How to Derive a Target Application Landscape in a PMI: A Comprehensive Guide to Shaping Your Application Ecosystem

In today’s rapidly evolving business environment, organizations must ensure their application landscape aligns with strategic goals, particularly during a Post-Merger Integration (PMI) phase. The target application landscape is a critical component, representing the desired state of your technology ecosystem after a merger or acquisition. This guide will explore the steps to effectively derive a target application landscape in a PMI scenario.

First, it’s essential to understand the current application landscape. This involves conducting an inventory of all existing applications across both organizations. Gather data on each application’s purpose, user base, performance metrics, and associated costs. This comprehensive assessment will provide a baseline from which to work.

Next, engage stakeholders from both organizations. This collaboration is vital to understand the business requirements and how different applications can meet these needs. Workshops or focus groups can be useful for gathering insights and ensuring that all perspectives are considered.

Once the current landscape is documented and stakeholder input is collected, the next step is to identify redundancies and gaps in the application portfolio. Look for applications that serve similar functions or have overlapping user bases. Determine which applications can be consolidated, retired, or enhanced. Simultaneously, identify any critical applications that may be missing from the combined landscape.

After narrowing down the applications, prioritize them based on their strategic importance and alignment with the organization’s goals. This prioritization will help in decision-making and resource allocation during the integration process. Consider using a scoring model to evaluate applications against criteria such as cost, usability, and alignment with future business strategies.

With a prioritized list of applications, you can begin to map out the target application landscape. This should include not only the applications that will be retained but also any new solutions that will be introduced to fill existing gaps. Create a visual representation of the target landscape to illustrate how applications will interact and support business processes.

Lastly, develop a roadmap for implementation. This roadmap should outline the timelines, responsibilities, and milestones for each phase of the integration process. It’s important to communicate this roadmap to all stakeholders to ensure alignment and buy-in throughout the organization.

In conclusion, deriving a target application landscape in a PMI requires a systematic approach that includes understanding the current state, engaging stakeholders, identifying redundancies and gaps, prioritizing applications, mapping the target landscape, and developing a clear implementation roadmap. By following these steps, organizations can create a cohesive application ecosystem that supports their strategic objectives and enhances operational efficiency.

Tips 1:

Regularly review and update the application landscape to adapt to changing business needs and technological advancements.

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