configuration Management System initiative has the strong potential to be transformative in the best sense of the word -- it can’t be optimized, no matter how good the technology investment, without good leadership, communication and planning.

The list of ten areas most likely to impact CMDB/CMS deployments is from consulting and predates this research by two years. But if you’ll notice -- the first eight have nothing directly to do with technology!

1. Staff Buy-In

2. Staffing and Budget

3. Detailed Requirements

4. Executive Management Support

5. Follow Through

6. Process

7. Managing Expectations

8. Resistance to Change

9. Integration

10. Auto Discovery

But of course that’s why a true CMS can become so powerfully beneficial. Just as it holds the potential to deconstruct and reconcile many different management investments into a cohesive system, it also holds the potential to help transform how IT professionals work together, share information and optimize their time. And little else -- including cloud -- can make such a powerful and positive claim when it comes to true service management efficiencies.

About Dennis Drogseth

Dennis Drogseth is a Vice President at Enterprise Management Associates (EMA) with a focus on Business Service Management and CMDB. He serves in a cross- practice area role, looking at trends across IT and related technologies -- especially those related to integrating cross domain requirements, including CMDB/CMS, automation technologies, and analytics.

Drogseth does IT consulting on request and helps clients set metrics and define phases for critical IT initiatives. He also tracks IT organizational changes, in terms of how IT is evolving structurally and culturally from an organizational perspective.

Drogseth has 29 years of experience in various aspects of marketing and business planning for systems and network solutions. Prior to joining EMA, he worked to develop marketing strategies and new business models for Cabletron’s SPECTRUM management software, and spent 13 years with IBM in marketing and communications.

Click here to read: The Quiet CMDB/CMS Revolution

Click here to read: 16 Questions to Get You Started on CMDB/CMS

Click here to read the CMDB/CMS use cases for Asset Management and Financial Optimization

Click here to read the CMDB/CMS use cases for Change Management and Change Impact Analysis

Click here to read the CMDB/CMS use cases for Service Impact Management

Hot Topics

The Latest

According to Auvik's 2025 IT Trends Report, 60% of IT professionals feel at least moderately burned out on the job, with 43% stating that their workload is contributing to work stress. At the same time, many IT professionals are naming AI and machine learning as key areas they'd most like to upskill ...

Businesses that face downtime or outages risk financial and reputational damage, as well as reducing partner, shareholder, and customer trust. One of the major challenges that enterprises face is implementing a robust business continuity plan. What's the solution? The answer may lie in disaster recovery tactics such as truly immutable storage and regular disaster recovery testing ...

IT spending is expected to jump nearly 10% in 2025, and organizations are now facing pressure to manage costs without slowing down critical functions like observability. To meet the challenge, leaders are turning to smarter, more cost effective business strategies. Enter stage right: OpenTelemetry, the missing piece of the puzzle that is no longer just an option but rather a strategic advantage ...

Amidst the threat of cyberhacks and data breaches, companies install several security measures to keep their business safely afloat. These measures aim to protect businesses, employees, and crucial data. Yet, employees perceive them as burdensome. Frustrated with complex logins, slow access, and constant security checks, workers decide to completely bypass all security set-ups ...

Image
Cloudbrink's Personal SASE services provide last-mile acceleration and reduction in latency

In MEAN TIME TO INSIGHT Episode 13, Shamus McGillicuddy, VP of Research, Network Infrastructure and Operations, at EMA discusses hybrid multi-cloud networking strategy ... 

In high-traffic environments, the sheer volume and unpredictable nature of network incidents can quickly overwhelm even the most skilled teams, hindering their ability to react swiftly and effectively, potentially impacting service availability and overall business performance. This is where closed-loop remediation comes into the picture: an IT management concept designed to address the escalating complexity of modern networks ...

In 2025, enterprise workflows are undergoing a seismic shift. Propelled by breakthroughs in generative AI (GenAI), large language models (LLMs), and natural language processing (NLP), a new paradigm is emerging — agentic AI. This technology is not just automating tasks; it's reimagining how organizations make decisions, engage customers, and operate at scale ...

In the early days of the cloud revolution, business leaders perceived cloud services as a means of sidelining IT organizations. IT was too slow, too expensive, or incapable of supporting new technologies. With a team of developers, line of business managers could deploy new applications and services in the cloud. IT has been fighting to retake control ever since. Today, IT is back in the driver's seat, according to new research by Enterprise Management Associates (EMA) ...

In today's fast-paced and increasingly complex network environments, Network Operations Centers (NOCs) are the backbone of ensuring continuous uptime, smooth service delivery, and rapid issue resolution. However, the challenges faced by NOC teams are only growing. In a recent study, 78% state network complexity has grown significantly over the last few years while 84% regularly learn about network issues from users. It is imperative we adopt a new approach to managing today's network experiences ...

Image
Broadcom

From growing reliance on FinOps teams to the increasing attention on artificial intelligence (AI), and software licensing, the Flexera 2025 State of the Cloud Report digs into how organizations are improving cloud spend efficiency, while tackling the complexities of emerging technologies ...