Target group

CIO's, IT-managers, Informationmanagers, Information-achitects, Productmanagers (applications), Applicationmanagers

Objective

• Less applications -> complexity-reduction and less licence-costs
• Complexity-reduction -> more stability (less incidents) and flexibility (shorter time-to-market)
• More stability -> lower managementcosts
• More flexibility -> lower development and maintenance-costs

Way of thinking

Applications connect IT with the business. For an optimal utilization of IT-staff and means to set priorities is a necessity. The priorities have to be determined on the interest of the processes to be supported for the realization of the business strategy:

Business-critical processes
The value proposition of the business determines with what processes the business wants to achieve competitive advantage. In for example customer intimacy these are the customer management-processes. In these processes the business has to distinguish itself from the competition through unique methods, techniques and/or competencies. The application, that support these processes, are more important to the business than other applications. They deserve a higher priority in the use of people and means. What's more they have to be a reflection of the unique methods, techniques and/or competencies. So it's admissible to develop these application in-house (make-decision). In a dynamic business with many deviations with respect to the regular progress of a process, it has to be possible to adjust the application rapidly to support these deviations. Deviations often occur in the periphery of the organization. Both the application and the development- and maintenance-oganization have to be organized on this. So decentralisation can be permissible, but only with a clear distinction and relation between central/regular and decentral/deviant.

Non-critical processes
For the rest of the processes counts that these at least don't cause competitive disadvantage. To organize these processes best practices of other organizations can be adapted. Because best practices are applied by many organizations, software-vendors offer standard package-software. Package-software supports the standard method of working of the best practice. With a buy-decision it's not just the application that is purchased, but as well a standard method of working. So it's important that the supported processes are organized according to this standard method of working. To deviate from the standard method of working causes tailoring and a larger appeal on the available people and means. And that is, given the lower priority of the supported processes, not justifiable. The implication of a buy-decision is that deviations from the regular standard method are not allowed. Both the application and application-management have to be organized centrally.

The way of thinking behind Applied IT is that the priorities, make or buy-decisions and centralisation/ decentralisation can be dictated through the relations business objectives-business processes-applications. Via the same relations as well the impact of new technical possibilities for the business can be estimated. Besides applications as well the development-, maintenance- and support-activities have to be taken into account. In consideration of simplicity it's good to contemplate applications and activities in their connection by means of IT-services.

Modelling

The relations business objectives-business processes-applications are modelled in an information zoning plan (IDP). The Applied IT-IZP is inspired on the zoning plans for environmental planning. The forest of applications requires environmental planning too. With Applied IT this order is achieved by:

• Combining applications with application-development-, maintenance- and support-activities and the services realized with it in IT-services.
• Abstraction and grouping of the functions, data and services in information zones.
• The use of the relation between activities/processes and workflows/businessprocesses for the positioning of the information zones.
• The relation between the business objectives and the priorities and unicity of the processes.

The figure below shows this relation and order:

Method

The information zoning plan works in two ways. Both in the development and the use of the IZP. The framework and the information zones of the IZP are filled from the business-architecture and the technical architecture. When required, these architectures are first roughly developped or adjusted. So in the use there are two applications. Proceeding from the business strategy priorities can be set on the IT-services and make or buy and centralisation/decentralisation-decisions can be substantiated. Proceeding from the technical architecture of the IT-services innovations in technology and management-activities can be translated to oppertunities for the business.

To force back the application-portfolio the IZP is first populated, like described before. Next the current situation in the deployment of people and means, make or buy and centralisation/decentralisation is compared with what is dictated from the business strategy. On the basis of this comparison a reorganization programme and blueprints for the adjustment of the business architecture and technical architecture are made. The programme and the blueprints relate closely. That's necessary to manage all benefits and possible riscs from business up to the IT. Based on the programme all running projects are checked and where required adjusted or ended and new projects may be defined and started.

Management

Through the re-use of best practices and templates at hand, for many cases the wheel doesn't need to be reinvented and work can be focussed on organization-specific affairs. When possible standard tools at hand, such as Office-products, are used to maximize self-activation and minimize investments. Because of this work can be done fast though sound, while you retain grip on your and our deployment. As desired in an earlier or later phase you can choose to use more advanced tools. The use of these tools can particularly be recommended in larger organizations with many stakeholders to manage the complexity and to limit information and coordination costs. HIT cooperates with the main vendors of tools for strategy-development and enterprise modelling. See the tools-page for more information.

To force back the application-portfolio can be a drastic operation. Many concerns can be at stake, both internally and externally. The thing is to make these concerns subservient to the business concern. To enforce a reorganization programme is only possible with the full commitment of management. The realization of the business strategy depends on the reorganization programme. Management can therefore not delegate final responsibility. In the delegation of (sub-)responsibilities, to for example programme and projectmanagers, the accompanying authorities have to be delegated as well. Leadership and clear management-lines are essential for the success of such reorganizations. The Managed IT-solution offers the necessary structures for this.

Support

With this solution as well the methods and techniques can be delivered, by means of which your organization can support and maintain the solution and products. Such as all models, best practices, templates and tools. Given the concern for your organization it can be recommended to attend to the support and maintenance yourself. HIT can support you in the organization and training of your support and maintenance-organization, such as business consultants, strategists, businessarchitects and informationmanagers. HIT concentrates on the further development of the method and techniques. In the use of that HIT can support your support and maintenance organization in the background. Because only market standards are used, you can determine the required level of support yourself. You can find support for a great deal in other sources, such as rofessional literature and limit our deployment to the combine standard methods and techniques and the use of tools in that.

Result

The result is the achievement of the objectives listed above. Whether and when this result is realized depends on a complex of factors. The Applied IT-solution offers you the method and techniques to handle reorganization paths and by that the basis for success. The tackling is completely in your hands. HIT can support you themselves with respect to content. Through our network HIT further can provide big-time programme and projectmanagers for the execution.