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Business Value and Technical Fit

UCD Guide to Business Value and Technical Fit Scoring

At regular intervals, each application in use at UCD will be assessed for its Business Value and Technical Fit. This assessment will be conducted by representatives from the relevant Unit or School acting as the Business Owner, and by the Technical Owner of the application.

Specifically, the designated Application Business Manager and Application Technical Manager will be contacted to complete this evaluation, using a standard set of predefined questions.

The results of these assessments provide evidence to support investment/rationalisation decisions within the Application Portfolio. For further details, refer to Application Portfolio Management.

The Business Value should be determined by the Application Business Owner (and application governance group, if one exists) and should take into consideration;

Metric

Evaluate considering the following criteria:

Scoring Scale

Business Value
  • Strategic Alignment - how effectively the application supports future strategic objectives
  • Current Operational Needs - the extent to which the application meets functional requirements, including features, performance, and data quality.
  • Usability - How effectively and efficiently end-users can interact with the application, taking into account user experience, intuitiveness, accessibility, and satisfaction.
  • Value for Money - Consider the total cost of ownership in relation to the value delivered, taking into account licensing, implementation, maintenance, support, and overall return on investment.

1 - Low Value

2 - Moderate Value

3 - High Value

4 - Very High Value

The Technical Fit should be determined by the Application Technical Owner (and application governance group, if one exists) and should take into consideration;

Metric

Evaluate considering the following criteria:

Scoring Scale

Technical Fit
  • Architecture Alignment – how well does the application align with UCD’s technology standards, including interoperability, adaptability, and integration requirements.
  • In-house Skills – capability and availability of internal expertise needed to support, manage, configure, integrate, and develop the application.
  • Maintainability (RAS) – reliability, availability and serviceability. How often, how long, and how difficult is it to maintain the application?
  • Security Measures – the application's security posture, including features such as encryption, access control, monitoring, vulnerability management, and compliance with relevant standards and regulations.
  • Vendor Viability and Support –  vendor’s ongoing support for the product version in use,, the quality of their support services, and the alignment of their product roadmap with UCDs needs.

1 - Low Fit

2 - Moderate Fit

3 - High Fit

4 - Very High Fit



Notes
Assessment capture is contingent on the identification and agreement of both a Business Owner and a Technical Owner for each application.
To ensure accurate and meaningful results, Business Value and Technical Fit scores should consider all criteria.
Scoring should reflect the application’s actual use within UCD, rather than theoretical potential. For example, while an application may be considered an industry-leading solution, if it is not effectively implemented to meet UCD’s specific business needs or technical requirements, it should be rated accordingly with a low score.
Applications receiving low scores may be subject to follow-up reviews to determine the root causes—whether they stem from fundamental limitations or addressable configuration issues.
The Business Owner represents the voice-of-the-customer, and is expected to consider all users of the application in this assessment.
Rationalisation recommendations will be made within the broader context of UCD’s Enterprise Architecture. For instance, an application with strong business value and technical fit may still be recommended for migration or elimination if it does not align with UCD's overall strategic aims.

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