This study assessed the current application portfolio supporting infrastructure management for a leading chocolate manufacturer, with the objective of comparing it to a best-of-suite, cloud-first architecture. The analysis sought to uncover synergies that could improve operational efficiency, reduce risk, and better align with the organisation’s Enterprise Architecture (EA) strategy.

A total of fourteen applications were listedUsing the Business Capability Map, TIME framework, of which nine were further analysed in the application analysis, and using a structured seven-category risk assessment, each application was evaluated for their risk profile. Stakeholder input and architecture documentation informed the analysis, leading to targeted recommendations for migration, consolidation, or decommissioning to support a cloud-first, best-of-suite approach

The assessment revealed several infrastructure applications misaligned with the Enterprise Architecture team’s cloud-first, best-of-suite strategy. AD Domain Controller and AD DHCP, both hosted on-premises, increase operational risk and should be transitioned to Microsoft Entra ID, Intune, and Azure DHCP for improved scalability, integration, and centralised management. IronPort, an end-of-life email security appliance now used mainly for SMTP relay, should be retired and its functions absorbed into Microsoft Exchange Online. Local file servers create complexity and should be replaced with secure cloud storage. MuleSoft remains strategically relevant for complex integrations but could be partially replaced by Microsoft Power Platform to reduce licensing costs. Rubrik’s backup functions are strong but add vendor diversity; Azure Backup may become a viable alternative as hybrid capabilities improve. VMware vCenter and Nutanix Prism Central should be retained only until legacy workloads can be modernised or migrated to the cloud.