If you were asked to name every application, software, and cloud tool you use on a daily basis, could you? Would you even be able to guess how many are in use?
Don’t be alarmed if this is a tough ask, because that’s all too common. More and more, businesses small and large are utilizing numerous applications on a daily basis. Some still are in-use in the background, or perhaps periodically; think payroll software or inventory apps.
It’s crucial to create a transparent overview of application landscapes; evaluating costs, standardizing software, and allowing for flexibility and innovation.
Application Portfolio Management (APM) Provides Clear Metrics
Application Portfolio Management (APM) helps businesses achieve their goals by optimizing inventories of applications and software.
APM has evolved in recent years to manage mixed portfolios of on-premises and cloud-based IT applications.
Businesses can generate transparent and actionable metrics on decentralized applications. APM involves the following documentation of past, present, and future applications within an organization, identifying and/or automating service lifecycles.
Understanding the Benefits of APM
When you go to the grocery store, you can approach it one of two ways: shopping on an impulse because you had one craving that leads to multiple items in your cart, or taking inventory of what’s in your fridge and pantry.
You may have an instant gratification moment with the one item in scenario one, but you might also purchase something you might already have at home or even realize you don’t need. It may eventually end up spoiled before you can even get to it.
This is analogous to app needs and management. You may see the “shiny-new-thing” and think it may eventually come in handy, but what if it just sits in your servers after one or two initial uses, or none at all?
This will take up valuable space on your harddrive or cloud. Space is precious, and making sure your apps are the ones that have crucial value to your business is key to lean management.
Letting your application portfolio fall into disarray means spending money unnecessarily on apps that don’t add value. This capital should be spent on services that add value and boost competitiveness within your business.
And with all of these unmanaged apps floating around, naturally there is a higher risk for security breach and cyber threats.
APM Employs Lean Management
As outlined, there are numerous reasons to begin utilizing APM, not only to clean up your IT infrastructure, but also to save money, boost productivity, and mitigate cyber threats.
IT landscapes are tricky to manage, regardless of the size of the business. In large enterprises, these systems are usually made up of numerous, but disconnected management points. APM untangles this IT complexity by categorizing applications.
On the other hand, smaller businesses may only have a few individuals responsible for app and software management, or perhaps even outsource completely to save money.
APM affords scalability for these smaller businesses to maintain a healthy balance and foster a thriving IT ecosystem.
Managed Portfolio, Managed Savings with APM
Today’s businesses demand well-oiled IT systems. These ecosystems must be able to adapt to rapidly changing market demands and customer behavior.
When businesses are spending any money on non-beneficial or low-value applications, they are eating into precious capital for optimizing performance.
APM helps you optimize your application stack, delivering more value to your leaders and stakeholders.
You may not know if your business is struggling with app and software management, leaving money on the table.
If you’re struggling with or unsure of your APM capabilities, you’ll need a trusted partner to help you identify the need. Talk with one of our trusted advisors about how to better manage your application portfolio. (314) 646-8444
