# What application portfolio management tools and options exist for a team just starting to understand the landscape before committing to a platform?

<p class="elv-tracking-normal elv-text-default elv-font-figtree elv-text-base elv-leading-base elv-font-normal" elv="true">Hey G2 community, I'm looking into the options for a team that's just starting to get a handle on its application landscape, before committing to a full platform. I’ve seen that what tends to matter early is getting a usable picture quickly without a long implementation, so you can learn what you actually need before you buy into something big. Here are a few from the <a class="a a--md" elv="true" href="https://www.g2.com/categories/application-portfolio-management">Application Portfolio Management category</a> that fit an early, exploratory stage.</p><ul>
<li>
<a class="a a--md" elv="true" href="https://www.g2.com/products/ardoq/reviews"><strong>Ardoq</strong></a>: Offers out-of-the-box metamodels that give real insight fast, while still letting you extend them later as you learn your needs. The flexibility means a learning curve, so lean on the starting templates early.</li>
<li>
<a class="a a--md" elv="true" href="https://www.g2.com/products/cast-highlight/reviews"><strong>CAST Highlight</strong></a>: A quick automated scan produces an objective first read of portfolio health and cloud readiness in days, which is a low-commitment way to understand what you're dealing with. It does need access to the source code to run.</li>
<li>
<a class="a a--md" elv="true" href="https://www.g2.com/products/sap-leanix/reviews"><strong>SAP LeanIX</strong></a>: The most comprehensive option here, with a ready-to-use data model that many find quick to stand up, useful once you know you want a lasting repository. Worth knowing it carries a learning curve and manual upkeep as you grow into it.</li>
<li>
<a class="a a--md" elv="true" href="https://www.g2.com/products/bizzdesign-horizzon/reviews"><strong>Bizzdesign Horizzon</strong></a>: Its start-small, scale-up model lets you begin with a single layer (say, an application inventory) before expanding, which suits a team still mapping out what it needs. Reviewers suggest taking the implementation one layer at a time.</li>
</ul><p class="elv-tracking-normal elv-text-default elv-font-figtree elv-text-base elv-leading-base elv-font-normal" elv="true"></p><p class="elv-tracking-normal elv-text-default elv-font-figtree elv-text-base elv-leading-base elv-font-normal" elv="true">For teams that started from scratch, which tool helped you understand your landscape fastest without over-committing, and did you end up staying with it or graduating to something else? What would you tell someone at the very beginning of this?</p>

##### Post Metadata
- Posted at: 25 days ago
- Author title: Marketing
- Net upvotes: 1


## Comments
### Comment 1

&lt;p&gt;CAST Highlight seems like the fastest way to get an objective first view without committing to a full repository, especially if code health and cloud readiness are the immediate questions. I’d start there or with Ardoq’s templates, then move to a broader platform only once the team knows which data and relationships it actually needs to maintain.&lt;/p&gt;

##### Comment Metadata
- Posted at: 11 days ago
- Author title: Marketer





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