Application Portfolio Management for Small Enterprises
There is no one-size-fits-all rationalization. Tailor your framework to meet your goals.
Your Challenge
Small enterprises (SEs) consider application oversight a low priority, and knowledge of the portfolio as a whole is lost.
- No dedicated or centralized effort to manage the application portfolio means no single source of truth is available to support informed decision making.
- SEs acquire more applications than they need. An expense, they more than most, really can’t afford.
- SEs are more vulnerable to changing markets. Flexibility and growth are compromised when applications are unadaptable or can’t scale.
Our Advice
Critical Insight
- You cannot outsource strategy.
- Modern software options have lessened the need for SE to have robust in-house application management capabilities. But your applications’ future and governance of the portfolio as a whole still require centralized IT oversight to ensure the best overall return on investment.
Impact and Result
Think low priority over no priority and build your application portfolio management (APM) process fit for size.
- Integrate these tasks into your mixed workload.
- Create an inventory that is built for better decision making.
- Rationalize your apps in accordance with business priorities and communicate risk in their terms.
- Create a roadmap that improves communication between those who own, manage, and support an application.
Start here – read the Executive Brief
Read our concise Executive Brief to find out why APM is still vital function and can resolve many of root causes of common IT pains. Review Info-Tech’s methodology and understand the four ways we can support you in completing this project.
1. Lay your foundations
Work with key corporate stakeholders to define the motivations, goals, and scope of your APM process.
2. Improve your inventory
Gather information and use your own understanding of your applications to build a detailed inventory and identify areas of redundancy.
3. Rationalize your applications
Work with the application subject matter experts to collect and compile data points for your apps and determine the appropriate dispositions for your apps.
4. Populate your roadmap
Work with application delivery specialists to determine the strategic plans for your apps and place these in your portfolio roadmap.
Guided Implementations
This guided implementation is a five call advisory process.
Guided Implementation #1 - Lay your foundations
Call #1 - Establish goals and foundations for your APM practice.
Guided Implementation #2 - Improve your inventory
Call #1 - Initiate inventory and determine data requirements.
Guided Implementation #3 - Rationalize your applications
Call #1 - Initiate rationalization with group of applications.
Call #2 - Review result of first iteration and perform retrospective.
Guided Implementation #4 - Populate your roadmap
Call #1 - Initiate your roadmap and determine your ongoing APM practice.
Book Your Workshop
Onsite workshops offer an easy way to accelerate your project. If you are unable to do the project yourself, and a Guided Implementation isn't enough, we offer low-cost onsite delivery of our project workshops. We take you through every phase of your project and ensure that you have a roadmap in place to complete your project successfully.
Module 1: Lay Your Foundations
The Purpose
- Work with key corporate stakeholders to come to a shared understanding of the benefits and aspects of application portfolio management (APM).
Key Benefits Achieved
- Establish the goals of APM.
- Set the scope of APM responsibilities.
- Establish business priorities for the application portfolio.
Activities
Outputs
Define goals and metrics.
- Set short- and long-term goals and metrics.
Define application categories.
- Set scope for applications.
Determine steps and roles.
- Set scope for APM process.
Weight value drivers.
- Defined business value drivers.
Module 2: Improve Your Inventory
The Purpose
- Gather information on your applications to build a detailed inventory and identify areas of redundancy.
Key Benefits Achieved
- Populated inventory based on your and your team’s current knowledge.
- Understanding of outstanding data and a plan to collect it.
Activities
Outputs
Populate inventory.
- Initial application inventory
Assign business capabilities.
- List of areas of redundancy
Review outstanding data.
- Plan to collect outstanding data
Module 3: Gather Application Information
The Purpose
- Work with the application subject matter experts to collect and compile data points and determine the appropriate disposition for your apps.
Key Benefits Achieved
- Dispositions for individual applications
- Application rationalization framework
Activities
Outputs
Assess business value.
- Business value score for individual applications
Assess end-user perspective.
- End-user satisfaction scores for individual applications
Assess TCO.
- TCO score for individual applications
Assess technical health.
- Technical health scores for individual applications
Assess redundancies.
- Feature-level assessment of redundant applications
Determine dispositions.
- Assigned dispositions for individual applications
Module 4: Gather, Assess, and Select Dispositions
The Purpose
- Work with application delivery specialists to determine the strategic plans for your apps and place these in your portfolio roadmap.
Key Benefits Achieved
- Prioritized initiatives
- Initial application portfolio roadmap
- Ongoing structure of APM
Activities
Outputs
Prioritize initiatives.
- Prioritized new potential initiatives.
Populate roadmap.
- Built an initial portfolio roadmap.
Determine ongoing APM cadence.
- Established an ongoing cadence of APM activities.
Build APM action plan.
- Built an action plan to complete APM activities.