CSDM 3.0 Webinar Series – Thoughts & Learnings

We have just completed our CSDM 3.0 Webinar series which we were proud to present together with ServiceNow. First, I want to thank Mark Bodman, Senior Product Manager for CSDM at ServiceNow and Mikko Juola, Product Manager for DCM for presenting in this series!

Having been on the listening side, I wanted to take a moment and reflect on the series and raise up some key learnings and thoughts – both on CSDM 3.0 and Data Content Manager.

Webinar Statistics

There were more than 1000 total registrations to the webinar series. While we are very happy with the number, we’re also happy to see that the number continues to increase. People are now attending the on-demand recordings of the sessions, which are all now available online.

More than 140 questions were asked by the audience and we will eventually tackle some of the more frequently asked ones on our website. According to the post-webinar survey, roughly 90% of respondents said they would recommend our webinars to their colleagues.

We could not be happier with the results. If you have not attended, yet, but have CSDM on your agenda, I encourage you to view the recordings. The links are available below.

On-Demand Presentations

Importance of Foundation Data

I wanted to ask Mikko what he thought was the most important thing in the now relesaed CSDM 3.0.?

He had a strong opinion about the importance of Foundation Data in CSDM: ?Way too little attention has been given to Foundation Data that, after all, is the foundation for the platform. Roughly 1? years ago, I posted an article about the Importance of Foundation Data and I think it is still relevant today and in the future.?

He continues: ?The latest CSDM 3.0 version also highlights different Product Views which is great since that is where the value comes from. There is not much point in having a CMDB or following the CSDM, if nobody is using the data it contains. However, when other products can rely on common data structures that are actually followed, the benefits go far beyond the scope of a single product and can provide true transparency and service automation throughout the platform.?

We think that the inclusion of Foundation Data into CSDM 3.0 makes a lot of sense and is a clear improvement.

Data Content Manager as an Accelerator

If you attended the webinar series, you have seen how Data Content Manager can help you ensure that you follow the CSDM or any other data model within your ServiceNow instance. With Data Content Manager, CSDM implementation can be accelerated considerably leading to quick and tangible results, and consequently cost savings and improved ROI.

Whatever data models you choose to use within CSDM or otherwise, the earlier you can enforce them and confidently say that they are being followed, the less fixing you will need to do afterwards.

When the foundation is solid and enforced:

• it is easier to proceed to more demanding phases with confidence
• there will be less to fix afterwards meaning fewer (if any) costly cleanup projects
• the costs and outcomes of implementation become more predictable

Summing it Up

Many organizations and especially the people assigned to the task can feel overwhelmed or unarmed to face the ?we need a CMDB and we need it now? project. CMDB initiatives are no different from any other projects in that they require management support to succeed.

CSDM makes it easier to approach the task, since it gives clear guidance on the steps that make sense. With a systematic approach and appropriate tools, you can communicate the current state, target models and progress to different stakeholders. This is likely to increase the chances of winning trust and support from management.

If you want to know how DCM can help you walk these steps, please do not hesitate to contact us or simply start a free trial and give it a go. You can also book a private demo session with us to see DCM in action and get your questions answered.