ITIL Application Management
Objective: Application Management is responsible for managing applications throughout their lifecycle. This ITIL process plays an important role in the application-related aspects of designing, testing, operating and improving IT services, as well as in developing the skills required to operate the IT organization's applications. 'Application Management' is an ongoing activity, as opposed to 'Application Development' which is typically a one-time set of activities to construct applications.
Part of: Service Operation
Process Owner: Applications Analyst
Process Description
ITIL presents Application Management as a "function".
It plays an important role in the management of applications and systems.
Many Application Management activities are embedded in other ITIL processes - but not all Application Management activities. For this reason, at IT Process Maps we decided to introduce an Application Management process as part of the ITIL Process Map that includes the Application Management activities not covered in any other ITIL process.
Application Management activities embedded in other processes are shown there, with responsibility assigned to the Applications Analyst role.
The process overview of ITIL Application Management shows the key information flows (see fig. 1).
The latest edition of ITIL 4 describes the key activities of ITIL application management in the technical management practice of "Software development and management".
Sub-Processes
No sub-processes are specified for ITIL Application Management.
Definitions
The following ITIL terms and acronyms (information objects) are used in the Application Management process to represent process outputs and inputs:
Skills Inventory
- The Skills Inventory identifies the skills required to deliver IT services (now and in future), as well as the individuals who possess those skills. The Skills Inventory is the basis for developing training plans for individual employees.
Roles | Responsibilities
Applications Analyst - Process Owner
- The Applications Analyst is an Application Management role which manages applications throughout their lifecycle. There is typically one Applications Analyst or team of analysts for every key application. This role plays an important part in the application-related aspects of designing, testing, operating and improving IT services. It is also responsible for developing the skills required to operate the applications required to deliver IT services.
| ITIL Role / Sub-Process | Applications Analyst |
|---|---|
| Application Management (no sub-processes specified) |
A[1]R[2] |
Remarks
[1] A: Accountable according to the RACI Model: Those who are ultimately accountable for the correct and thorough completion of the ITIL Application Management process.
[2] R: Responsible according to the RACI Model: Those who do the work to achieve a task within Application Management.
Notes
By: Stefan Kempter 
, IT Process Maps.
Process Description › Definitions › Roles
