CIOs: Get Tech Sprawl Under Control

Tech sprawl refers to the uncontrolled expansion or proliferation of technological tools, platforms, systems, and solutions within an organization. As companies grow, merge, and digitally transform, their technology footprint expands, often leading to redundancy and inefficiency. According to Forrester's Q2 2024 Tech Pulse Survey, a staggering 77% of US technology decision-makers report moderate to extensive levels of technology sprawl. This sprawl can result in unsustainable costs, slower IT delivery, reduced operational resilience, and increased security risks.

The Visibility Imperative

The first step in taming tech sprawl is improving visibility. Robust observability, FinOps, attack surface management, and strategic portfolio management reporting capabilities are essential. These tools provide insights into how sprawl affects resilience and cost, enabling CIOs to make informed decisions.

Beyond Cost Reduction

While cost reduction is a significant driver of technology consolidation, our survey data reveals that improving system performance and reliability is the most commonly cited factor. Organizations are looking to enhance operational efficiency and reduce downtime, which directly impacts business outcomes. Simplifying IT management and enhancing security are also major drivers of consolidation efforts.

Tech Consolidation Efforts Work Best in Product-Centric Organizations

Interestingly, 63% of surveyed decision-makers plan to pursue moderate consolidation strategies as part of IT maintenance over the next two years. But tech sprawl management cannot be left to individual teams or designated as regular maintenance activities. In fact, tech consolidation works best in product-centric organizations with a build/run model, where teams use a common backlog for new features and maintenance tasks, including technical risks and debt. Persistent build/run product teams, exposed to the consequences of their earlier decisions, have a more comprehensive mandate to fix sprawl.

Measuring Success

Companies should clearly define the metrics they want to achieve through tech sprawl management. Performance improvements are the most-used metric to measure consolidation success, with 70% of decision-makers noting that their organization uses it. Other important metrics include cost savings, reduction in security incidents, and user satisfaction. By reducing IT landscape complexity, organizations can better manage security risks and improve service delivery.

To learn more about how companies are managing tech sprawl, read our report, The State Of Tech Sprawl In The US, 2024. Book a guidance session with me to discuss how you can get your tech sprawl under control.

— Biswajeet Mahapatra, Principal Analyst

This article originally appeared on Forrester's Featured Blogs.