The number of potential investments that can be considered by AppO is unlimited. AppO has been proven on a portfolio of over 1,000 infrastructure projects.
AppO has the ability to “fuse” potential investments into larger investments such as might happen when a group of projects may best be managed as a program, or when a series of options are available, or even when it is necessary to derive the aggregate business value that will be generated from the investments relating to a function or perhaps business unit.
In AppO the ability to see the analysis as it relates to views is called Themes. Themes can reflect the views/opinion of one or more persons, or can relate to varying approaches to measuring the inherent value of any potential investment or group of investments. Thus, and for example it is possible to create a Theme reflecting what would be considered value in a post COVID-19 scenario that could be compared to say a base case. Themes could also be reflective of, for example, one or more approaches to transformation strategy development. Again, there is no limit. AppO can also “aggregate views” by combining one or more into what might be described as a likely consensus view or most likely value. Aggregation can be configured to allow you to see the probable average, best and worst cases scenarios.
Assessment of the extent to which a potential investment (or group of potential investments) delivers against the chosen measurement criteria could be by individuals, groups of individuals or, in some cases, from data available within existing reporting systems. AppO can accommodate unlimited assessments of the same potential investments against the same measurement criteria. Furthermore, AppO can aggregate assessments by mathematically deriving the most likely value or consensus assessment. Once again, aggregation can be configured by the user to ensure it behaves to their selected requirements
Analysis of potential investments with regard to business value or strategic alignment is achieved by applying one or more Themes. Themes can be applied to multiple potential investments to analyse the comparative contribution to strategic goals of each potential investment. To save time and effort AppO can provide analysis against all criteria in a theme or just a sub-set. AppO can provide Analysis relating Strategic Drivers with the amount that would be spent on each driver if the selected portfolio were executed. This provides an understanding of whether spending is balanced.
AppO is able to compare subjective, objective and hybrid assessments as if it were comparing apples to apples. AppO offers the ability to automatically calculate Hybrid assessments from user-defined formulae using the values of other criteria giving the user complete control over deriving any assessment output.
Thus AppO provides flexibility in the way measurement criteria types are structured and utilised in assessment. AppO allows for rapid assessment of potential investments by analysing against a sub-set of criteria rather than all criteria, meaning that, if required, the most important criteria can be used to identify those investments of least value, and all with minimal effort, often saving days and weeks of assessment effort in large portfolios.
When fully implemented AppO provides a platform for continuous improvement approach to portfolio management and can be seamlessly integrated to a business’s strategy development, portfolio governance, portfolio prioritisation and scheduling, delivery and operational processes. AppO is specifically designed to assist in overcoming seventeen of the most common failure points in the portfolio optimisation process. Thus, implementing AppO can provide the leverage to move towards best practice strategy development, portfolio governance and optimisation processes.
Independent research of the Forrester Group, Gartner and the PMI agree that the potential savings from utilising Portfolio Prioritisation approaches (such as that implemented in AppO) is between five and twenty three percent of the value of the portfolio. So, if your transformation investment budget is say $20 Million you can either save at least $1 Million or you can achieve the equivalent of at least a $21 Million budget. Using Appo will underpin the selection of the most valuable investments to form your portfolio. Investments that don’t stack up in terms of contribution to business value or strategic alignment can be avoided. This alone can save between five and twenty-three percent of the value of your portfolio. AppO also includes the ability to rapidly assess options (see elsewhere for further information) that can save weeks and in one case so far years of work in large portfolios. AppO’s ability to Aggregate opinions, assessments and investment options will also save many, many hours of effort, reducing delays and associated costs. In a soon to be released enhanced version AppO will identify both intended and unintended bias, meaning that “pet projects” can be identified and, if appropriate, eliminated from the portfolio. Individual assessors work can be analysed, which can identify opportunities for personal development with a view of improving the accuracy of assessments and reducing effort.
The hierarchical nature of AppO value criteria allows you to define strategic alignment and business value in increasing detail, which provides a direct link to specific planned outcomes tracked and managed though benefits management, enabling comparison of planned strategic outcomes with harvested benefits and identifying just what has been “banked” or still available to be banked as the investment proceeds through planning, delivery and operational stages.
While there is an observation that all stakeholders within an organisation should be “on the same page”, in fact and practice what is of personal importance to one stakeholder within an organisation, let’s say the Marketing Director (increased revenue, increased reach) or Production Director (operational efficiency, simplified processes, lower skill base required), may indeed be different from another stakeholder within the same organisation such as the CEO (share price, shareholder feedback, board priorities), Auditor (risk management, audit trail, governance), Finance Director (return on investment, risk management, process integration) or CIO (Operational efficiency, data and process security, scalability and flexibility). This means that all of these individuals have differing views that impact their assessment of what constitutes business value. Thus it can be very difficult to come to consensus and often the most strident or powerful stakeholder holds sway. For each manager to have confidence that the outcomes of initiatives are appropriate for their sphere of influence value must be measured at the level of their interest. However, the collective or aggregated view of all these value drivers must somehow be developed to understand the consensus view of true business value specific to the whole organisation. AppO can take unlimited views into account when assessing investments and show each of the individuals which of the potential investments are of greatest value to each individual. It can also aggregate those views to a consensus view, and compare outcomes of each individual view with each other individual view or the consensus view.
AppO is designed to enable apples for apples comparison based on any subjective, objective or hybrid assessment criterion. Thus subjective measures related perhaps to strategic alignment, customer outcomes, etc. can be analysed against objective measures such as $ Cost, or NPV and produce meaningful and statistically defend-able comparisons.
What if scenarios are a basic function within AppO through it’s Themes capability but, if you want to see the impact “on the fly” Appo embodies a “Sandbox” feature. The “Sandbox” allows AppO users to change one or more themes “on the fly” and see the results prior perhaps to creating alternative and numerous themes.
AppO has been developed to provide consultants with a tool to use in value-adding their client engagements. AppO allows our consulting partners to control their client engagements by allowing them to control users access rights and usage, among many other things. AppO Partners enjoy many benefits including free education, accreditation and 24 hour support. To find out more please fill out the form on our partners page.
Enormous Savings
Independent research of the Forrester Group, Gartner and the PMI agree that the potential savings from utilising Portfolio Prioritisation approaches (such as that implemented in AppO) is between five and twenty three percent of the value of the portfolio. So, if your transformation investment budget is say $20 Million you can either save at least $1 Million or you can achieve the equivalent of at least a $21 Million budget.
Maximise Investment Performance
Using Appo will underpin the selection of the most valuable investments to form your portfolio. Investments that don’t stack up in terms of contribution to business value or strategic alignment can be avoided. This alone can save between five and twenty-three percent of the value of your portfolio.
Save Hours of Time
AppO’s ability to Aggregate opinions, assessments and investment options will also save many, many hours of effort, reducing delays and associated costs.
Eliminate Bias
In a soon to be released enhanced version AppO will identify both intended and unintended bias, meaning that “pet projects” can be identified and, if appropriate, eliminated from the portfolio.
The hierarchical nature of AppO value criteria allows you to define strategic alignment and business value in increasing detail.
This provides a direct link to specific planned outcomes tracked and managed though benefits management, enabling comparison of planned strategic outcomes with harvested benefits and identifying just what has been “banked” or still available to be banked as the investment proceeds through planning, delivery and operational stages.
While there is an observation that all stakeholders within an organisation should be “on the same page”, in fact and practice what is of personal importance to one stakeholder within an organisation, let’s say the Marketing Director (increased revenue, increased reach) or Production Director (operational efficiency, simplified processes, lower skill base required), may indeed be different from another stakeholder within the same organisation such as the CEO (share price, shareholder feedback, board priorities), Auditor (risk management, audit trail, governance), Finance Director (return on investment, risk management, process integration) or CIO (Operational efficiency, data and process security, scalability and flexibility).
For each manager to have confidence that the outcomes of initiatives are appropriate for their sphere of influence value must be measured at the level of their interest. However, the collective or aggregated view of all these value drivers must somehow be developed to understand the consensus view of true business value specific to the whole organisation.
AppO can take unlimited views into account when assessing investments and show each of the individuals which of the potential investments are of greatest value to each individual. It can also aggregate those views to a consensus view, and compare outcomes of each individual view with each other individual view or the consensus view.
AppO is designed to enable apples for apples comparison based on any subjective, objective or hybrid assessment criterion. Thus subjective measures related perhaps to strategic alignment, customer outcomes, etc. can be analysed against objective measures such as $ Cost, or NPV and produce meaningful and statistically defend-able comparisons.
What if scenarios are a basic function within AppO through it’s Themes capability but, if you want to see the impact “on the fly” Appo embodies a “Sandbox” feature. The “Sandbox” allows AppO users to change one or more themes “on the fly” and see the results prior perhaps to creating alternative and numerous themes.
AppO has been developed to provide consultants with a tool to use in value-adding their client engagements. AppO allows our consulting partners to control their client engagements by allowing them to control users access rights and usage, among many other things. AppO Partners enjoy many benefits including free education, accreditation and 24 hour support. To find out more please fill out the form on our partners page.
