Configuration and Change Management Best Practices for SMBs

There’s a saying that only change is constant, and nowhere does it ring truer than in the world of IT. The introduction of new software tools, regular hardware upgrades, small patches and bug fixes, or just shifting business needs all cause changes that demand close attention to configuration management.

But in the world of small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs), with lean teams and tight budgets, managing these changes can be especially challenging. That’s where configuration and change management best practices come into play.

When implemented correctly, they can provide a structured approach to managing changes in your IT environment, allowing you to maintain control over your systems, safeguard your business from unexpected disruptions, and drive continuous improvement.

Why Is Configuration and Change Management Important for SMBs?

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) defines configuration and change management (CCM) as “a continuous process of controlling and approving changes to information or technology assets or related infrastructure that support the critical services of an organization.”

In simple terms, it’s like a vigilant caretaker for your IT infrastructure, tracking all the hardware and software components.

Whenever a change occurs—be it an addition, modification, or removal—it ensures that it happens in an orderly and beneficial manner, rather than causing havoc and disruption.

With this understanding, we can pinpoint several key benefits that make CCM critical for businesses of all sizes:

• Streamlines operations: A solid CCM strategy ensures all your systems remain in a desired, fully functional state. This effective management of your IT assets can mitigate performance issues and system inconsistencies, enhancing the overall operational efficiency of your business.
• Boosts efficiency: Configuration management tools automate administrative tasks and enable rapid provisioning of everything from servers to workstations in minutes, not days or weeks.
• Ensures compliance: Especially for businesses with regulatory mandates, such as DoD contractors, CCM helps maintain compliance by documenting all changes and providing a clear audit trail. It prevents undocumented changes, which can often lead to compliance issues.
• Enhances security: By monitoring and controlling changes, CCM helps maintain the security of your IT environment, ensuring that all system modifications adhere to your security policies.
• Mitigates risks: CCM provides a safety net. If problems do occur, it can recreate the environment where an error occurred or replicate an environment to ease scaling and migration of workloads either on-premises or between clouds.

Simply put, CCM isn’t just about keeping track of changes; it’s about enabling your business to operate efficiently, securely, and in line with regulatory requirements while retaining the agility to adapt to the ever-changing business landscape.

How Does the Configuration and Change Management Process Work?

Source: CISA’s CRR Supplemental Resource Guide

How does this whole configuration and change management process work? To give you a better understanding, let’s walk through the four main stages of the configuration and change management process, as outlined by CISA:

1. Create a plan: The first step is to create a solid plan. This is the stage where you lay down the groundwork for your configuration and change management strategy. You’ll want to gather existing policies, define roles, determine how changes will be communicated, and so on.
2. Identify configuration items: The next step is to identify all the bits and bobs that make up your IT systems and services. At this stage, you’ll also establish a configuration baseline for each item. Think of this as a snapshot of the item’s acceptable, working state.
3. Implement and control configuration changes: Once your plan is in place and your items identified, it’s time to start making changes. This involves updating your systems based on tested and approved change requests.
4. Monitor configuration changes: And, finally, you’ll need to keep an eye on those changes. This is where you ensure the changes you’ve made are working as expected and not causing unexpected disruptions or drifts from the baseline.

And that, in a nutshell, is how the configuration and change management process works.

Configuration and Change Management Best Practices

Now that we’ve covered the basics, we can dive deep into the specific best practices that will help your business effectively navigate the waters of configuration and change management.

1. Prioritize Your Configuration Items

Configuration items are the nuts and bolts of your IT infrastructure—they’re your hardware, software, network connections, and all the other elements that make up your IT systems. They’re all important, sure, but some are more critical than others. That’s why it’s recommended to rank your configuration items based on their importance to your business operations. That way, you can focus your attention where it’s most needed, ensuring that your most critical systems always stay up and running smoothly.

2. Use Automation Tools

In the fast-paced world of IT, automation isn’t just a convenience—it’s a necessity. Automation tools can help streamline your CCM processes by taking care of repetitive tasks like logging changes, tracking configurations, and creating documentation. Plus, they can automatically generate compliance reports and audit trails, making it easier for you to meet any regulatory requirements your business might have.

3. Be Ready to Roll Back

Even with the best planning, things can go wrong. Changes may yield unintended consequences, or new configurations may not perform as anticipated. That’s where the importance of having a backup plan comes into play. Implementing a backup strategy allows you to roll back changes swiftly and efficiently if the need arises.

4. Regularly Audit and Review Your CCM Activities

Just like you regularly check your car’s oil or your home’s smoke detectors, you should routinely audit and review your CCM activities. Regular audits help you catch any issues early before they turn into bigger problems. They also allow you to assess the effectiveness of your CCM strategy and identify areas for improvement. Set a schedule for your audits—monthly, quarterly, whatever works best for you—and stick to it.

5. Stay Open to Improvements

CCM isn’t a set-it-and-forget-it thing. It’s an ongoing process that should evolve alongside your business and technology. Regular reviews and audits will highlight areas for improvement, but it’s up to you to implement those changes. Stay open to new strategies, tools, and methodologies. Be willing to tweak your processes, retrain your team, or adopt new tools if that’s what it takes to improve your CCM.

Conclusion on Change Management

In the grand scheme of things, Configuration and Change Management is about ensuring that while technology changes, your ability to deliver exceptional service to your clients doesn’t.

With the right approach, your business can proactively adapt to changes, maintain operational efficiency, and ensure compliance and security, among other things. Contact us for more information.