Certified Implementation Specialist (CIS) Application Portfolio Management (APM) Practice Exam

At which maturity level are applications recognized but not rationalized?

1. Continuously optimized portfolio

2. Basic application rationalization

3. Advanced application rationalization

4. Applications under management

The correct answer is: Applications under management

The concept of applications being "recognized but not rationalized" aligns with the maturity level where applications are acknowledged as part of the business portfolio but have not yet undergone any systematic evaluation or analysis to determine their effectiveness, alignment, and value to the organization. This refers specifically to the phase where applications are managed but not actively improved or optimized based on performance metrics or strategic business objectives. In the context of application portfolio management, being at a level where applications are under management indicates that the organization has awareness of these applications. However, it does not imply that there has been a thorough analysis or the decision-making process to streamline or improve the application landscape. This is key for understanding how the various maturity levels build upon one another, with rationalization occurring at a later stage, often as organizations seek to optimize their IT resources and align more closely with strategic goals. The other maturity levels imply a greater degree of sophistication and active management. For instance, a continuously optimized portfolio indicates ongoing efforts to refine and enhance applications actively, while advanced and basic rationalization involves steps toward interpreting data and making informed decisions based on that analysis. Thus, the understanding of applications being merely acknowledged connects to the level under which the organization is operating when they are categorized merely as 'applications under management.'