Use Agile Application Rationalization Instead of Going Big Bang
Don’t boil the ocean. Use a focused domain-based approach to continually achieve results.
RETIRED CONTENT
Please note that the content on this page is retired. This content is not maintained and may contain information or links that are out of date.Not regularly assessing the value of your application portfolio can:
- Divert key resources away from innovation projects to maintenance.
- Restrict the ability for IT to accommodate business requests and shifting business strategies.
- Generate unnecessary costs from supporting duplicated and overlapping functionalities.
Leverage an Agile approach to your application rationalization in order to:
- Eliminate wasteful applications that are not generating expected value.
- Improve the business and IT relationships with open and frequent collaboration.
- Increase the flexibility and adaptability of the portfolio to current stakeholder needs.
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Module 1: Investigate Challenges and Review Benefits
The Purpose
- Build your case to rationalize your applications.
- Understand Info-Tech’s approach.
Key Benefits Achieved
- An initial understanding of how Info-Tech’s methodology provides an approach to rationalize enterprise applications.
- An appraisal of the benefits that can be harnessed by taking a systematic, iterative approach to rationalizing your applications.
| Activities: | Outputs: | |
|---|---|---|
| 1.1 | Document your organization’s current pain points |
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| 1.2 | Brainstorm key opportunity areas for adopting an iterative rationalization process |
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Module 2: Structure and Launch the Application Rationalization Process
The Purpose
- Develop an Agile project charter.
- Determine which business domain will be in the first iteration.
Key Benefits Achieved
- Governing principles for how your application rationalization process is to be conducted.
- Funding approval from senior management to jumpstart the rationalization process.
| Activities: | Outputs: | |
|---|---|---|
| 2.1 | Discussion of which domains will be assessed for the first iteration |
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| 2.2 | Develop a vision statement |
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| 2.3 | Create a mission statement and guiding principles |
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| 2.4 | Determine key success metrics |
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| 2.5 | Build an Agile process team |
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| 2.6 | Create a strategy to mitigate top risks |
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| 2.7 | Estimate project costs for conducting one iteration |
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Module 3: Allocate Applications Based on Dispositions
The Purpose
- Conduct an inventory of your enterprise applications.
- Determine dispositions for domain-specific applications.
Key Benefits Achieved
- Dispositions assigned to each application under assessment within a business domain.
| Activities: | Outputs: | |
|---|---|---|
| 3.1 | Conduct an inventory collection |
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| 3.2 | Map supporting applications to domain-specific business processes and business drivers |
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| 3.3 | Determine the disposition of each application within a specific business domain |
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| 3.4 | Determine the concluding disposition of domain-specific applications with more than one disposition |
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Module 4: Conduct Impact Analysis
The Purpose
- Evaluate the business value of domain-specific applications.
- Evaluate the technical complexity of each application.
Key Benefits Achieved
- Knowledge gained of applications that provide greatest and lowest business value, along with applications that provide the greatest and lowest technical complexity for implementation based on user stories.
- Business Value and Technical Complexity scores determined for each application within business domain under assessment.
| Activities: | Outputs: | |
|---|---|---|
| 4.1 | Evaluate each Epic (disposition-assigned application) to determine Business Value score |
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| 4.2 | Evaluate each Epic by assessing the Technical Complexity of User Stories (Tasks) |
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Module 5: Implement and Monitor Your Rationalization Initiatives
The Purpose
- Iterate toward highest priority and business value initiatives.
- Conduct retrospectives and continuously monitor your implemented solutions.
Key Benefits Achieved
- Create final list of applications to be rationalized.
- Secure funding and initiate application rationalization for this business domain.
| Activities: | Outputs: | |
|---|---|---|
| 5.1 | Prioritize your rationalization selection |
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| 5.2 | Secure funding for rationalizing the various applications in the domain |
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