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Protecting your business with SACM (pt2)

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The benefits of Service Asset and Configuration Management

In this series of blog articles on Service Asset and Configuration Management (SACM) we will explore what SACM is, the benefits that its use can bring to an organisation and how it can be implemented.  We will also explore the importance that SACM now holds in helping to address the challenges a modern CIO is faced with.  In this second article we will look at the benefits that SACM can have to an organisation

 

Can you carry out the other ITSM and ITIL processes without a full and functional CMS/CMDB?  Yes, of course, you can.  Most IT organisations have implemented Incident, Problem, Change and all the other management processes without having SACM in place. This begs the question, why bother implementing SACM in the first place, especially if it is so challenging to implement? There are a lot of reasons, but here are just a few practical ones:

Increased Reliability

Nothing is worse than an unreliable system that is constantly down and needing repairs. Accurate and well maintained SACM processes can enhance system reliability through more rapid detection and correction of improper configurations that, if otherwise left unchecked, could negatively impact service performance and business confidence.

More efficient Incident and Problem Management

Implementing SACM allows for a greater agility, vastly improved prioritisation and, and a result, faster Incident and Problem resolution, thus giving a better quality of service, a decreased risk, greater levels of security, and a faster restoration of service. The improved visibility and tracking, as a result of knowing the state of the configuration of services and how they are interrelated, means that the recovery of the live configuration will be much easier and quicker and there will be increased efficiencies, stability and control. It also provides an excellent foundation for proactive Problem Management.

Improved Change Management

SACM leads to more efficient Change Management, knowing what the baseline structure is, allows changes to be planned and designed that do not produce new incompatibilities and/or problems. Ultimately the understanding of the environment provided by SACM and the risks associated with any change will increase the number of successful changes carried out, improving service availability and reducing incidents.

Effective Disaster Recovery Plans

Without properly implemented SACM, any Disaster Recovery Plans will only be based on opinion and conjecture, which, in turn, have the potential to lead to a greater level of business disruption in the event of a major technology incident. SACM provides the ability to understand the technical make-up of each business service, including the relationships between the elements that make up the service.  This allows a Disaster Recovery Plan to be formulated that can prioritise the order that technology is restored to ensure that the most important business services are recovered as efficiently as possible with minimal impact in terms of cost and reputation.

Cost Reduction

SACM provides a visibility of the estate which could otherwise only be estimated, leading to more accurate budgeting of license and support agreements. It also saves money with the constant system maintenance, record keeping, and checks and balances to prevent repetition and mistakes. The organised record keeping of the system itself saves time for the IT department and reduces wasted money for the company with less money being spent on fixing recurring or nonsensical issues.

Improved Planning and Organisation

SACM is critical for greater management and organisation of information as a whole, providing visibility of all of the past system implementations for the business, which, in turn, can better address future needs and changes to keep the system up to date and running smoothly.

So, implementing Service Asset and Configuration Management into your organisation will solve all your problems. Well, while it will certainly help address some of the issues that you have, it is only one aspect of getting control of the technology services provided to your business.

Don’t forget that you could always avoid the costs associated with SACM by not bothering to employ it in your enterprise, however, if you do there will be other costs that are incurred instead.

 

 

iCore can assist in the planning and preparation, population and implementation, and operation and continual improvement of your Service Asset and Configuration Management (SACM) process and Configuration Management System (CMS) tooling, ensuring that you realise the expected benefits for your business.

iCore provides consultancy and pragmatic approach to delivery helping many organisations to change their IT Service Delivery to adapt to new and emerging technologies, frameworks and working practices. iCore consultants have practical Service Management experience, working in technology departments for top 250 companies.

If you would like to discuss how iCore can help you then contact us on +44 (0) 207 868 2405 or email us at info@icore-ltd.com