A Prescriptive Path for Implementing the Service Catalog and CMDB
Together
The service catalog, CMDB and service level management comprise the three-legged stool that establishes IT as a strategic
business partner. Yet a prescriptive path for implementation is vital to your success. Begin by establishing a documented
service catalog, developed in coordination with the business. This serves as a catalyst for business-IT alignment and
empowers business and IT managers to make decisions on IT activities based on risk, priority, and value, rather than cost
alone.
Next, implement your CMDB, ensuring the structure and relationships make sense from the perspective of a service. Implementing
the service catalog as part of an IT self service portal, integrated with the CMDB establishes IT as a business service
provider. When service descriptions include CMDB content and context, the service catalog becomes the shared vision of
business and IT, transforming business goals into IT goals.
Finally, use service level management to ensure that ongoing requirements, communications, timeframes, and expectations
between business and IT are established and proactively managed. While the service catalog defines the services, service
level agreements, operating level agreements, and under pinning contracts establish the service delivery benchmarks.
Remember, truly useful SLM goes beyond component/network metrics and includes service and business metrics that are
meaningful to the business.
With this pragmatic, customer-focused approach to implementing the service catalog, CMDB, and service level management,
IT is sure to meet the expectation of the CEO: delivering strategic value to the company.