Modern IT Operations teams expect more than tool deployment. They want predictable outcomes, scalable foundations, and long-term operational value. After working with many organizations at different stages of their ITOM journey, a consistent pattern emerges successful implementations progress through a clear maturity path.
The Maximize ITOM Value Framework was developed to guide that journey—connecting people, processes, and technology into a structured, outcome-driven roadmap.
- Begin With People: Identify Key Contacts
Effective ITOM programs start with clear ownership. Before technical rollout begins, it is essential to establish:
- Owners for Discovery, CMDB, Service Mapping, and Event Management
- Accountability for data quality
- Communication channels across IT and business teams
Without defined roles and collaboration, even strong technical solutions struggle to gain traction.
- Prioritize What Matters: Evaluate Critical CI Classes
Scope control determines CMDB quality. Rather than discovering everything, organizations should focus on CI classes that influence business operations:
- Core infrastructure
- Business-critical applications
- Cloud platforms
- Network devices
This targeted approach ensures meaningful data, reduces noise, and avoids CMDB bloat.
- Align Technology to Business Problems
Each ITOM capability must map to a specific outcome. Typical drivers include:
- Reducing outages
- Improving incident triage
- Increasing service visibility
- Enhancing compliance
With clear objectives, it becomes easier to define the data and integrations required.
Hybrid Data Collection: The Most Effective Model
Most organizations achieve optimal CMDB completeness using a hybrid approach that blends:
- Horizontal Discovery
- Agent Client Collector (ACC)
- Service Graph Connectors
This combination covers endpoints, servers, cloud platforms, licensing, mainframe systems, and restricted networks—producing a comprehensive view of the IT estate.
- Leverage Out-of-the-Box Capabilities
ServiceNow provides mature, upgrade-safe features that should be used before considering customization:
- Patterns, probes, and sensors
- Event Connectors
- Discovery Admin & Service Operations Workspace
- Service Graph Connector Central – CMDB Workspace
- ACC framework
Relying on OOTB capabilities accelerates deployment, improves maintainability, and preserves platform integrity.
- Automate and Scale
As the foundation stabilizes, the next focus is scaling processes through automation. It always important to Start small and scale it up to Larger different scenarios and use cases as you move on with Maturity. Every manual use case is an opportunity to automate which supports operational efficiency and consistency as the environment grows. Automation should help us shift gears from being reactive to proactive operations.
Advance Through the Digital Operations Maturity Model
ITOM plays a central role in moving organizations from:
- Reactive operations with manual processes – 20 % Automated
- Tool-driven but disconnected workflows – 40% Automated
- Proactive operations with correlation and automated root cause – 55 % Automated
- Self-healing environments powered by AI and automated playbooks – 70% Automated
Each stage builds on the previous one, with ITOM acting as the foundation.
- Establish CMDB Policy and Documentation
Good documentation reduces technical debt and supports long-term sustainability. As new capabilities are introduced, new processes must be created and documented. This includes defining maintenance tasks, integration sources, tagging strategies, MID Server upkeep, and effective use of Workspaces. Establishing product ownership and a well-structured RACI model, clear naming standards, CI lifecycle ensures that governance remains strong and the CMDB continues to deliver value
- Leverage CSDM Framework
The CSDM framework was created to bridge the gap between business operations and technical operations. It provides the structural alignment needed across ITOM, ITSM, SecOps, AIOps, Enterprise Architecture, and Digital Portfolio Management. Implementing CSDM early reduces rework and ensures consistent, accurate service modeling across the entire enterprise.
- Measure What Matters
Meaningful metrics demonstrate ITOM’s value:
- Cost savings and ROI
- User adoption and experience
- Service delivery performance
- MTTR improvements
Outcome-based KPIs help IT leaders communicate progress and justify investment.
- Think Beyond IT
As ITOM matures, its impact extends far beyond traditional IT operations. At this point, ITOM evolves from a technical implementation into a true enterprise enabler. It becomes essential to consider how these capabilities help the broader business solve problems and make better decisions. Thinking beyond IT provides a full 360-degree view of the organization, enabling stronger alignment, deeper insights, and more meaningful outcomes.
Conclusion
The Maximize ITOM Value Framework represents a structured progression—from establishing ownership and scoping data, to automating operations and ultimately delivering business-wide impact.
Organizations that follow this path transition from simply running tools to operating a resilient, intelligent, and strategically aligned ITOM ecosystem.
Regards,
Srinija Amisthapur
Rising Star 2025
Certified Technical Architect
