The Executive’s Guide to Information Technology, Second Edition

Chapter 10. Application Management

	We sometimes get all the information, but we refuse to get the message.
	--Cullen Hightower[1]

This chapter outlines major processes, key decisions, and approaches for managing business applications in the enterprise. It further covers best practices for organizing and managing applications, including support, enhancements and upgrades, direction setting, and portfolio analysis. Additionally, we discuss the importance of working with the business to set and manage service-level expectations and soliciting business input on direction setting. Understanding the evolution of applications over their lifetimes and the implications for application strategy and overall architecture is also covered.

This chapter is organized around the major components of application management: Application architecture covers the methodology for documenting the current landscape of your company applications, as well as the process to create the targeted optimal application architecture that will provide the company better integration, functional coverage, and lower cost of support. Application strategy covers determining when to retire current applications and the best replacement—based on custom development, best-of-breed package implementation, or an integrated package implementation. Maintenance of existing applications outlines the responsibilities of the applications maintenance group in managing the day-to-day operations of the application. Finally, the chapter covers ...