Info-Tech Research Group Shares Four-Phase Plan to Help IT Leaders in Healthcare Manage Applications and Maximize Organizational Value

In the new research, the global IT research and advisory firm highlights the need for healthcare organizations to have a holistic dashboard of application performance and dispositions to help guide and inform planning and investment discussions.

TORONTO, Oct. 6, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - The future of work continues to trend increasingly digital across the healthcare industry, but many organizations lack full visibility into their overall application portfolio. Inevitably, application sprawl creates process and data disparities, redundant applications, and duplication of resources, presenting a significant barrier to business agility and responsiveness. The shift from strategic investment to application maintenance creates an unnecessary constraint on innovation and value delivery in the already constrained healthcare industry. In response, Info-Tech Research Group has published its new resource, Application Portfolio Management Foundations for Healthcare Organizations, to assist IT leaders within healthcare organizations in managing their applications to maximize organizational value.

The research highlights that while modern software options have decreased the need for organizations to have robust in-house application management capabilities, the governance of organizations' applications portfolio still requires a centralized IT oversight to ensure the best return on investment.

"IT has an increasing need to discover and support all applications in the organization, especially since unmanaged and unsanctioned applications can lead to increased reputational risk," says Vince Mirabelli, principal research director of Applications Delivery and Management at Info-Tech Research Group. "As such, organizations need a holistic dashboard of application performance and dispositions to help guide and inform planning and investment discussions. Application portfolio management is an important tool to determine if an application's value and performance are up to standard and can help meet future goals." 

The firm explains in the new resource that healthcare organizations are vulnerable to changing markets as well as both internal and external pressures. However, application portfolio management (APM) provides the opportunity to compile multiple priorities and perspectives, leading to an integrated holistic approach that will best serve the organization.

To help IT leaders in healthcare rationalize their organizations' applications in accordance with business priorities and build the right APM process for their organizations, Info-Tech Research Group has developed a four-phase plan, as outlined below:

1. Phase 1: Lay Your Foundations
   The first phase includes assessing the current application portfolio; determining the narrative and pain points; defining goals, metrics, and applications categories; and outlining APM steps and roles.
2. Phase 2: Improve Your Inventory
   The second phase requires the population of inventory and alignment to business capabilities.
3. Phase 3: Rationalize Your Applications
   The third phase guides IT leaders through the assessments of business value, technical health, end-user perspective, and total cost of ownership.
4. Phase 4: Populate Your Roadmap
   The fourth and final phase covers the optional assessment of redundancies, the prioritization of initiatives, and the determination of dispositions and ongoing APM cadence.

Info-Tech Research Group further advises IT leaders in healthcare that while the development and maintenance of applications portfolios can be outsourced, accountability must remain in-house. Healthcare organizations face unique challenges not often experienced outside the industry, including the prevalence of legacy systems, a complex regulatory environment, patient privacy, resourcing constraints, and the ever-evolving technology landscape. As IT leaders pursue holistic APM, these challenges must be considered and addressed.

To access the full resource, including an in-depth breakdown of the four-phase plan to maximize organizational value through APM, download Application Portfolio Management Foundations for Healthcare Organizations.

For media inquiries on the topic or to get exclusive, timely commentary from Info-Tech analysts, please contact PR manager Sufyan Al-Hassan at [email protected]. 

For information about Info-Tech Research Group or to access the latest research, visit infotech.com and connect via LinkedIn and X.

Info-Tech Research Group is one of the world's leading information technology research and advisory firms, proudly serving over 30,000 IT professionals. The company produces unbiased and highly relevant research to help CIOs and IT leaders make strategic, timely, and well-informed decisions. For 25 years, Info-Tech has partnered closely with IT teams to provide them with everything they need, from actionable tools to analyst guidance, ensuring they deliver measurable results for their organizations.

Media professionals can register for unrestricted access to research across IT, HR, and software and over 200 IT and industry analysts through the firm's Media Insiders program. To gain access, contact [email protected].

SOURCE Info-Tech Research Group