Business Service vs Homegrown Applications

[erion]

We are in the process of a CMDB project we've hit a bit of a stumbling block.   Initially when looking at the sample data in CMDB, we envisioned that our homegrown applications would be entered as Business Services and then tied to their various CI's.   As a second layer, we were going to create broader more user friendly Business Service names and tie the applications to those.

I'm just wondering,   what has the community done is this space.   I do see in the sample data Business Services replying on other Business Services.   For us it seemed more of a nomenclature.   Any insight is appreciated.

Thanks

[Uncle Rob]

I've never liked the idea of applications in a "Business Service" classification at all (even though I've done it).

An application "applies" interfaces and automation to a Business Service.   If I swap out Quickbooks for Freshbooks, I'm still doing ACCOUNTING, which in my mind is the business service.  

[brendanaye · Accepted solution]

It's a difficult transition to go from an application-oriented approach to an service-oriented approach towards business.   You could create a separate class of Enterprise Application that are probably closer to business services if they had some more definition.

At our company we made the decision to put them all in the Business Service table, knowing that most of these will be children of more traditional formalized business services (like Sales, accounting, etc).

[Uncle Rob]

the ability to have parent/child within that class IS certainly a saving grace.

[Pistle]

In-House Developed Software

Pros
The level of customization is perhaps the biggest benefit of custom software. While a commercial package may fit many of your business's needs, it's doubtful that it will have the same efficiency as custom software. By meeting your exact specifications, you can cover every aspect of your business without unnecessary extras. It gives you greater control, which is important if your business has specific needs that your average commercial product can't fulfill. Having customized software should also make the interface more familiar and easy to use.Because in-house software is developed by a team of your choosing, it also gives you access to knowledgeable support. Rather than dealing with technicians who may not understand your unique situation, you can get support from the individuals who have developed your software firsthand. They will understand any subtle nuances and minimize downtime from technical errors.

Cons
Your team of in-house developers may lack the knowledge and expertise to create sophisticated software capable of handling all the tasks you require. If you only need basic software, this probably won't be an issue. However, if you need more sophisticated software, this could be more trouble than it's worth and lead to bugs and glitches. This may force you to bring in outside consultants who lack familiarity with your business, which can also be detrimental.Custom software also tends to lack scalability, and upgrades can be troublesome. Because technology is constantly evolving, you may have difficulty adapting to new platforms in the future. Although developed software may work for well for a while, it could become defunct in a few years. This can force you to spend more money on developing new software.