Application Portfolio Management (APM) is a discipline that allows ITSD to understand and maximize the value of the State’s portfolio of applications.
Application Inventory
The evolution from silos of application portfolios that were managed by dozens of business units to an enterprise portfolio that can be managed centrally in light of the entire portfolio is an ongoing process.
The first step in that process was the creation of a portfolio inventory that is managed by the Application Portfolio Coordinator. ITSD’s application portfolio contains over 1,000 applications that are categorized by business owner, function, technology platform, etc.
The inventory brings knowledge and transparency to the management of ITSD’s portfolio of applications.
Application Valuation
Once an application inventory is established, the value of each application and the risk associated with its continued use can be measured. This helps ITSD execute strategic objectives designed to make government more effective and efficient.
APM can result in:
- Elimination of Redundant Applications: Because applications were created in silos over the years, many applications essentially perform the same functions as other applications. This is especially true of systems that help state employees perform administrative tasks like timekeeping. ITSD is able to consolidate applications and retire applications that are no longer needed. This saves money and reduces the costs of system maintenance and enhancements.
- Elimination of Applications of Little or No Value: Applications that are returning little or no value to the business can be eliminated.
- Technology Standardization: A full picture of the portfolio helps identify applications based on technology platforms that are considered legacy technology and identified for conversion to standard technologies. This conversion can save money, but more importantly helps ITSD maintain an environment that is supportable and sustainable into the future.
- Shared Services and Applications: Knowledge of the portfolio allows ITSD to share services instead of build or procure them in some cases. When a state agency requests a new service (or application) ITSD can examine the portfolio to determine whether a solution to the need already exists. If so, that application can be shared or copied.
- Application Development Cost Reductions: As ITSD’s APM effort matures a closer analysis of the components of each of the applications in the portfolio will allow ITSD to leverage more application code when developing a new application.
- Enterprise Applications: APM can assist ITSD in planning enterprise applications that replace many smaller applications that sit in silos and inhibit the State’s ability to gain a single view of a customer or constituent. A clear picture of the limitations of applications in the portfolio can identify opportunities for system development that transform government and create efficiencies where they previously did not exist.