# The IT delivery gap and application networks

*MuleSoft Integration Foundations Study Guide · Identify the roles, responsibilities, and lifecycle of a integration project · Last updated November 2, 2026 · https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/mulesoft-integration-foundations/project-roles-responsibilities-and-lifecycle/the-it-delivery-gap-and-application-networks*

What the IT delivery gap is (business demand rising against flat IT capacity), why more resources cannot close it, and how MuleSoft closes it with a production plus consumption model built on an application network of modern, reusable APIs.

- Certification: Salesforce MuleSoft Integration Foundations
- Exam section: Identify the roles, responsibilities, and lifecycle of a integration project
- Study guide: https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/mulesoft-integration-foundations

**Official exam objective:**

> Define the IT delivery gap and describe MuleSoft's approach to closing it.

## What the exam expects

- Define the IT delivery gap as rising business demand against roughly constant IT delivery capacity, and reject look-alikes such as deployment delay or network latency.
- Explain why adding resources, outsourcing or simply working faster does not close the gap.
- Describe MuleSoft's answer: change delivery from a production model to a production plus consumption model.
- Define an application network and the qualities of the modern APIs it is built from.

Key terms:
- **IT delivery gap**: the growing difference between what the business demands from IT and what centralized IT can deliver.
- **Production plus consumption model**: IT produces reusable assets that other teams discover and self-serve.
- **Application network**: applications, data and devices connected through APIs whose assets others can discover and reuse.
- **Modern API**: an API that is discoverable and accessible, productized and reusable, and managed for security and performance.

## Key facts

| Fact | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| IT investment trend | Consistently close to flat for the last 2 to 3 years | [What is an application network?](https://www.mulesoft.com/api/what-is-an-application-network) |
| Survey: resourcing | 60% not adequately resourced for the next 12 months | [Managing IT projects](https://www.mulesoft.com/resources/api/secret-to-managing-it-projects) |
| Adding resources | Does not solve the ever-growing backlog | [Managing IT projects](https://www.mulesoft.com/resources/api/secret-to-managing-it-projects) |
| SOA delivery | Focused exclusively on production | [Managing IT projects](https://www.mulesoft.com/resources/api/secret-to-managing-it-projects) |
| Network governance | Central IT manages and governs all services; LoB teams use them | [What is an application network?](https://www.mulesoft.com/api/what-is-an-application-network) |
| Not an architecture | Building blocks on which architectures are built | [What is an application network?](https://www.mulesoft.com/api/what-is-an-application-network) |
| Modern API qualities | Discoverable and accessible; productized and reusable; managed for security and performance | [Discover Application Networks](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/application-networks-and-api-led-connectivity-in-mulesoft/discover-application-networks) |

## Check yourself

- Why does MuleSoft say a traditional centralized IT structure creates the delivery gap?
- What does MuleSoft say has happened to IT investment over the last 2 to 3 years?
- Why does an application network bend instead of break when products change?
- When an application network is in place, why are system experts no longer needed on every project?

## Sources

- [What is an application network?](https://www.mulesoft.com/api/what-is-an-application-network)
- [The secret to managing IT projects](https://www.mulesoft.com/resources/api/secret-to-managing-it-projects)
- [Understanding Application Networks and APIs for Innovation (Trailhead unit)](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/application-networks-and-api-led-connectivity-in-mulesoft/discover-application-networks)
- [3 customer advantages of API-led connectivity](https://www.mulesoft.com/api/advantages-of-api-led-connectivity)

## About the full unit

The "Core concepts", "Exam traps" and "Worked scenario" sections of this unit, its 4 linked practice questions, and unlimited timed mock exams are included with the MuleSoft Integration Foundations pack (USD $19): https://www.certifyforce.com/practice-exams