When faced with an application portfolio consisting of dozens or hundreds of tools, the question is almost never “Should we modernize?” but rather “Where do we start?” The TIME framework, developed by the analyst firm Gartner, addresses this very dilemma: it classifies each application based on two criteria—its technical suitability and its functional suitability—to arrive at a clear decision: tolerate it, invest in it, migrate it, or eliminate it.

Key Takeaways

• TIME = Tolerate, Invest, Migrate, Eliminate: a Gartner method for prioritizing the modernization of an application portfolio.
• Two evaluation criteria: technical adequacy (quality, technical debt, security) and business value/functional adequacy.
• The applications that should be modernized as a priority are those in the “Migrate” quadrant: high business value, but a fragile or obsolete technical foundation.
• The applications in the “Invest” quadrant should not be overlooked: they warrant expansion, not maintaining the status quo.
• The method first requires a comprehensive inventory of the application portfolio, followed by an objective assessment (using a criteria matrix) before any roadmap decisions are made.
• This is not a one-time exercise: the portfolio must be reassessed regularly, as business priorities change over time.

What is the TIME framework?

TIME is an acronym for Tolerate, Invest, Migrate, Eliminate. It is a method for“application portfolio rationalization” published by Gartner, detailed in particular in the research note “It’s Time to Drive Real Effects in Application Rationalization Through the Tolerate, Invest, Migrate, or Eliminate (TIME) Methodology" and referenced in the firm’s subsequent work, such as "Use TIME to Engage the Business for Application and Product Portfolio Triage" (Gartner).

The approach: Rather than making decisions on a project-by-project basis as they arise, the company evaluates its entire application portfolio based on two criteria and then places each application in a four-quadrant matrix.

The Two Areas of Evaluation

• Technical fit: code quality, technical debt, maintainability, reliability, performance, compatibility with other systems, security posture.
• Functional fit/business value : the degree to which the application aligns with business needs, its operational criticality, user satisfaction, and its contribution to strategic objectives (LeanIX, Application Portfolio Management wiki).

The four quadrants of the model

Tolerate

High technical suitability, but low business value. The application works well from a technical standpoint but no longer adds much value to the business. It is not a priority: we will maintain it as is as long as its cost of ownership remains reasonable, without making any further investments.

Invest (Invest)

Both offer high technical suitability and business value. These are the strategic applications—used on a daily basis—that deserve to be enhanced, expanded, or further integrated with the rest of the information system.

Migrate

High business value, but low technical suitability. The application fulfills an important business function, but its technical foundation is outdated, costly to maintain, or risky (obsolescence, technical debt, lack of vendor support). This is a typical scenario where modernization or migration (often to the cloud) is a priority.

Eliminate

Low business value and poor technical fit. The application is expensive to maintain and no longer provides any real value. It is a candidate for decommissioning, provided that any dependencies it may have created with other systems are addressed.

The 4 Quadrants at a Glance

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How to Apply the TIME Method, Step by Step

1. Build the application inventory: identify all applications in use, including those informally deployed by certain teams ("shadow IT").
2. Evaluate each application based on a set of technical criteria (technical debt, maintainability, security, operating costs) and functional criteria (business criticality, user satisfaction, strategic alignment).
3. Place each application in one of the four TIME quadrants.
4. Creating a roadmap that is differentiated by quadrant: maintain the status quo for “Tolerate,” enhance for “Invest,” migration plan for “Migrate,” and decommissioning plan for “Eliminate.”
5. Implement and monitor action plans using standard project management practices (change management, risk management, dependency management).
6. Review the mapping periodically: a static TIME model quickly becomes irrelevant if the business or technical context changes.

The TIME model is used, in particular, for application rationalization, IT budget planning, preparing for a cloud migration, and harmonizing information systems following a merger or acquisition (LeanIX, Application Portfolio Management wiki).

TIME is not the only prioritization method

Other frameworks exist and can supplement or replace TIME depending on the context: Gartner’s Pace-Layered strategy (which distinguishes between differentiation systems, innovation systems, and stable management systems), the BCG matrix adapted for the application portfolio, or the McKinsey 9-box model. The choice depends on the company’s IT governance maturity and the desired level of granularity.

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Moving from Diagnosis to Action

Conducting a TIME assessment is one thing; turning it into a realistic modernization roadmap with the right trade-offs in terms of prioritization and budget is quite another—especially for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) and mid-sized companies that do not always have a dedicated enterprise architecture function in-house. This is precisely one of the roles played by IT Systèmes, an IT service provider that has been supporting SMEs and mid-market companies since 2010 in their efforts to modernize and enhance the agility of their information systems—from the initial assessment and strategic consulting all the way through to the custom development of the applications to be modernized.

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FAQ

Is TIME an official acronym used by Gartner? Yes. TIME (Tolerate, Invest, Migrate, Eliminate) is the name Gartner uses for its application portfolio rationalization methodology, which is documented in several of the firm’s research notes.

What is the difference between technical adequacy and business value? Technical adequacy assesses the intrinsic quality of the application (code, architecture, technical debt, security, maintainability). Business value assesses its usefulness to the organization: operational criticality, strategic alignment, and user satisfaction.

Which TIME quadrant should be modernized first? Generally, the "Migrate" quadrant takes priority: it includes applications that are critical to the business but technically vulnerable, where the risk of obsolescence or service disruption is highest in the short term.

Does the TIME model apply only to large companies? No. The logic behind the matrix (cross-referencing business value and technical quality) applies to any application portfolio—including that of an SME with a limited number of business tools—whenever trade-offs between priorities and budget are necessary.

Do you need a specific tool to implement the TIME method? No, an application inventory and an evaluation grid (spreadsheet or structured workshop) are all you need to get started. Application Portfolio Management (APM) tools are available to automate data collection and visualization on a larger scale.

How often should the TIME map be reviewed? Gartner does not specify a single frequency; the standard practice is to review the map at the start of each annual budget cycle, or sooner if a significant business or technical change occurs (new regulations, end of vendor support, merger or acquisition).

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