COBIT 2019 is an IT corporate governance framework developed by ISACA that structures management objectives into functional domains. The BAI (Build, Acquire, and Implement) domain brings together 11 processes that guide organizations in building, acquiring, and implementing technology solutions—encompassing the management of IT programs, requirements, assets, configurations, changes, and projects.
Among the domains of COBIT 2019, BAI stands out for bringing together essential processes that guide companies in adopting technological solutions in a safe, efficient way, aligned with business goals — complementing other domains such as... APO (Align, Plan, and Organize). This set of practices is fundamental to ensuring that IT projects, digital assets, and organizational changes are conducted with quality, reducing risks and maximizing results.
Process reference framework in COBIT 2019
| 01 | Managed Programs |
| 02 | Definition of managed requirements |
| 03 | Identification and construction of managed solutions |
| 04 | Managed availability and capacity |
| 05 | Managed organizational change |
| 06 | Managed IT Change |
| 07 | Managed acceptance and transition of change. |
| 08 | Managed Knowledge |
| 09 | Assets Under Management |
| 10 | Managed configuration |
| 11 | Managed Projects |
Detailed description of the BAI processes in COBIT 2019.
BAI01: Managed Programs
Manage all investment portfolio programs in alignment with business strategy and in a coordinated manner, based on a standard program management approach. Initiate, plan, control, execute programs, and monitor the expected value of the program.
Understand the desired business value and reduce the risk of unexpected delays, costs, and value erosion. To do this, improve communication and engagement with business owners and end users, ensure the value and quality of program deliverables, track projects within programs, and maximize the contribution to the investment portfolio.
BAI02: Definition of Managed Requirements
Identify solutions and analyze requirements prior to acquisition or creation to ensure they align with the company's strategic requirements—encompassing business processes, applications, information/data, infrastructure, and services. Coordinate the review of viable options with stakeholders, including cost-benefit analysis, risk assessment, and approval of requirements and proposed solutions.
Create ideal solutions that meet the company's needs while minimizing risks.
BAI03: Identification and Construction of Managed Solutions
Establish and maintain products and services identified in accordance with corporate requirements, encompassing design, development, procurement/sourcing, and supplier partnerships. Manage configuration, test preparation, testing, requirements management, and maintenance of business processes, applications, information/data, infrastructure, and services.
Ensure the agile and scalable delivery of digital products and services, capable of supporting corporate strategic and operational objectives in a cost-effective manner.
BAI04: Managed Availability and Capacity
Balance current and future needs for availability, performance, and capacity with cost-effective service delivery. This includes assessing current resources, forecasting future needs based on business requirements, analyzing impacts, and evaluating risks to plan and implement corrective actions. The goal is to maintain service availability, efficient resource management, and optimized system performance.
BAI05: Managed Organizational Change
Maximize the likelihood of successfully implementing sustainable organizational change across the enterprise—quickly and with reduced risk. Cover the complete change lifecycle and all affected business and IT stakeholders, preparing and engaging them to reduce the risk of failure.
BAI06: Managed IT Changes
Manage all changes in a controlled manner, including standard changes and emergency maintenance related to business processes, applications, and infrastructure. This includes change standards and procedures, impact assessment, prioritization and authorization, emergency changes, tracking, reporting, and documentation.
The process enables the rapid and reliable delivery of changes to the business, mitigating the risk of negative impact on the stability of the environment.
BAI07: Acceptance and Transition of Managed Change
Formally accept and operationalize new solutions, including implementation planning, system and data conversion, acceptance testing, communication, release preparation, and promotion to production of new or modified business processes and IT services. Implement solutions securely and in accordance with agreed expectations and results.
BAI08: Managed Knowledge
Maintain the availability of relevant, current, validated, and reliable information to support all process activities and facilitate decision-making related to enterprise IT governance and management. Plan for the identification, collection, organization, maintenance, use, and retirement of institutional knowledge.
BAI09: Assets Under Management
Manage IT assets Throughout their lifecycle, ensure that their use delivers value at an optimal cost, that they remain operational, and that they are physically accounted for and protected. Manage software licenses to ensure that the optimal number are acquired, retained, and deployed relative to necessary business usage, while maintaining compliance with license agreements.
BAI10: Managed Configuration
Define and maintain descriptions and relationships between the key resources needed to provide IT-enabled services. Include information gathering from configuration (CMDB), Establishing baselines, verifying and auditing configuration information, and updating the repository. Provide sufficient information about service assets to enable effective management, impact assessment of changes, and incident handling.
BAI11: Managed Projects
Manage all projects initiated within the company in alignment with the business strategy and in a coordinated manner, based on the standard project management approach. Initiate, plan, control, and execute projects, concluding with a post-implementation review. Achieve the defined project results and reduce the risk of delays, unexpected costs, and value erosion.
Why apply COBIT 2019 BAI?
Adopting the BAI domain is strategic for companies seeking digital maturity with control. The main benefits are:
- Alignment between IT and business, avoiding misalignment of priorities and investments.
- Risk reduction in changes and projects, preventing critical failures in production.
- IT cost and resource optimization, increasing operational efficiency.
- Increasing the reliability of digital services, promoting safe and sustainable innovation.
Furthermore, the application of BAI integrates IT asset management, organizational change, and strategic projects—consolidating IT as a growth engine and not just a cost center.
How can 4MATT support your company?
A 4MATT, ServiceNow Elite Partner in Brazil and holder of Technology Excellence Partner Award 2024-2025, We assist organizations in implementing COBIT 2019. Our team of over 80 ServiceNow certified specialists supports companies in adopting frameworks such as COBIT 2019, ensuring that BAI domain processes—including IT asset management (ITAM), configuration (CMDB) and IT governance — be implemented efficiently, reducing risks and maximizing value.
To delve deeper into the topic, we recommend:
- What is CMDB and how to apply it to your company?
- How to implement ITAM strategically.
- The advantages of ServiceNow for your company.
Text translated and adapted by 4MATT Technology from the original: Build, Acquire and Implement (COBIT 2019) — Process Symphony.