This app rationalization case study and IT cost reduction case study details how Full On Consulting led a comprehensive application rationalization consulting engagement for a $16B automotive company following a $4B merger. The work covered the full lifecycle of application portfolio management — inventorying 2,000+ applications, quantifying software licensing cost reduction opportunities, and building an application portfolio optimization roadmap. The application consolidation results were compelling: $16M in total savings identified through post-merger application consolidation, with Phase 1 delivering $6M in annual savings — a defining IT cost savings case study in IT portfolio rationalization.
$16M
Total IT savings identified
$6M
Annual savings delivered in Phase 1
2,000+
Applications in post-merger portfolio assessed
10
Consolidation projects launched in Phase 1
Situation: 2,000+ Applications, a $4B Merger, and a CEO Cost Mandate
A $16B global automotive products company had completed a $4B merger and acquisition, resulting in an application portfolio of over 2,000 systems. The CEO challenged IT to reduce costs. Evaluating the bloated application portfolio was an obvious starting point — by reducing the application footprint and consolidating redundant systems, there was significant potential for software licensing cost reduction and maintenance savings.
The client engaged Full On Consulting to lead a structured application rationalization consulting engagement — identifying savings opportunities and building the roadmap to capture them.
Challenge: No Rationalization Methodology, No Roadmap, No Baseline
The client had no experience with application portfolio management at this scale and no internal methodology for a post-merger application consolidation effort. They needed outside expertise to define the strategy, build the execution plan, and develop a future-state roadmap — covering over 2,000 applications across a newly merged, globally distributed organization. The engagement required a proven IT portfolio rationalization framework that could operate at enterprise scale and deliver results the CEO could act on.
Action: Portfolio Assessment, Cost Modeling & Consolidation Roadmap
Full On Consulting defined the strategy and approach for the entire application portfolio optimization engagement. Functional and technical teams were assembled to review and validate the current-state application portfolio — categorizing each application by function, business unit, usage, and support status.
Working with Finance and IT Procurement, licensing and maintenance costs were documented for each application — building the cost baseline required to quantify consolidation savings. Once the current state was defined, Full On Consulting worked with each team to design the future-state environment. Target technologies and platforms were identified. Transition and implementation plans were developed for each consolidation opportunity, along with total cost-to-achieve estimates. All findings were assembled into a comprehensive executive report — covering savings potential, implementation sequencing, and a phased application consolidation roadmap — presented to IT executives and the CEO.
Result: $16M Identified, $6M Annual Savings Delivered in Phase 1
The final executive report identified $16M in total IT savings the company could achieve through disciplined application portfolio optimization. The largest opportunity was consolidating multiple business units onto a common SAP platform — significantly reducing both maintenance costs and software licensing expenditure. Several additional non-SAP platforms were identified as consolidation candidates with meaningful savings potential.
Based on the roadmap, the client immediately launched Phase 1 of their post-merger application consolidation program — 10 projects targeting the highest-value, lowest-risk consolidation opportunities. Phase 1 delivered $6M in annual savings, validating the rationalization methodology and establishing the foundation for subsequent phases.
These application consolidation results represent a model engagement for IT cost reduction: structured application rationalization consulting at enterprise scale, delivering quantified savings that went directly to the bottom line and gave the CEO the outcomes he demanded.
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Our Application Rationalization Services
From application portfolio management and cost modeling to post-merger application consolidation execution — Full On Consulting delivers the IT cost reduction results that matter.
PORTFOLIO ASSESSMENT
A structured application portfolio management assessment — inventorying your full application landscape, documenting licensing and maintenance costs, and identifying consolidation and elimination opportunities.
RATIONALIZATION STRATEGY
End-to-end application rationalization consulting — defining your future-state target architecture, sequencing consolidation initiatives, and building a board-ready roadmap with quantified savings by phase.
POST-MERGER CONSOLIDATION
Specialized post-merger application consolidation leadership — managing the complexity of merging two application portfolios, eliminating redundancy, and delivering software licensing cost reduction at scale.
PROGRAM EXECUTION
From strategy to delivery — Full On Consulting provides the program management to execute your application consolidation roadmap, track savings realization, and ensure each initiative delivers its committed IT cost reduction outcome.
Find Out How Much Your Application Portfolio Is Costing You
Full On Consulting's application rationalization consulting team has identified millions of dollars in savings for companies coming out of mergers and acquisitions. We know where to look, how to quantify it, and how to build a roadmap your CEO will approve. Let's talk.
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