CSDM - Foundation Data

[averma1]

Hey everyone, hope you doing good..

We always hear about this sentence 'make your foundational data ready' in every conversation before we start implementing the CSDM which is of course the first stage if maturity.

My organisation has already been using this data and have integration with other sources which updates data dynamically. 

How can someone say my foundation data is ready to use and now I can use it making my CSDM stages mature?

Locations, Contracts, companies, departments , users, product model, groups etc...

what's the benchmark?

#CSDM #CMDB

[Robin John]

Hi averma1,
Welcome to the oblivion 😉

The phrase “make your foundational data ready” comes up often because CSDM (Common Service Data Model) is a framework, not a product. It’s based on years of best practices and is designed to provide a structured approach to service modeling within the CMDB.

What you mentioned locations, contracts, companies, departments, users, product models, groups, is indeed foundation data. However, foundation data and CSDM are two different concepts, even though they are symbiotic.

• Foundation data == Core referential data (companies, locations, users, contracts, product models, etc.) that supports all ServiceNow processes.
• CSDM == A set of guidelines for modeling services and their relationships in the CMDB to enable accurate reporting, service mapping, and governance.

You need clean, complete, and trusted foundation data before you can mature through CSDM stages.

What’s the benchmark?

There is no universal benchmark because CSDM is a framework, not a rigid standard. ServiceNow recommends using tools like the CSDM Data Foundations Dashboard and maturity assessments (Foundation → Crawl → Walk → Run → Fly) to measure readiness. These tools check:

• Are your base tables populated? (Company, Location, Department, Group, User, Product Model, Contract)
• Is the data accurate and normalized?
• Do you have ownership and governance for these data domains?

In practice, benchmarks vary by organization. Some use CMDB health scores (>85%), others rely on maturity scorecards (Foundation, Crawl, Walk, Run, Fly). The key is:

• Foundation stage = Populate and validate referential tables.
• Crawl stage = Start linking services to business applications and offerings.
• Walk/Run/Fly = Expand relationships, add technical services, and enable advanced reporting.

My advice:

Let CSDM guide you, not dictate your processes. Assess your process maturity (people, process, technology) before moving forward. Use NowCreate or ServiceNow’s CSDM Assessment to identify gaps and next steps.

I will be more than happy to explore and brainstorm with you.

(I used AI to structure my answer but I drafted the response first based on my experience)