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ServiceNow Modules · LessonReviewed by Sneha I, ServiceNow Trainer, 8 yrs · Updated · Published · current release · intermediate

ServiceNow Application Portfolio Mgmt

Rationalise your application estate: what you run, what it costs, and what to retire.

Quick answer

ServiceNow Application Portfolio Management keeps an inventory of business applications mapped to the capabilities they support, classifies each as Tolerate, Invest, Migrate or Eliminate, flags end-of-life software and ties spend to capabilities. It reads the business applications in the CMDB, so its scores are only as good as Discovery, and its output feeds investment decisions in SPM.

Key takeaways
  • Core capabilities
  • APM and Enterprise Architecture
  • Try it Yourself

Application Portfolio Management answers a question every CIO eventually asks: which applications should we keep, invest in, or kill? APM builds an inventory of business applications, scores their technical fit and business value, and models the cost and risk of your estate so rationalisation decisions are evidence-based instead of political.

Core capabilities

  • Application inventory, a governed list of business capabilities and the apps that support them.
  • TIME assessment, classify each app as Tolerate, Invest, Migrate or Eliminate.
  • Technology risk, surface end-of-life software and technical debt.
  • Cost modelling, tie spend to capabilities to expose duplication.
APM needs a healthy CMDB. APM maps applications to the business applications and services in your CMDB. The better your Discovery and service mapping, the more trustworthy your rationalisation scores.

APM and Enterprise Architecture

APM and Enterprise Architecture are close cousins: APM tells you the current state and health of the estate; EA plans the target state and roadmaps to get there. Together they feed investment decisions in SPM.

Try it YourselfJavaScript
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Runs in a sandbox in your browser. Mock gs and GlideRecord and sample data are provided.

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