Starting a Technology Business Management (TBM) journey doesn’t begin with dashboards or tools. It starts by aligning minds. TBM is a framework that connects IT, Finance, and the broader business to ensure decisions are based on value, not guesswork. Before the benefits of transparency, optimisation, or budgeting tools can be realised, the groundwork must be laid. In this post I explore how to establish that foundation effectively within an IT Service Management (ITSM) environment.
Why Service Management Needs Early TBM Alignment
In ITSM, where cost, performance, and value all intersect, TBM offers a structure to connect the dots. With technology now a direct driver of business outcomes, knowing what’s being spent and why has become essential. TBM translates technical cost structures into terms decision-makers understand. It’s the bridge that transforms IT from a cost centre to a strategic partner.
Starting this alignment early ensures the effort isn’t derailed later by unclear priorities or mismatched expectations between departments. For many, it’s the missing first step before launching into service catalogues or cost models.
What Makes the First Alignment Meeting Critical?
The first formal session between IT and Finance should be more than a kickoff, it sets the tone. This isn’t about reviewing numbers, it’s about understanding how costs are categorised, reported, and used to inform decisions.
Done well, this meeting surfaces the gaps in reporting, ownership, and terminology that often plague ITSM examples. Getting clarity early avoids costly rework later and gives stakeholders confidence in the data that follows.
What Should Be On the Table?
Before any talk of ITSM service catalogues or dashboards, teams should prepare a few foundational inputs.
- Current general ledger data with IT expense breakdowns
- Rules for CapEx and OpEx treatment
- Cloud cost data with any tagging maturity reports
- A service inventory or CMDB snapshot
- Existing financial and operational reports used for decision-making
These elements help all parties work from the same set of facts. Without them, the discussion will be vague or theoretical and TBM is anything but.
Common Pitfalls in TBM Startups
A few traps tend to trip up new TBM efforts. These include.
- Assuming IT and Finance agree on definitions without checking
- Waiting for perfect data before modelling anything
- Over engineering cost models in the early days
- Failing to name owners or stewards for data sets
- Ignoring the cultural challenge of cost visibility
Successful teams sidestep these by working with what they have, documenting as they go, and agreeing on a basic but shared structure. This is where the TBM model’s layers from cost pools through to business units and start to come alive.
Looking for Early Wins? Start Here
TBM doesn’t need a big bang to show value. Some of the fastest wins come from.
- Mapping a few major services to the business units that use them
- Creating a simple view of cloud usage and cost across departments
- Building a joint dashboard that visualises known pain points
- Running a light-touch allocation exercise for storage or SaaS services
These actions prove the concept and show the relevance of TBM to existing ITSM structures. They also give leadership something to respond to, not just theorise about.
What Comes Next?
Once the alignment session is complete, capture what was learned, terminology, known issues, data owners, and potential next steps. This becomes the foundation for a living roadmap. Integrating this into your service management blog or internal comms helps maintain momentum and transparency.
For teams looking to build or refresh their ITIL definition of service, TBM can serve as a framing lens, one that links cost to value, and services to consumption.
FAQ Questions
What is the purpose of a TBM alignment meeting?
It’s designed to build shared understanding between IT and Finance around cost structures, reporting, and ownership. It lays the foundation for value driven decision making.
Why does TBM matter in ITSM?
Because TBM turns technical costs into business relevant insights. In ITSM, this helps align services to value, making it easier to manage and optimise service portfolios.
How soon should organisations worry about perfect data?
Not at the start. Waiting for perfect data delays progress. It’s better to work with available inputs, document assumptions, and refine as TBM matures.
Can TBM help improve visibility of cloud spending?
Yes. One of the fastest TBM wins is consolidating cloud usage and cost data across business areas, creating a clearer picture of consumption.
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