In today’s fast-paced business environment, enterprise application portfolios are often cluttered with outdated tools, niche systems, and redundant capabilities. Many of these applications continue to drain resources without delivering any tangible value. Chief Information Officers (CIOs) are faced with the daunting task of managing hundreds of applications, often without a clear, unified view of their organization’s IT landscape. The Gartner TIME Framework provides a structured approach to addressing this challenge by transforming the chaos of technology sprawl into a strategic decision-making process that aligns with business objectives, mitigates risks, and frees up resources for growth initiatives.
The TIME Framework, which stands for Tolerate, Invest, Migrate, and Eliminate, categorizes applications based on two key dimensions: Business Value and Technical Fit. This classification enables organizations to determine the appropriate course of action for each application, whether it be to maintain, invest in, modernize, or retire it. By applying the TIME Framework, organizations can shift from managing IT inventory as static lists to actively managing IT assets.
The Gartner TIME approach is particularly well-suited for the current era of Digital Transformation, where cloud migration, Cyber Security, and Cost Optimization have become critical imperatives for organizations. By using the TIME Framework, organizations can quickly identify which applications to prioritize for investment, which to retire, and which to modernize. This framework brings order to the chaos that often plagues post-merger environments, outdated ERP systems, or sprawling SaaS ecosystems.
Gartner TIME Framework: Core Structure
The TIME framework is structured around four quadrants:
- Tolerate – Applications with High Technical Fit but Low Business Value
- Invest – Applications with High Business Value and High Technical Fit
- Migrate – Applications with High Business Value but Low Technical Fit
- Eliminate – Applications with Low Business Value and Low Technical Fit
The power of TIME lies in its simplicity and clarity. Each quadrant leads to specific actions, enabling organizations to make informed decisions based on facts, priorities, and timelines. This framework eliminates ambiguity and provides a roadmap for managing the application portfolio.
TIME forces organizations to make tough decisions that can be defended based on objective criteria. Each application is evaluated against predefined Business Value and Technical Fit criteria, using a standardized scoring system. This approach helps organizations identify applications that are performing below expectations and those that warrant additional investment.
Tolerate Strategy
The Tolerate Strategy focuses on applications that are technically sound but no longer deliver significant business value. These applications may be outdated tools supporting obsolete workflows or compliance systems that are no longer essential. The goal of the Tolerate Strategy is to minimize spending, freeze feature development, and maintain these applications with minimal effort until a decision is made to retire them.
Invest Strategy
The Invest Strategy is reserved for applications that are both valuable to the business and technically robust. These applications play a critical role in supporting strategic objectives, have a wide user base, and meet SLA targets. The Invest Strategy involves targeted actions to enhance these applications, such as expanding features, automating delivery pipelines, and standardizing APIs for seamless integration.
Case Study
A regional bank recently implemented the TIME Framework to streamline its application portfolio, which consisted of over 400 systems. By categorizing applications based on Business Value and Technical Fit, the bank was able to identify opportunities for modernization, consolidation, and retirement. This initiative resulted in a 22 percent reduction in run costs, better alignment of IT spending with strategic objectives, and a roadmap that gained executive support.
FAQs
- How does TIME handle SaaS applications that IT does not control?
- SaaS applications should be scored based on their Business Value and Technical Fit. Applications with low value and poor fit should be considered for retirement or review of vendor contracts.
- What if application owners dispute the scoring of their applications?
- Transparency is key. Application owners should provide evidence to support their claims, and decisions should be traceable and based on objective criteria.
- How often should TIME be applied?
- Quarterly application of TIME is optimal to ensure that decisions remain current and relevant.
- Is TIME only for large enterprises?
- The TIME Framework can be scaled to suit organizations of all sizes, including mid-sized businesses with a smaller application portfolio.
- Does TIME replace Enterprise Architecture reviews?
- TIME complements Enterprise Architecture reviews by providing a structured view of the application portfolio. Both approaches should be aligned to ensure a comprehensive understanding of the organization’s IT landscape.
Closing Thoughts
The Gartner TIME framework is a powerful tool for IT leaders seeking to rationalize their application portfolios and align technology investments with business objectives. By enforcing clarity and discipline in decision-making, TIME enables organizations to make informed choices about where to allocate resources, where to cut costs, and where to invest for future growth. This framework is not just about technology—it is about driving strategic outcomes and maximizing the value of IT investments.
In an era of shrinking budgets and increasing complexity, the TIME Framework offers a structured approach to managing IT assets and ensuring that technology supports the organization’s overall Strategy. By leveraging the TIME Framework, organizations can transform their application portfolios from liabilities into strategic assets.
Interested in learning more about the Gartner TIME Framework and how it can benefit your organization? Download an editable PowerPoint presentation on the TIME Framework from the Flevy documents marketplace and start optimizing your IT portfolio today.
- TIME complements Enterprise Architecture reviews by providing a structured view of the application portfolio. Both approaches should be aligned to ensure a comprehensive understanding of the organization’s IT landscape.
