rationalized tech decision support

Cloudconnex.ai uses certified and widely recognized approaches to technology rationalization, utilizing best practices and structured methodologies that have been developed and adopted by government agencies, consulting firms, and industry leaders. Key certified/standardized approaches include:

• The U.S. Federal CIO Council’s Application Rationalization Playbook:

  This playbook outlines a six-step structured process for rationalizing IT portfolios, which is widely referenced in the public sector and beyond. The steps are:

  1. Identify needs and conduct readiness assessment

  2. Inventory applications

  3. Assess business value and technical fit

  4. Assess total cost of ownership (TCO)

  5. Score applications

  6. Determine application placement and execute change management

     This approach is designed to be iterative and adaptable, providing a certified framework for agencies and organizations looking to modernize and optimize their technology environments.

• Industry-Standard Methodologies:

  Multiple methodologies are recognized in the private sector, such as:

  • The TIME model (Tolerate, Invest, Migrate, Eliminate)

  • The 6Rs (Retain, Retire, Rehost, Replatform, Refactor, Replace)

    These models guide organizations through decision-making on whether to keep, upgrade, migrate, or retire technologies, and are often used alongside decision trees and scoring systems for systematic evaluation.

    • The U.S. Federal CIO Council’s Application Rationalization Playbook:
      This playbook outlines a six-step structured process for rationalizing IT portfolios, which is widely referenced in the public sector and beyond. The steps are:

      1. Identify needs and conduct readiness assessment

      2. Inventory applications

      3. Assess business value and technical fit

      4. Assess total cost of ownership (TCO)

      5. Score applications

      6. Gartner TIME Framework:
         The TIME model (Tolerate, Invest, Migrate, Eliminate) is a standardized process for enterprise architects and is widely used in the private sector for application rationalization. It provides a clear, repeatable decision matrix for evaluating technology assets.

      7. The 6Rs(Retain, Retire, Rehost, Replatform, Refactor, Replace)

         These models guide organizations through decision-making on whether to keep, upgrade, migrate, or retire technologies, and are often used alongside decision trees and scoring systems for systematic evaluation.

      8. Enterprise Architecture (EA) Standards:

         Frameworks such as TOGAF and methodologies promoted by vendors like Oracle emphasize rationalization as a core part of IT portfolio management. These frameworks focus on mapping business capabilities to IT, developing scoring criteria, and establishing standards as a result of the rationalization process.

      9. Control and Compliance Rationalization Frameworks:

         In regulated industries, frameworks like the Cybersecurity Controls Rationalization Framework (CSCRF) consolidate and standardize risk and compliance controls, often referencing ISO 27001, NIST CSF, and COSO as foundational standards. These approaches ensure that rationalization aligns with regulatory and security requirements.

• Process Best Practices:

  Most certified approaches share common elements:

  • Stakeholder engagement and readiness assessment

  • Comprehensive inventory of technology assets

  • Business value and technical fit analysis

  • Cost analysis (TCO)

  • Risk assessment and governance

  • Actionable roadmap and continual review

    These steps are echoed in guides from consulting firms and technology vendors, and are considered industry best practices.

• Tools and Automation:

  Certified approaches often leverage specialized tools for discovery, inventory, and assessment—such as migration toolkits and cloud suitability analyzers—to ensure accuracy and repeatability in the rationalization process.

Summary Table: Common Steps in Certified Technology Rationalization Approaches

While there is no single global certification for technology rationalization, we follow process's that are guided by well-established, documented frameworks and playbooks—such as those from the U.S. Federal CIO Council and leading industry models—that are widely accepted as best practice and can be considered "certified" approaches in a practical sense