Cranfield University

Events

ICM Symposium, Application Portfolio Management

Event date: 11 September 2013
Event end date: 11 September 2013

Location:

Defence Academy of the United Kingdom, Shrivenham.

Are your applications working for or against you?

The problem

Organisations have made use of software applications to address specific business needs for many years, the theory being that they can support the business and provide value. While this can be true, if a portfolio of applications is not managed appropriately there will be a negative effect on any value to the organisation.

Often applications have been purchased or developed by various parts of the business without any policy or governance, resulting in a complex portfolio of applications that can number in the 1000s, many of which have similar functionality to those in other parts of the organisation or perhaps no longer align with the needs of the business. These applications become a burden and risk to the organisation as:

• Organisations may not know what applications they have, who within the business are responsible for them, what business activities they support
who use them, what value they provide, what they cost to maintain and what information is contained within them.

• Information useful to the wider enterprise is often locked within the many applications used to support a variety of processes in specific business units, making this information difficult to share and use elsewhere where it might be needed.

• Because of the lack of awareness of the existing applications and the functionality provided by them new applications are continually purchased
to provide functionality that already exists elsewhere within the application portfolio, leading to increased complexity and costs, wasting precious resources.

• The lack of visibility of the applications hinders strategic planning

• Applications may be outdated, inefficient or redundant, no longer providing benefits and if insecure they can represent security risks.

Application Portfolio Management

Application portfolio management (APM) has developed as an approach to managing software applications and software-based services in order  to address the issues raised above. With the push to improve strategic planning, realise increased value from investments, increase efficiency, effectiveness and reduce risks APM has become a focus for Government departments, industry and other organisations.

This year’s one day ICM Symposium will seek to clarify the issues associated with application portfolios and manage the expectations of APM  by providing practitioner-based views. Invited speakers will represent a range of organisations and the emphasis of the day will be on practical explorations of real issues both current and emerging.

Courses at the college, such as the Information Capability Management (ICM) MSc play an integral role in educating decision makers at all levels who are or will be engaged in implementing business change.

Research conducted at Defence Academy College of Management and Technology also helps in understanding the issues, suggesting solutions and informing the education and training conducted.

The annual ICM symposium is organised by the Department of Informatics & Systems Engineering, Cranfield Defence and Security and held at the Defence Academy – College of Management & Technology (DA-CMT).

Courses at the college, such as the Information Capability Management (ICM) MSc play an integral role in educating decision makers at all levels who are or will be engaged in implementing business change.

Research conducted at DA-CMT also helps in understanding the issues, suggesting solutions and informing the education and training   conducted.

For further information please contact.