The 10 key steps to successfully implement IT system mapping
How can you transition from empirical knowledge of your IT system to a structured IT mapping approach?
How do you move from an approximate understanding, based on office-style inventories, to a systematic mapping of your digital landscape?
Without mapping, there is no IT urbanization, no enterprise architecture… Whether the goal is global governance or security-focused compliance, as emphasized by ANSSI, IT system mapping is essential.
With over 200 implementations of our mapping solution, we have identified 10 key steps to successfully integrate mapping into your IT governance processes.
1-Defining IT Mapping Objectives
Before starting, it is crucial to understand why you are mapping your IT system. Objectives may include:
- Gaining a better understanding of existing systems for optimization.
- Preparing for IT migration or modernization.
- Ensuring regulatory compliance (e.g., GDPR).
- Managing risks and ensuring business continuity.
- Facilitating communication between IT and business teams.
- Retaining and structuring knowledge within a reference system.
A clear understanding of objectives helps in selecting the right level of detail and the most suitable solution.
2- Involving all stakeholders
IT system mapping cannot be carried out solely by IT architects or enterprise urbanists. All relevant stakeholders must be involved, including: IT leaders (CIOs), infrastructure and development teams, business analysts and functional managers, security and data protection officers, support teams and application managers.
This approach ensures:
- A comprehensive view of the IT system.
- Alignment with business needs.
- Validation of collected data, reducing errors.
3 – Collecting and centralizing information
For accurate mapping, you need to gather key information about various IT components, including:
- Applications: software list, versions, ownership, lifecycle.
- Infrastructure: servers, networks, databases, operating systems.
- Interfaces: data flows, application interactions.
- Data: catalog and movement of information.
- Business Processes: applications supporting different workflows.
Using Master Data solutions, automated discovery tools, or CMDBs can simplify data collection.
4 – Modeling the IT system with the right solution
There are multiple IT system mapping tools available. Ensure that your chosen solution:
- Aligns with best practices (e.g., ANSSI guidelines).
- Has a powerful graphical engine for a comprehensive ecosystem representation.
- Is scalable to adapt to evolving IT strategies.
- Is pragmatic and easy to maintain.
IT system representations should be understandable to both technical and non-technical stakeholders, ensuring adoption and effective use.
5- Defining a clear and iterative scope
Instead of trying to map everything at once, use an iterative approach:
- Start with a limited scope, such as a key application system, business domain, or critical process.
- Gradually expand based on initial findings.
This approach simplifies complexity and allows for adaptive refinement.
6- Identifying dependencies and information flows
Mapping an IT system provides insights into:
- Technical dependencies (applications, databases, infrastructure).
- Data flows: how data moves between systems.
- Potential risks: impact of failures or changes.
Understanding these elements enhances security, continuity planning, and functional redundancy detection.
7- Analyzing results and identifying improvement areas
Once mapping is complete, leverage it for optimization:
- Infrastructure optimization: identifying redundant, obsolete, or oversized systems.
- Application rationalization: eliminating duplicates, harmonizing solutions.
- Security enhancement: identifying vulnerabilities and unsecured data flows.
- Regulatory compliance: ensuring sensitive data is well-managed.
8 – Maintaining and updating the mapping
IT system mapping is an ongoing process, not a one-time project. IT environments evolve with: new applications, cloud migrations, regular updates…
- Regularly updating the map ensures it accurately reflects the IT landscape.
- Implementing governance processes guarantees that IT changes are documented and integrated into the mapping.
A user-friendly, dynamic, and API-compatible solution minimizes maintenance efforts.
9 – Communicating the results
IT system mapping is a communication tool that benefits all departments.
- Adapt details based on the audience (executive committees, business teams, IT teams).
- Use dashboards and graphical representations to enhance clarity and engagement.
10- Relying on standard frameworks
Using recognized frameworks like:
- ITIL (IT service management)
- COBIT (IT governance)
- BPMN (business process modeling)
helps structure IT mapping, ensuring compatibility with best practices.
Frameworks also assist new employees in quickly understanding and adapting to the system.
Conclusion
The success of an IT system mapping approach relies on a methodical strategy, strong collaboration between teams, and the use of an appropriate solution.
This process not only provides clear visibility of the existing IT landscape but also enables organizations to effectively manage digital transformation, ensure IT security, and optimize infrastructure performance.
A dynamic and up-to-date IT mapping is a strategic asset for any organization where digital technology supports operations. In other words, for nearly all organizations today.