IT Management Research, Industry Analysis, and Consulting
A Board Room View: Understanding
Your CMDB Project’s ROI
An ENTERPRISE MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATES® (EMA™) White Paper
Prepared for ASG Software Solutions
July 2008
A Board Room View:
Understanding Your CMDB Project’s ROI
©2008 Enterprise Management Associates, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
IT Management Research, Industry Analysis, and Consulting
Table of Contents
Executive Summary .................................................................................................................................................... 1
A CMDB Value Statement ........................................................................................................................................ 1
Cost Avoidance, Risk Avoidance, and Advancing IT Maturity ..................................................................... 2
The Cost of Doing Nothing ............................................................................................................................... 4
The CMDB in Context .............................................................................................................................................. 5
Adoption of the CMDB in 2008 ............................................................................................................................. 6
When Should We Do an ROI Study? ..................................................................................................................... 7
ROI Best Practices Advice .................................................................................................................................. 7
“Soft” ROI ......................................................................................................................................................... 7
Detailed Requirements .................................................................................................................................... 9
“Hard” ROI .....................................