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Embrace Business-Managed Applications

Empower the business to implement their own applications with a trusted business-IT relationship.

  • The traditional model of managing applications does not address the demands of today’s rapidly changing market and digitally minded business, putting stress on scarce IT resources. The business is fed up with slow IT responses and overbearing desktop and system controls.
  • The business wants more control over the tools they use. Software as a service (SaaS), business process management (BPM), robotic process automation (RPA), artificial intelligence (AI), and low-code development platforms are all on their radar.
  • However, your current governance and management structures do not accommodate the risks and shifts in responsibilities to business-managed applications.

Our Advice

Critical Insight

  • IT is a business partner, not just an operator. Effective business operations hinge on high-quality, valuable, fit-for-purpose applications. IT provides the critical insights, guidance, and assistance to ensure applications are implemented and leveraged in a way that maximizes return on investment, whether it is being managed by end users or lines of business (LOBs). This can only happen if the organization views IT as a critical asset, not just a supporting player.
  • All applications should be business owned. You have applications because LOBs need them to meet the objectives and key performance indicators defined in the business strategy. Without LOBs, there would be no need for business applications. LOBs define what the application should be and do for it to be successful, so LOBs should own them.
  • Everything boils down to trust. The business is empowered to make their own decisions on how they want to implement and use their applications and, thus, be accountable for the resulting outcomes. Guardrails, role-based access, application monitoring, and other controls can help curb some risk factors, but it should not come at the expense of business innovation and time-sensitive opportunities. IT must trust the business will make rational application decisions, and the business must trust IT to support them in good times and bad.

Impact and Result

  • Focus on the business units that matter. BMA can provide significant value to LOBs if teams and stakeholders are encouraged and motivated to adopt organizational and operational changes.
  • Reimagine the role of IT. IT is no longer the gatekeeper that blocks application adoption. Rather, IT enables the business to adopt the tools they need to be productive and they guide the business on successful BMA practices.
  • Instill business accountability. With great power comes great responsibility. If the business wants more control of their applications, they must be willing to take ownership of the outcomes of their decisions.

Embrace Business-Managed Applications Research & Tools

Start here – read the Executive Brief

Read our concise Executive Brief to find out why you should embrace business-managed applications, review Info-Tech’s methodology, and understand the four ways we can support you in completing this project.

Embrace Business-Managed Applications – Executive Brief
Embrace Business-Managed Applications – Phases 1-3
Business-Managed Applications Communication Template

1. State your objectives

Level-set the expectations for your business-managed applications.

Embrace Business- Managed Applications – Phase 1: State Your Objectives

2. Design your framework and governance

Identify and define your application managers and owners and build a fit-for-purpose governance model.

Embrace Business-Managed Applications – Phase 2: Design Your Framework & Governance

3. Build your roadmap

Build a roadmap that illustrates the key initiatives to implement your BMA and governance models.

Embrace Business-Managed Applications – Phase 3: Build Your Roadmap

Member Testimonials

After each Info-Tech experience, we ask our members to quantify the real-time savings, monetary impact, and project improvements our research helped them achieve. See our top member experiences for this blueprint and what our clients have to say.

9.0/10

Overall Impact

$55,833

Average $ Saved

18

Average Days Saved

Client

Experience

Impact

$ Saved

Days Saved

Statistics Canada

Guided Implementation

9/10

$10,000

5

I did not think it would be useful but it will be.

Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions Canada

Guided Implementation

8/10

$25,000

10

Liked the explanation of the Low Code / No Code capabilities and the associated framework graphics. Prior to the call, we were not aware of the Emb... Read More

Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Workshop

9/10

$100K

20

Engaging, relevant topics. InfoTech clearly understood the issue and understood it from a Gov't point of view (with all gov't bureaucracy coming i... Read More

SCI LLC DBA On Semiconductor

Guided Implementation

9/10

$129K

20

Andrew took the time to listen to our needs and then came up with suggestions. We appreciate his advice.

Bath Iron Works Corporation

Guided Implementation

10/10

N/A

20

Andrew has been a very engaged and thoughtful partner to work with during this effort.

MCAP Service Corporation

Guided Implementation

8/10

N/A

N/A

Andrew was able to provide additional insight into issues and areas to look into when considering our approach. Was useful to have him relate his ... Read More

First Command Financial Services

Guided Implementation

9/10

$61,999

50

LGM Financial Services

Guided Implementation

10/10

$8,000

4

Robert did a great job of introducing us to the research and advising how to put it into action. It was good to hear we are in good company with ... Read More

Federated Co-operatives Limited

Guided Implementation

9/10

N/A

5

Load More Testimonials

Workshop: Embrace Business-Managed Applications

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 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: State Your Objectives

The Purpose

  • Define business-managed applications in your context.
  • Identify your business-managed application objectives.
  • State the value opportunities with business-managed applications.

Key Benefits Achieved

  • A consensus definition and list of business-managed applications goals
  • Understanding of the business value business-managed applications can deliver

Activities

Outputs

1.1

Define business-managed applications.

  • Grounded definition of a business-managed application
1.2

List your objectives and metrics.

  • Goals and objectives of your business-managed applications
1.3

State the value opportunities.

  • Business value opportunity with business-managed applications

Module 2: Design Your Framework & Governance

The Purpose

  • Develop your application management framework.
  • Tailor your application delivery and ownership structure to fit business-managed applications.
  • Discuss the value of an applications committee.
  • Discuss technologies to enable business-managed applications.

Key Benefits Achieved

  • Fit-for-purpose and repeatable application management selection framework
  • Enhanced application governance model
  • Applications committee design that meets your organization’s needs
  • Shortlist of solutions to enable business-managed applications

Activities

Outputs

2.1

Develop your management framework.

  • Tailored application management selection framework
2.2

Tune your delivery and ownership accountabilities.

  • Roles definitions of application owners and managers
2.3

Design your applications committee.

  • Applications committee design
2.4

Uncover your solution needs.

  • List of business-managed application solution features and services

Module 3: Build Your Roadmap

The Purpose

  • Build your roadmap to implement busines-managed applications and build the foundations of your optimized governance model.

Key Benefits Achieved

  • Implementation initiatives
  • Adoption roadmap

Activities

Outputs

3.1

Build your roadmap.

  • Business-managed application adoption roadmap
Unlock This Blueprint

About Info-Tech

Info-Tech Research Group is the world’s fastest-growing information technology research and advisory company, proudly serving over 30,000 IT professionals.

We produce unbiased and highly relevant research to help CIOs and IT leaders make strategic, timely, and well-informed decisions. We partner closely with IT teams to provide everything they need, from actionable tools to analyst guidance, ensuring they deliver measurable results for their organizations.

MEMBER RATING

9.0/10
Overall Impact

$55,833
Average $ Saved

18
Average Days Saved

After each Info-Tech experience, we ask our members to quantify the real-time savings, monetary impact, and project improvements our research helped them achieve.

Read what our members are saying

What Is a Blueprint?

A blueprint is designed to be a roadmap, containing a methodology and the tools and templates you need to solve your IT problems.

Each blueprint can be accompanied by a Guided Implementation that provides you access to our world-class analysts to help you get through the project.

Need Extra Help?
Speak With An Analyst

Get the help you need in this 3-phase advisory process. You'll receive 8 touchpoints with our researchers, all included in your membership.

Guided Implementation 1: State Your Objectives
  • Call 1: Discuss Info-Tech’s perspectives and insights.
  • Call 2: Review your BMA definition and objectives.

Guided Implementation 2: Design Your Framework & Governance
  • Call 1: Build your application management selection framework.
  • Call 2: Review your application owners and manager roles.
  • Call 3: Design your applications committee.
  • Call 4: Identify your BMA solution needs.

Guided Implementation 3: Build Your Roadmap
  • Call 1: Develop your BMA adoption roadmap.
  • Call 2: Review your communications deck and identify next steps.

Author

Andrew Kum-Seun

Contributors

  • Benjamin Palacio, Senior Information Systems Analyst, County of Placer
  • Patrick Edwards, Information Systems Director, Arkansas Blue Cross Blue Shield
  • 5 anonymous contributors

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