SpawGlass Builds a Cost-Efficient Future by Mapping Its Technology Landscape

The Slippery Slope of Tech Debt

For SpawGlass, a large construction services provider, the push for change came directly from the top. The leadership team, guided by the CEO, identified a critical business priority: to make the value of their technology stack tangible. It wasn't just about understanding costs; it was about seeing the real-world impact of their applications and processes. The company was determined to get ahead of its technical debt before it became too complex and costly to manage, setting a clear mandate for the IT team to find a solution.

Understanding Actual ROI on IT Spend

Keefe Andrews, VP of IT, and his team of 10 knew they had a good handle on their software inventory through their existing ITSM platform. They could track assets, contracts, and renewal cycles. However, this system offered only a high-level, IT-centric view.

Key information was missing to make this useful for leadership and shaping their way forward:

• Process Mapping: They lacked a way to connect applications to the daily business processes they supported.
• Interdependencies: The relationships and dependencies between different systems were not visible, making it impossible to assess the true impact of making a change in a given IT asset.
• Leadership Visibility: The data in their ITSM tool wasn’t boardroom-ready or accessible for non-technical leaders. Keefe and his team had to put in significant manual effort to turn raw data into presentation-worthy insights using static tools like PowerPoint and Excel.

A Pragmatic Path to Enterprise Architecture With Ardoq

The journey to a solution led Keffe to a CIO peer community in Houston, where Ardoq was recommended. The initial appeal was its advanced process mapping capabilities, a significant upgrade from the static diagrams they had been using. After evaluating Ardoq against another vendor, the choice was clear. Ardoq’s intuitive, easy-to-use interface made it the winner.

What started as a search for a better process mapping tool quickly evolved into something much bigger. The SpawGlass team didn't initially set out to do Enterprise Architecture; in fact, the discipline was new to them. They were focused on a specific business problem: making the value of their technology tangible. It was through discovering Ardoq that they realized EA provided the holistic framework they needed, connecting their initial process-mapping goals to the broader practice of application portfolio management and strategic planning. This pragmatic, problem-first entry into EA is a journey many organizations can relate to.

The onboarding process was a key accelerator. Guided by Ardoq’s team of experienced Enterprise Architects, SpawGlass was able to leverage templates and best practices to get up and running quickly.

Their approach involved:

• Rapid time-to-value: Data from their existing ITSM was imported in minutes, getting them up and running almost instantly.
• Automated Data Population in Just 15 Minutes: They leveraged the Microsoft Entra ID integration (formerly known as Active Directory) to pull in people and departments, which took less than 15 minutes to set up and simplified the process of assigning roles.
• Accelerated AI-Driven Process Mapping: Ardoq ShiftX’s AI-driven Process Modeling quickly generated initial process maps, giving the team a jumpstart and immediate sense of progress. This allows Keefe and his team to focus their energy on validating and refining the details rather than building the maps from the ground up.

Key Outcomes With Ardoq: Visibility, Accountability, and Data-Driven Decisions

The impact of Ardoq was immediate, transforming SpawGlass’s IT function from a cost center into a strategic partner. For the first time, SpawGlass had a clear, comprehensive view of its application landscape, enabling strategic conversations about value and optimization.

The key benefits include:

• Complete Visibility of 130 Applications: With a clear dashboard view of all 130 applications, leadership could immediately start the application rationalization process, identifying opportunities for cost savings and efficiency.
• Engaging Leadership Early: With data in the platform, the value of EA became real for the leadership team. Actionable insights and built-in dashboards provided the clarity they needed to start data-driven conversations.
• Clear Ownership and Accountability: When a question arises about an application, there's no more guesswork. They can instantly see the business and technical owners, streamlining communication.
• Data-Driven Decision-Making: Gut-instinct decisions are a thing of the past. When planning a technology migration or replacement, they can now identify every person and process that will be impacted, ensuring smoother transitions.

Looking Forward

SpawGlass is just getting started. The team is actively engaged in Business Process Management (BPM), using Ardoq’s AI capabilities to generate process maps that the team can then validate. Their next step is to use Ardoq Surveys to enrich this data and identify opportunities for automation.

With application rationalization already underway this quarter, they are also looking to leverage Ardoq for risk and compliance, using the platform as their future risk register. The ability to use surveys to ensure data stays fresh and validated was a critical factor in their selection and will be central to their strategy for maintaining a dynamic and accurate view of their organization.

About SpawGlass

SpawGlass is a Texas-based, 100 percent employee-owned construction services provider whose guarantee is the absolute best construction experience. The company was founded in 1953 by Louis Spaw and Frank Glass, hence the name SpawGlass. With nine offices across Texas and approximately 750 team members, SpawGlass’ vision is to be market experts who build ecstatic clients, flourishing communities, and thriving employee owners.