Case Study: Enterprise CI discovery and CMDB foundation for a whole-of-Defence ITSM rollout

Client: Australian Department of Defence (Defence Digital Group)

Project: Program Hornet, Project Proton

A Defence Digital Group engagement delivered under Program Hornet. Profectus Ventures provided end-to-end delivery management for the discovery engine and CMDB foundation underpinning the whole-of-Defence ServiceNow ITSM rollout, working on-site in Canberra across on-premises and multi-cloud environments at the Protected level.

Client and context

Across complex Defence ICT transformations, modernising service management relies on absolute visibility of enterprise assets. As Defence environments expand across hybrid architectures encompassing on-premises infrastructure and multi-cloud tenants, establishing a reliable single source of truth for Configuration Items (CIs) becomes mission critical. Without it, incident, problem, change and asset processes in a new service management platform sit on an incomplete picture of the estate.

Program Hornet is tasked with rolling out a new, whole-of-Defence IT Service Management (ITSM) system built on ServiceNow. Project Proton served as the foundational technical engine for that rollout. It required the design and deployment of comprehensive CI discovery across the entire enterprise network, spanning the entirety of Defence’s Protected level information domain, while mapping out the complex service models needed to feed the new Configuration Management Database (CMDB).

The engagement

Defence engaged Profectus to provide expert delivery management for Project Proton. The remit covered rigorous end-to-end delivery leadership across the project lifecycle, from planning and backlog definition through build, secure deployment and accreditation, to transition into Defence sustainment. Profectus was accountable for bridging the gap between technical teams, commercial vendors and diverse Defence stakeholders, so the discovery engine was successfully deployed, secured and sustained rather than simply stood up.

The challenge

Project Proton operated within a highly complex and constrained environment characterised by:

Hybrid infrastructure complexity: discovering and cataloguing assets across traditional on-premises networks alongside modern AWS and Azure cloud tenants, each with different discovery mechanisms, credentialling models and network paths.
Strict security constraints: operating within high assurance Defence security frameworks governed by the Defence Security Principles Framework (DSPF), requiring strict adherence to protective security protocols and compliance with the Information Security Manual (ISM) for handling classified ICT assets across all environments.
Complex ecosystem integration: coordinating across multiple internal Australian Public Service (APS) teams, Defence application and service owners, commercial vendors, IT help desks and other Defence ICT stakeholders, each with distinct priorities and change windows.
Tight milestones: meeting strict project timelines so the CMDB was populated rapidly enough to support the broader Program Hornet ITSM rollout, with downstream program dependencies on Proton’s outputs.
Service modelling demands: ensuring the technical discovery mechanism did more than list assets, accurately mapping the underlying service model required for the new ServiceNow architecture so that CIs reflected real operational service dependencies.

Defence required disciplined delivery management capable of navigating multi-vendor dependencies, driving technical execution, and aligning outcomes with enterprise governance, without compromising on security, budget or planned timelines.

Our approach

Profectus embedded a senior Delivery Manager on-site at APW in Canberra within the technical delivery team to help steer Project Proton through its core lifecycle phases. Four themes shaped how the work was run.

Agile delivery tailored to a secure environment

The approach applied agile delivery frameworks adapted for high assurance Defence environments, establishing predictable sprint cycles, managing the product backlog and driving accountability across hybrid delivery teams made up of APS staff and commercial partners. Release schedules and backlogs were managed so that secure platform and discovery engine updates landed inside approved change windows and met strict milestone targets.

Stakeholder-led service modelling

Rather than treating discovery as a purely technical exercise, the delivery approach prioritised stakeholder engagement. Profectus collaborated closely with application and service owners to ensure the discovered CIs accurately reflected operational service dependencies, and that the data structures captured by the discovery engine would support the service model the new ServiceNow ITSM architecture depended on.

Governance, risk and change control

Governance and risk management were integrated into daily operations rather than treated as a reporting overlay. Profectus tracked complex risks, issues and dependencies (RAID) proactively, and navigated the mandatory and complex Defence change management processes and procedures so that all platform updates and discovery engine deployments met rigorous Defence security and compliance standards without compromising operational stability.

Transition planned from the outset

Sustainment was treated as a delivery outcome, not an afterthought. Profectus mentored internal team members and built sustainable technical delivery skills across hybrid platforms, then formulated comprehensive transition planning and executed structured knowledge transfer to the Defence sustainment teams charged with maintaining the system at project closure.

What we delivered

End-to-end delivery management: oversight of project lifecycles, release schedules and backlogs to ensure secure platform and discovery engine updates met strict milestone targets.
Stakeholder engagement and bridge building: acting as the primary conduit between technical product owners, internal APS groups, commercial industry partners, IT help desks and the wider Defence ICT ecosystem.
Hybrid discovery implementation: directing the technical team in building out robust CI discovery mechanisms across on-premises environments and the Defence cloud tenants.
Service model integration: working with stakeholders to ensure the discovery engine captured the data structures needed to support the new ServiceNow ITSM service model.
RAID governance: tracking complex technical risks and ensuring full alignment with Defence security, accreditation and compliance mandates.
Capability uplift and transition: mentoring internal team members, building sustainable delivery skills across hybrid platforms, and executing transition planning and structured knowledge transfer at project closure.

Key technologies and frameworks

ServiceNow ITSM · ServiceNow CMDB · CI discovery across on-premises, AWS and Azure · Agile delivery (sprints, backlog, RAID) · Defence Security Principles Framework (DSPF) · Information Security Manual (ISM) · Defence change management

The result

Through Profectus’ delivery management, Project Proton successfully established the foundational discovery engine and initial CMDB population required for Program Hornet. Key outcomes included:

Comprehensive network visibility: successful deployment of CI discovery across the Defence Protected Network.
Foundational CMDB population: a fully populated and continuously updated CMDB delivered inside the new ServiceNow platform, driving the broader ITSM rollout.
Service-aware discovery: a functional discovery engine capable of understanding and feeding the service models required for whole-of-Defence operations.
Streamlined stakeholder alignment: stronger collaboration between technical teams, application owners and Service Management Branch (SMB), reducing friction across the Defence ICT ecosystem.
Strict compliance maintained: all project milestones delivered on schedule while maintaining absolute adherence to Defence security and governance standards.
Sustainable handover: capability transitioned to Defence sustainment teams with structured knowledge transfer, leaving Defence able to operate and maintain the system.

Impact and relevance

This engagement demonstrates Profectus’ capability to drive complex, high-stakes technical transformation within the Australian Department of Defence. By providing disciplined agile delivery management, robust risk governance and effective stakeholder engagement, Profectus drove project delivery on schedule and on budget throughout the duration of the engagement, achieving all milestones defined for the period.

Rather than acting solely as an administrative resource, Profectus functioned as a core driver of technical execution: bridging gaps between commercial partners and internal teams, safeguarding compliance, and laying the secure foundational capability necessary for enterprise wide IT modernisation. The engagement evidences cleared delivery leadership in a Protected environment, hybrid on-premises and multi-cloud technical delivery, ServiceNow ITSM and CMDB implementation, and disciplined transition into Defence sustainment.