Transforming Shadow IT: A Framework for Integrating Unmanaged Applications into Wärtsilä’s Application Portfolio

Abstract

In today’s enterprise environments, the rise of unmanaged applications — often referred to as Shadow IT — has become a critical IT governance challenge. These tools, adopted by employees outside official IT department approval, may offer short-term productivity gains but introduce significant long-term risks related to security, compliance, and operational inefficiency. Wärtsilä, a global leader in marine and energy solutions, is no exception. As the organization advances its digitalization strategy, ensuring full visibility and control over its software landscape has become a strategic priority. This thesis addresses the issue by proposing a governance framework for identifying and integrating unmanaged applications into Wärtsilä’s official Application Portfolio. Leveraging SnowAtlas, a modern Software Asset Management platform, the research applies a Design Science Research methodology to design a scalable solution based on Wärtsilä’s Application Portfolio Management practices and IT governance structures. The resulting framework aims to enhance compliance, reduce security vulnerabilities, and support strategic software lifecycle decisions in large-scale enterprise contexts.