December 9, 2024
The pace-layered application strategy
The earlier parts within this series explored two common issues many businesses face during digitalisation – inadequate planning and a limited scope. To overcome these issues, it’s important to look at an organisation holistically while isolating the different people, processes, and platforms that keep the business operating. Understanding each facet and their relationships to one another can help businesses adopt new digital capability
A Pace-Layered Approach
Developed over a decade ago, Gartner's Pace-Layered Application Strategy is a methodology for categorising, selecting, managing and governing applications to support business change, differentiation and innovation. The idea stemmed from a 1994 book, "How Buildings Learn", which explored the challenge of designing a building to be long-lasting, resilient to change, and capable of accommodating the needs of various owners and occupants.
The technique outlined in the book identified a series of layers, ranging from immutable buildings to things like furniture that might move around on a daily or weekly basis. There are also in-between layers, like the building structure, which could last 100 years; the exterior surface, which might be redone every 20 years; and services like plumbing, HVAC, or electrical wiring, which are generally replaced or updated every seven to 15 years.
These various layers experience different rates of change and are often managed and operate independently. However, they must all be designed to work in unison, each serving the needs of the building's occupants. Gartner found this idea of pace layers as a useful means of building business application strategies that are more effective, responsive, and deliver a good ROI without sacrificing integration, integrity, or governance.
Pace layering categorises applications by breaking them down into individual processes rather than relying on broad acronyms like ERP or CRM. Gartner defines three layers: systems of record, systems of differentiation, and systems of innovation, each with distinct characteristics.
Conclusion
“Every flower blooms at a different pace.”
Source: Suzy Kassem
Moving up these layers, processes become more flexible, and data quality requirements change. Integration across layers is common, necessitating technologies like master data management and process integration. The approach allows organisations to tailor governance, funding, and data models to each application's unique needs, enhancing adaptability and efficiency.
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