Application Portfolio management Charts: Gaining Insights into Your Software Landscape

Application portfolio charts are visual representations of the applications within an organization's IT landscape. They provide insights into various aspects of these applications, helping stakeholders make informed decisions about application management, resource allocation, and potential modernization efforts. Here's an overview of different types of application portfolio charts and their purposes:

1.  Application Landscape by Function:

• Chart Type: Typically a pie chart or bar chart.

• Purpose: Shows the distribution of applications across different functional areas of the business. For example, it might categorize applications as CRM (Customer Relationship Management), ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning), Marketing Automation, etc.

• Benefits: Helps identify areas with application sprawl or redundancy. Can inform consolidation efforts or highlight the need for additional applications in specific functional areas.

2.  Application Landscape by Technology Stack:

• Chart Type: Often a stacked bar chart or a bubble chart.

• Purpose: Illustrates the technologies used to develop the applications. This could include programming languages, frameworks, databases, and cloud platforms.

• Benefits: Provides insights into the overall technical makeup of the application portfolio. Helps identify potential challenges related to maintaining legacy technologies or opportunities for standardization.

3.  Application Lifecycle Stage:

• Chart Type: Frequently a bar chart or a timeline.

• Purpose: Shows the distribution of applications across different lifecycle stages, such as Develop, Maintain, Refactor, Retire.

• Benefits: Highlights applications nearing their end-of-life that might require modernization or replacement. Helps prioritize investments for ongoing maintenance or potential updates.

4.  Application Criticality vs. Business Value:

• Chart Type: Scatter plot or a bubble chart.

• Purpose: Maps applications based on their business criticality (how essential they are to core operations) and their perceived business value (the benefit they deliver).

• Benefits: Helps identify applications that are critical but may not deliver high value, potentially candidates for rationalization or optimization. Conversely, it can highlight high-value applications that might require additional investment or modernization.

5.  Application Cost vs. Usage:

• Chart Type: Scatter plot or a bubble chart.

• Purpose: Analyzes the cost of running each application compared to its usage levels.

• Benefits: Helps identify underutilized applications that might be good candidates for retirement or cost reduction efforts. Can also highlight applications with high usage that might warrant additional investment in scalability or performance improvements.

Additional Considerations:

• Data Source: Application portfolio charts rely on accurate data about the applications, including their functionality, technology stack, ownership, and usage metrics.

• Customization: These are just a few examples, and the specific charts used will vary depending on the organization's needs and priorities.

• Actionable Insights: The true value of application portfolio charts lies in the actionable insights they provide. By analyzing these charts, stakeholders can make informed decisions about application rationalization, modernization, and overall IT portfolio management.

Overall, application portfolio charts are valuable tools for gaining a comprehensive understanding of an organization's software landscape. They empower stakeholders to make data-driven decisions that optimize application usage, ensure efficient resource allocation, and ultimately support business objectives.