Despite its widespread adoption as a positive benefit to enterprise organizations, there are many challenges that application owner programs face. In a series of articles, I will outline some of these challenges and ways to mitigate them. In summary…
Resource allocation
Clear definition and assignment of roles within an application owner program are crucial to success, with responsibilities varying significantly from basic monitoring to that of a subject matter expert. Successful management of this program involves not overburdening owners, particularly those with significant organizational roles, and supporting them with systems for reminders, collaboration, and recognition, ensuring effective oversight and valuable output from the program.
Keeping pace with rapid change
Application owners must navigate the challenge of keeping up with frequent updates, even for basic applications. This task becomes more complex for intricate applications that require specialized knowledge, necessitating engagement with resources like peer networks, digital educational content, and internal knowledge-sharing to maintain proficiency and organizational effectiveness.
Security and compliance concerns
Application owners play a valuable role in proactively calling attention to security updates, moving beyond reactive measures based on vulnerability scans, and actively initiating necessary updates. This responsibility requires not only a basic understanding of security terminology and metrics, such as CVSS scores and indicators of criticality, but sometimes even an awareness of compliance standards, positioning the application owner at the intersection of technical management, risk mitigation, and organizational strategy.
Application compatibility and testing
Identifying compatibility issues within enterprise environments involves comprehensive testing that often requires application owner involvement. Optionally, handling multiple versions of an application and ensuring support across different platforms like Windows and Mac may require separate application owners. The role of the application owner is important in helping to maintain operational efficiency.
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