TBM Methods
Turning Technology Choice Into Measurable Value
The Modern Dilemma
Cloud vs. on‑prem, Agile vs. waterfall, product vs. project, buy vs. build— every year the list of delivery options, sourcing models and deployment patterns grows. Choice is good, but it also fragments data, obscures total cost of ownership, and makes it harder for finance and business leaders to see which technologies drive value and which simply drive spend. The result:
- Incomplete or mismatched cost models
- Unit‑cost calculations that leave out key labour or platform elements
- Strategy discussions that rely on anecdotes instead of facts
Why TBM Methods Matter
In the TBM Framework, Methods sit inside the Foundations layer (alongside Data, Roles, Tools and Change). They codify used to source, deliver, operate, and govern technology solutions . When Methods are explicitly captured in your TBM Model, you unlock cleaner mappings, apples‑to‑apples benchmarking and outcome‑driven insights:
If the Outcome you need is… | …then the Method signals you must model | …so you can improve this Value Driver |
Transparency on cloud spend | Public‑cloud deployment environments | Financial performance |
Faster delivery decisions | Agile vs. waterfall labour mix | Innovation / time‑to‑market |
Lower cyber‑exposure | Zero‑trust operating model elements | Risk & compliance |
Carbon‑aware budgeting | Data‑centre vs. cloud CO₂ factors | Sustainability |
What Constitutes a TBM Method?
Methods are grouped into five focus areas. Each area provides attributes you attach to resources, cost pools, or solutions in your model.
Method Area | What it captures | Example attributes you tag in the model |
1. Delivery Methodology | How work is planned and executed | Agile sprints, SAFe PI, Waterfall phase‑gate, DevOps pipeline |
2. Deployment Environment | Where the workload runs | Public cloud (AWS EC2), Private cloud, On‑prem VM, Edge/IoT |
3. Lifecycle Management | Asset & service life stages | Build / Run / Retire, Evergreen SaaS, Technical‑debt backlog |
4. Labour & Sourcing | Who does the work & how they’re engaged | Internal FTE, Global SI, Staff‑aug contractors, Managed service |
5. Operating Model | Governance & ownership context | Product‑centric, Shared‑service, Platform‑team, FinOps chargeback |
How Methods Improve Modelling
- Richer cost allocation – Tag spend by Agile sprint or cloud environment to surface true unit cost.
- Comparable benchmarking – Line up costs only across like‑for‑like delivery patterns.
- Actionable insights – Spot where waterfall projects over‑run, where managed services beat in‑house labour, or where edge deployments raise carbon impact.
- Outcome alignment – Choose the Method attributes that move the dial on financial, risk, experience or sustainability goals.
Getting Started
- Identify 1‑2 high‑impact Method attributes (e.g., cloud vs. on‑prem, Agile vs. waterfall).
- Add them as meta‑data columns in the Tech‑Resource and Solution layers of your TBM Model.
- Use new tags in reports to expose cost, consumption and performance deltas.
- Iterate—introduce additional Method areas as data quality and governance mature.
Next Steps
Looking to optimize how your organization manages costs, resources, and lifecycles? Learn more about how the TBM Framework can help you make data-driven, value-aligned technology decisions.
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We’re calling on organizations and forward-thinking individuals to dive into the TBM community. Participate in our events, engage in our discussions, and tap into a vast reservoir of knowledge. This isn’t just about networking; it’s about contributing to and benefiting from the collective wisdom in navigating the dynamic world of cloud computing.
