One often overlooked reason for understanding your current state is to enable the business, especially, executives to appreciate how far you’ve come in the future. Without a baseline, the significant efforts and improvements made by the IT team can go unnoticed.
This baseline is not just a technical inventory; it’s a narrative that highlights how IT is currently enabling and supporting core business capabilities and what needs to evolve to meet future demands. Furthermore, individual applications or core systems alone, no matter how critical, should not be the central focus of this baseline.
No executive or end user cares whether the system is on version 8 or 9, or whether it’s hosted in a private or public data centre. At least they shouldn’t.
What matters is how well the entire system of systems performs in the delivery of services that create business value.
Rather than concern ourselves with what version our applications are on or where they’re hosted, for now we should focus on a clear picture of how the whole system hangs together.
Consider these four tools that evince Consulting leverages to create this view.
- Application Integration Map
- Application Capability Map
- Infrastructure Architecture Map
- IT Operating Model Review
These are further outlined below, however, in essence together they serve as a basis for meaningful discussions with the business about what investment is needed to drive improvements, what value those improvements will deliver, and how it will be measured.
In one fell swoop, you have a business case, funding, and the support of the business.
Application Integration Map
This map provides a clear picture of how well your applications are integrated with key business processes. It helps identify potential disconnects that could hinder efficiency and productivity or introduce operational risks. For instance, if your CRM system isn’t seamlessly integrated with your marketing tools, it could lead to data silos and missed opportunities for customer engagement.
Application Capability Map
This map assesses which business capabilities are supported by which applications and how well these needs are being met. This analysis highlights where technology might be underutilised or stretched too thin. For example, an ERP system may support financial operations well but might be lacking in supply chain capabilities, indicating a need for enhancement or integration with additional tools.
Infrastructure Architecture Map
This map reviews the health and status of the infrastructure supporting your core applications. It ensures that your technological backbone is robust enough to handle current operations and future growth. Think of it as assessing the foundation of a building; you need to ensure it’s solid before adding new floors.
Operating Model Review
An operating model review provides insights into how your IT team is organised and how effectively they deliver services. This review can reveal structural inefficiencies or skill gaps that need addressing. For instance, if your team is heavily focused on maintenance tasks with little capacity for innovation, it may indicate a need for restructuring or additional training.
Conclusion
Understanding your technology’s current state in business terms is not just a technical exercise; it’s a strategic necessity. It provides a clear, shared view of how IT is serving the business today and sets the stage for future improvements. By mapping out your current state through an application integration map, application capability map, infrastructure architecture map, and operating model review, you create a solid foundation for aligning future IT initiatives with business goals.
This clarity ensures that executives can fully grasp the scope of your journey, unlocking the necessary funding, support, and appreciation for your IT endeavours. Many organisations have leveraged this or similar approaches with great success. evince Consulting can help you greatly accelerate this endeavour by providing you with the tools, guidance, and delivery support you need, as well as the perspective and experience of an independent specialist.
Reach out to us today via our online contact form to see how we can help you.
