By Randy Littleson
All enterprises need to have an application packaging group to ensure reliable application delivery to users. This group is responsible for managing the Application Readiness process - ensuring that applications are compatible with the environment they are going to be used in and packaged consistent with IT system and process standards. This process is ultimately about ensuring that users quickly get their applications and that those applications are going to work reliably within the IT environment. After all, applications are of no use (and a waste of money) if they can't be used by the business users.
The problem is that most companies have this critical application packaging function reporting into the wrong function. They have it reporting into an IT function responsible for the desktop and/or desktop applications when they should have it reporting into the asset management function - which in many companies is becoming a part of finance. Why would this seemingly technical function need to be aligned with the asset management function?
Because without this alignment - both organizationally and at the business process level - you're just perpetuating problems associated with strategically managing application usage and ensuring value from your software assets. The Application Readiness process is all about ensuring reliable application delivery to users. Yet, it's disconnected from the asset management and Software License Optimization processes, so IT is delivering applications to users with no knowledge or linkage to the processes responsible for managing software spend and ensuring continous compliance with software license agreements.
Leading companies are realizing this misalignment and addressing it both organizationally and process-wise. They are "closing the loop" to ensure that they are managing software usage and value across the entire software lifecycle - from the time they first purchase an asset, to delivery to users to ultimate retiring of it. In doing so, they are realizing material benefits in software compliance and spend optimization.
Now, when the Application Readiness process completes, they are automating the population of enterprise app stores with IT approved and packaged applications. When users self-serve their needs for new applications, the App Store is integrated with the Software License Optimization processes to check to see if a software license is available or needs to be purchased. Once the user downloads the application, the Software License Optimization processes monitor usage. Unused applications are candidates for reclaimation - avoiding unnessary purchases of additional software licenses.
Combining previously separate Application Readiness and Software License Optimization processes are giving enterprises an integrated Application Usage Management capability that ensures strategic management of application usage and value across the software lifecycle. Organizational alignment is key to drive this process integration.
Is your application packaging group reporting into the wrong function?