Failed Changes Occurrences – Before vs After CMDB

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Change Failure Rate – Unforeseen Dependencies

What is the rate of failures after a change due to unforeseen dependencies before and after having a CMDB?

To benchmark the Change Failure Rate due to Unforeseen Dependencies, we compared the frequency of failed changes before and after implementing the CMDB. The collected data is represented by the number of failures per month. Box: 25th–75th percentile; whiskers: 10th–90th percentile; points: individual values.

Key Takeaways

  • Change failure rates due to unforeseen dependencies decreased significantly after CMDB implementation, with the median dropping from ~3 failures per month to ~1.
  • Post-CMDB results show reduced variability and fewer high outliers, indicating more predictable and controlled change execution.
  • Overall, CMDB implementation is strongly associated with improved dependency visibility and lower operational risk during changes.

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