Ask the right question at every stage
An application moves through six stages from request to retirement. Pick a stage on the wheel to see the questions to ask there, each tied to the crosswalk row it satisfies and the kit tool that handles it.
The lifecycle is the spine every application travels, from a first request to retirement. The governance council owns the gate between each pair of stages, and delegates routine calls below its threshold. Each stage's questions and rules are handled by a specific kit tool. Every rule below names the crosswalk row it satisfies, so each decision traces back to a control. Review and optimize is where the loop branches: most applications feed back into Plan to be reinvested in or replaced, while the rest move forward into Retire, which closes the loop by freeing licenses, data, and budget for the next Plan.
This wheel needs JavaScript. Here are all six stages' questions, and you can also browse them in
the lifecycle questions page .
Plan and request
What problem does this solve, and do we own an app that does it? (crosswalk row XW-011; tool: rationalization)
Who will own it, and who is the executive sponsor? (crosswalk row XW-002; tool: program-setup)
Does the request meet the council's threshold and come through the intake path? (crosswalk row XW-027; tool: program-setup)
Does it use AI? If so, what risk tier is it? (crosswalk row XW-021; tool: ai-intake)
What data will it hold, and how sensitive is that data? (crosswalk row XW-028; tool: access-review)
Acquire
What license model applies, and how many entitlements do we need? (crosswalk row XW-006; tool: rationalization)
Does the contract give audit, renewal, and exit terms we can live with? (crosswalk row XW-013; tool: rationalization)
Have the supplier and any AI model provider been assessed? (crosswalk row XW-023; tool: ai-intake)
Is the purchase recorded against an owner and a cost center? (crosswalk row XW-012; tool: itam-maturity)
Deploy
Is the app in the inventory with owner, category, and data sensitivity? (crosswalk row XW-001; tool: itam-maturity)
Are access roles defined, and who approves new access? (crosswalk row XW-015; tool: access-review)
Are privileged accounts limited and named? (crosswalk row XW-018; tool: access-review)
For AI systems: is the inventory record complete and the risk in the register? (crosswalk row XW-022; tool: ai-intake)
Operate
Do installs and users stay within entitlements? (crosswalk row XW-007; tool: rationalization)
Is access reviewed on schedule, and are leavers removed? (crosswalk row XW-016; tool: access-review)
Are asset records accurate and reconciled? (crosswalk row XW-026; tool: itam-maturity)
Has the AI system's use changed since intake? (crosswalk row XW-021; tool: ai-intake)
Review and optimize
Is it still worth its cost: tolerate, invest, migrate, or eliminate? (crosswalk row XW-011; tool: rationalization)
Is anything expiring or due for renewal in the next 90 days? (crosswalk row XW-008; tool: rationalization)
Where is our asset management process weakest this year? (crosswalk row XW-025; tool: itam-maturity)
Does the council's decision log show bottlenecks or rubber-stamping? (crosswalk row XW-025; tool: program-setup)
Retire
What data does it hold, and will we archive, migrate, or delete it? (crosswalk row XW-028; tool: rationalization)
Are all accounts removed and licenses canceled or reclaimed? (crosswalk row XW-017; tool: access-review)
Is the contract ended on time, without auto-renewal? (crosswalk row XW-013; tool: rationalization)
Is the inventory record closed, with evidence kept? (crosswalk row XW-020; tool: itam-maturity)
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