What is Strategic Portfolio Management (SPM)?

The practice of managing portfolios of projects, products, and investments while ensuring that execution remains aligned with strategy.

Does the " Targetprocess " support SAFe?

Yes. It offers native support for SAFe 6.0 with templates for ARTs, Value Streams, OKRs, and Lean Business Cases.

What is the difference between Targetprocess and Jira?

Jira operates at the team level; Targetprocess operates at the program and portfolio levels, connecting funding, roadmaps, and execution.

IBM Targetprocess: Strategic Portfolio Management

Portfolio visibility, investment prioritization, and resource management on a flexible SPM platform—recognized as a Market Leader by Research in Action.

IBM Targetprocess

IBM TargetProcess

Complementary IBM Portfolio

The market in which IBM' Targetprocess , operates

Strategic Portfolio Management (SPM) is the category that combines strategic planning, portfolio management, and agile execution—and it is where IBM Targetprocess competes. It is a market that is consistently expanding.

Bar chart: The Strategic Portfolio Management market is projected to grow from $6.82 billion in 2025 to $16.34 billion in 2035 — Source: Custom Market Insights, *Strategic Portfolio Management Market*, July 2026. Projections are estimates.

IBM Targetprocess , and the alternatives

The most common comparison question in the market is “Targetprocess , or Jira Align?” The table below ranks the leading tools in this category, highlighting the key strengths and limitations of each.

Tool	Supplier	Differential	Limitation
IBM Targetprocess	IBM / Apptio	Highly configurable visual hierarchies; it is the only solution in its category with native integration with IT financial management (Apptio), linking delivery to investment decisions; supports SAFe, LeSS, and Scrum@Scale	Smaller market share than its direct competitors
Jira Align	Atlassian	Portfolio layer built on the Jira ecosystem; SAFe embedded in the architecture, well-suited for large, synchronized deployments	It assumes that engineering teams are already using Jira; it’s less flexible outside the Atlassian ecosystem
Planview	Planview	Comprehensive Suite: PPM, Lean Portfolio Management, and Enterprise Kanban—all in one place	Steep learning curve; interface perceived as cumbersome
Digital.ai Agility	Digital.ai	Scaling from the team level up to the product portfolio, with a focus on software delivery metrics	Less scope in financial portfolio management
Rally	Broadcom (ValueOps)	Maduro for reports and Kanban; a good option for those who already use Clarity and the rest of ValueOps	Real-time collaborative planning that is less fluid
Azure DevOps	Microsoft	Native integration with the Microsoft ecosystem and CI/CD pipelines	It is not a portfolio tool: it covers the team level, not the investment level

How analysts classify the category

One point that often leads to outdated information: Gartner no longer publishes a Magic Quadrant for Enterprise Agile Planning Tools. The last traditional quadrant was published in 2022; since then, the category has been covered by a Market Guide —a format that does not classify vendors as Leaders, Challengers, or Visionaries. Therefore, there is no “Magic Quadrant leader” to mention in this category in 2026.

The most recent analyst report is *The Forrester Wave™: Strategic Portfolio Management Tools, Q2 2026*, which evaluated 13 vendors and rated IBM’ Targetprocess * as a “Strong Performer,” with top scores in security, developer tools, partner ecosystem, and support services. These results are those publicly disclosed by Apptio itself; the full report is available for a fee.

Product Line

Targetprocess began as a standalone product, was acquired by Apptio in 2021, and became part of IBM when IBM acquired Apptio in 2023. Today, it is marketed as IBM Targetprocess, as part of a portfolio that includes IBM Apptio (IT financial management), IBM Cloudability (FinOps), and IBM Turbonomic. Older materials still use the name “Apptio Targetprocess.”