IT tool consolidation is the ongoing and combined effort of all members of an IT organization to ensure that employees (only) use IT hardware, software and services that create and demonstrate explicit value for stakeholders in the business. The best metaphor for tool consolidation is in my kitchen, where common sense principles around value creation provide useful guidelines for any consolidation process.
I love to cook and prepare food with an umami (savoriness) taste, and have many kitchen tools to help me. Most of my kitchen tools are fit for purpose and available when I need them, and provide good value for money, but some violate these principles. I hardly use my automatic soup maker, for example. It does what it promises and is always available in my cupboard. But when I brew soups, I use alternatives because I can do the job with less fuss. The value of the soup maker does not manifest. Should I consolidate, and if yes, how? If I do nothing, the value I generate from my soup maker remains low — unless I start using it. If I give it away or sell it, I create value as cupboard space frees up, I might recover some cost, and others are happy with a new and useful tool. ...read more!
