Applications are the engine that powers critical business processes. But applications teams are struggling to meet stakeholder expectations amid constant disruptions due to AI, rising technical and operational complexity, and growing cybersecurity risks. A well-equipped applications practice is important to ensure applications are reliable, valuable, and aligned with strategic priorities. Use our three-phase framework and practical tools to craft an applications practice strategy that is compelling, aligned with stakeholder goals, and solves the problems that matter to your organization.

The applications practice is evolving beyond a team of siloed, task-oriented order-takers. Today’s modern practice is a strategic partner, collaborating across functions and disciplines while continuously engaging with stakeholders to co-own outcomes. Learn how to transform your applications practice from a tactical role into a strategic and business-aligned partner.

1. When your applications practice leads, disruption becomes the advantage.

The future belongs to organizations whose applications practice is the strategic engine driving value delivery. Become the trusted advisor and technology enabler that senses, predicts, and initiates practical organizational transformation.

2. Every transformation begins with identity.

Your practice must first embrace who it is today to evolve into the strategic leader of tomorrow. Begin with embracing transparency, value- and quality-driven thinking, and collaboration to build trust and earn influence. When this transformation is done right, it turns incremental wins into lasting impact.

3. Start with what is most painful and concerning to your stakeholders.

Then, illustrate how the practice will contribute to your organization’s success through a compelling value proposition. If your stakeholders do not know why the applications practice exists, they will see it as a hurdle and barrier.

Use this blueprint to build the applications practice your stakeholders will stand behind.

Our research framework and supporting templates help CIOs and applications leaders define how their organization will deliver, manage, and support applications to maximize business outcomes. Use this three-phase methodology to:

State the role of your applications practice by listing your guiding principles.

Build your value proposition by prioritizing the services that address the strategic priorities most important to your stakeholders.

Capture your practice’s vision by selecting your delivery orientation, defining your objectives and scope, and building your roadmap and communication plan.

Build Your Applications Practice Strategy Research & Tools

1. Build Your Applications Practice Strategy Storyboard – A comprehensive PowerPoint deck to help you define the role and purpose of your applications practice, connect the practice to business outcomes, and turn applications teams into strategic partners.

This framework helps you:

Create a compelling value proposition for your applications practice.

Prioritize the services and capabilities that support your vision.

Communicate and roll out your applications practice.

2. Applications Practice Strategy Presentation Template – A PowerPoint template to communicate a compelling value proposition to applications practice stakeholders in the language they understand.

Prepare your stakeholder presentation with this template to help you:

Define the applications practice role from your audience’s perspective.

State the value of the practice aligned to the concerns stakeholders care about.

Understand what the practice needs without the technical details.

3. Applications Practice Strategy One-Pager Template – A PowerPoint template that enables you to deliver consumable collateral about your applications practice strategy.

Use this customizable template to:

Describe the rationale and design of the applications practice.

State the vision, mission, and objectives of the practice.

Outline a roadmap and timeline for the practice.

Member Testimonials

After each Info-Tech experience, we ask our members to quantify the real-time savings, monetary impact, and project improvements our research helped them achieve. See our top member experiences for this blueprint and what our clients have to say.

9.1/10

Overall Impact

$108,579

Average $ Saved

29

Average Days Saved

Client

Experience

Impact

$ Saved

Days Saved

Testimonial

Cairns Regional Council

Guided Implementation

10/10

$22,500

20

Excellent in all area's - Hans is phenomenal!

Open Text Corporation**

Guided Implementation

8/10

$9,000

10

The best part of the experience is fact that tools, template and approach was shared in order to create the strategy. The worst part is I found so... Read More

Hamilton Police Services

Guided Implementation

9/10

N/A

N/A

Kieran was very knowledgeable and easy to work with. No negatives.

CPA Alberta

Guided Implementation

8/10

$11,500

5

It was good to bounce some ideas off of Vince. This gave us confidence that we are on the right track. Will do another call once we have done some ... Read More

Southern Nevada Health District

Guided Implementation

10/10

N/A

N/A

It allowed me to think through my and my team's specific needs. No worst part.

Al Nahdi Medical

Guided Implementation

10/10

$15,755

7

I really enjoy talking to Alex and listening to his directions and insights .. Very useful input as usual .

Sinclair Community College

Guided Implementation

10/10

$13,700

60

I really can't recall any worst part of this experience. I think Andrew was a great person to work with. He was very balanced professionally and ... Read More

Regional Transportation District

Guided Implementation

10/10

$685K

100

Best experience was going through the exercise of pulling things out of my head and getting them documented in real time. I wasn't fully prepared ... Read More

Earlham College

Guided Implementation

7/10

$2,599

1

Good introductory call.

LGM Financial Services

Guided Implementation

10/10

$10,000

2

Rosens Diversified

Guided Implementation

9/10

N/A

N/A

We are still early on in the process, but very happy so far. Time and $ savings may come into play eventually too, just too early to quantify given... Read More

Los Angeles County Probation

Guided Implementation

10/10

N/A

N/A

Too early to provide feedback on question 2 and 3. I like the template and there is a plan to get to the end goal.

Load More Testimonials

Application Strategy

At the end of this course, you will be able to develop an application department playbook with your vision, goals, guiding principles, and delivery orientation.

Course Modules: 2
Estimated Completion Time: 1 hour

Now Playing:
Academy: Application Strategy | Introduction

An active membership is required to access Info-Tech Academy

Workshop: Build Your Applications Practice Strategy

Workshops offer an easy way to accelerate your project. If you are unable to do the project yourself, and a Guided Implementation isn't enough, we offer low-cost delivery of our project workshops. We take you through every phase of your project and ensure that you have a roadmap in place to complete your project successfully.

Module 1: Align the Role of Your Applications Practice

The Purpose

State the role you want your applications practice to play in your organization.

Key Benefits Achieved

Identifying the attributes your applications practice will exhibit.
Defining the role your applications practice will play in your context.
Outlining principles that will guide your applications practice.

Activities

Outputs

1.1

State the role of your practice

Your interpretation of the applications practice’s role

1.2

List your guiding principles

List of guiding principles

Module 2: Build your value proposition

The Purpose

Define the value your applications practice will deliver to your stakeholders.

Key Benefits Achieved

Recognizing the strategic priorities your practice is expected to address.
Identifying the contributions your practice will provide to meet your strategic priorities.
Outlining the value your practice promises to deliver through the services it offers.

Activities

Outputs

2.1

Know your strategic priorities

Applications practice value statements

2.2

Reveal your practice contributions

List of practice contributions to address stakeholder needs and pains

Module 3: Design your target state

The Purpose

Create the initial design of your applications practice future state.

Key Benefits Achieved

List of the services your applications practice will deliver.
Selection of the delivery orientation(s) that best supports the organization.
Discussion of the various industry good practices to consider in the target state.

Activities

Outputs

3.1

Shortlist your practice services

Prioritized list of applications practice services

3.2

Select your delivery orientation

Selection of the preferred delivery orientation(s)

3.3

Learn industry good practices

Possible items and changes to include in the applications practice target state.

Module 4: Roadmap your practice

The Purpose

Create a roadmap for your applications practice and your communication plan to stakeholders.

Key Benefits Achieved

Defined objectives and metrics for your applications practice.
Clarified scope of the applications practice including organizational coverage, application portfolio, and technical depth.
Achievable applications practice implementation roadmap.
Applications practice stakeholder communication plan.

Activities

Outputs

4.1

Define your objectives and scope

Defined applications practice objectives, metrics, and scope coverage

4.2

Build your roadmap and communication plan

Applications practice roadmap and communication plan

Delivering value starts with embracing what your practice should be.

About Info-Tech

Info-Tech Research Group is the world’s fastest-growing information technology research and advisory company, proudly serving over 30,000 IT professionals.

We produce unbiased and highly relevant research to help CIOs and IT leaders make strategic, timely, and well-informed decisions. We partner closely with IT teams to provide everything they need, from actionable tools to analyst guidance, ensuring they deliver measurable results for their organizations.

What Is a Blueprint?

A blueprint is designed to be a roadmap, containing a methodology and the tools and templates you need to solve your IT problems.

Each blueprint can be accompanied by a Guided Implementation that provides you access to our world-class analysts to help you get through the project.

Need Extra Help?
Speak With An Analyst

Get the help you need in this 3-phase advisory process. You'll receive 9 touchpoints with our researchers, all included in your membership.

Guided Implementation 1: Take stock of who you are

Call 1: Discuss Info-Tech’s perspective and kick off the initiative.
Call 2: Talk about the importance of values and principles and how they apply to you.
Call 3: Consider your department’s orientation.

Guided Implementation 2: Articulate your strategy

Call 1: Understand the department strategy canvas and the significance of its elements.
Call 2: Understand the goals, vision, and metrics.
Call 3: Determine the highest priority items for your department.

Guided Implementation 3: Communicate your strategy

Call 1: Understand stakeholder analysis and its role in your communication plan.
Call 2: Lay out your communication plan.
Call 3: Reflection and wrap-up.

Authors

Andrew Kum-Seun

Caleb Pittman

Contributors

Sandy Minners – Senior Vice President, Client Engagement & Delivery, American Bankers Association
Scott Rutherford – Executive Vice President of Technology, LGM Financial Services Inc.
Cullen Hale – Enterprise Architect, Consumers Energy

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