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1 Enterprise Architecture Prcess Nthing is permanent except change. Heraclitus (ca BC) Jean-Luc Caste, 24 August 2009 DcID: The Issues Decisin makers arund the wrld have cme t understand that the infrmatin systems f a cmpany r public administratin can n lnger be seen simply as a cst center but rather as a strategic investment. Therefre the IT architecture, which links the gap between enterprise strategy and infrmatin technlgy chices, has becme a business necessity, fr the fllwing majr reasns: Custmers and/r cnstituents New infrmatin technlgies are enabling the creatin f new electrnic channels t reach ut t custmers and new services t meet their needs Effectiveness The IT department must enable and imprve the business allwing the required flexibility Cst - Organizatins need a cst effective IT department that gets the mst ut f the investment in infrmatin technlgy Change - With glbalizatin, the pace f ecnmic, technlgical and scial change has accelerated. Cmpetitiveness and effectiveness increasingly depends n the capacity t ensure the rapid and cherent evlutin f infrmatin systems Advisry Nte Key Recmmendatins Enterprise Architecture is a prcess and must be business driven t succeed Enterprise Architecture must be flexible and adapt t changes Regular cmmunicatin between IT and business must be implemented in rder t ensure that the architecture is aligned with the strategic directin f the business Architecture needs gvernance t be f value, particularly when the business tries t dictate tactical decisins which d nt cnfrm t the architecture and have negative medium r lng term ramificatins 2009 TOC Optimize and its affiliates. All rights reserved. Page 1 f 10

2 Enterprise Architecture Prcess Tday, IT architecture must take int accunt nt just the technical issues f systems, data bases and netwrks but als business issues such as prfitable relatinships with custmers, rapid creatin f prducts as well as easy access t infrmatin within the cntext f secure infrmatin systems. An effective architecture prcess ensures that business and IT teams share a cmmn visin f the infrmatin system and f the value it can bring t the business. It addresses three fundamental issues: what is central t the business, what is practical fr the business and what can change in the business. The architecture prcess enables the enterprise t manage these key issues n a cntinuus basis and prvides the business with a cst-justified and effective IT systems envirnment. Organizatinal Benefits f Enterprise Architecture The implementatin and the gvernance f an Enterprise Architecture Prcess will: Enable cst effectiveness Cmmn infrastructure Reductin in number f vendrs Shared cmpnents which are reusable Ecnmies f scale in prcurement Enable change & n-ging develpment Easy integratin f new prducts, services r delivery channels Enable new technlgies which have business value Supprt the business Technlgy aligned t the business Secure and reliable systems based n business requirements Advisry Nte Risks f ignring Enterprise Architecture Withut an Enterprise Architecture Prcess rganizatins may face sme r all f the fllwing issues: The verall infrmatin systems landscape is a "spaghetti" architecture with many islated islands with pr intercnnectin There is n cmmn visin f the infrmatin system generating misunderstandings and cnflicts Integratin and cmmunicatins between the applicatins and/r services are a majr challenge Data is nt shared and data cnsistency is nt guaranteed Implementing new applicatins and / r services is difficult and time cnsuming; rarely can existing functinality be reused Mre cmpetencies and resurces are required t supprt applicatin and infrastructure prtflis which have evlved thrugh tactical business needs rather than thrugh a strategic design Csts cannt easily be cntained due t cmplexity and this drives up the ttal cst f wnership f the rganizatin s IS prtfli IT budgets can nt be crrectly managed and ptimized (e.g.: different systems r prjects address similar issues with verlaps) 2009 TOC Optimize and its affiliates. All rights reserved. Page 2 f 10

3 Enterprise Architecture Prcess The Enterprise Architecture Prcess The initiatin f the Enterprise Architecture Prcess must be a tp dwn apprach, frm the business t the technlgy. Starting with technlgy debates is unlikely t prduce an enterprise architecture which is aligned with the business. The fllwing are the key phases f the enterprise architecture prcess: Business assessment Validatin f the business drivers Definitin f the required infrmatin and functinal requirements Definitin f the required cnceptual architecture Definitin f the required target applicatins architecture Definitin f the required target infrastructure architecture Current applicatin and infrastructure assessment Gap analysis Migratin and implementatin planning Advisry Nte The definitin f the architecture will ptentially spawn many implementatin prjects. The management f these implementatin prjects is nt under the direct respnsibility f the architecture prcess. Strng gvernance must be implemented t ensure the architecture prcess wrks TOC Optimize and its affiliates. All rights reserved. Page 3 f 10

4 Enterprise Architecture Prcess The fllwing Figure describes the architecture prcess including the phase interactins and iteratins. The subsectins fllwing the Figure utline each f these. Advisry Nte Figure 1: The Enterprise Architecture Prcess Business Assessment The rle f the business assessment is t identify the business trends and psitining f the cmpany. The fllwing shuld be cnsidered: Understanding f the Envirnmental Trends Market Cmpetitin Technlgy Macr ecnmic Identifying Operatinal Issues Prcesses Quality Peple 2009 TOC Optimize and its affiliates. All rights reserved. Page 4 f 10

5 Enterprise Architecture Prcess Business Drivers The business drivers are the key issues that the rganizatin must fcus n t be successful in the cntext f the business envirnment within which it is perating. Fr the definitin f the business drivers the enterprise must: Think business dynamics within a cmprehensive cntext Recast the mst imprtant trends in business strategic language The business assessment and drivers underpin the enterprise architecture prcess since the enterprise architecture must align t and supprt the business strategy and drivers. Infrmatin and Functinal Requirements Key questins which must be answered as part f this phase include: What infrmatin r functin is required? What is the value f the infrmatin? Wh needs the infrmatin? Wh fulfills the functin? When d they need the infrmatin? Hw ften d they need the infrmatin? Where des the infrmatin cme frm? Where is the infrmatin lcated? The infrmatin and functinal requirements are used as input fr defining the cnceptual architecture. Advisry Nte Cnceptual Architecture The cnceptual architecture is a set f principles that: Guides the enterprise's engineering effrts Gives a clear statement f the f the "strategic dctrine" t be adhered t when questins emerge abut the management f the infrmatin Here are examples f principles: Prvide a unified view f custmer Reduce integratin cmplexity Each principle is described with its statement, ratinal and implicatins and this guides the target architecture. Target Applicatins Architecture The target applicatins architecture cntains: The bjectives which are derived frm the cnceptual architecture 2009 TOC Optimize and its affiliates. All rights reserved. Page 5 f 10

6 Enterprise Architecture Prcess A diagram f the target architecture f the applicatins allwing a better view f the dmain strategy The functinal design principles that will drive lgical cnsistency with business requirements The technical design principles that will drive cnsistency with underlying infrastructure dmains The applicatins prtfli, which is required t satisfy business needs Standards that apply t the applicatins prtfli Target Infrastructure Architectures The Infrastructure Dmains The infrastructure architectures cntain multiple dmains addressing the whle IT infrastructure and the apprpriate services. The bjectives fr the infrastructure architecture are derived frm the Cnceptual Architecture. The Figure belw describes at a high level the infrastructure dmains that supprt the applicatins. It cntains hrizntal dmains that are the layer r the infrastructure and transversal dmains (nte the transversal dmains can be addressed separately in ther prjects, e.g. IT Strategy, Surcing) but their interactins with the architecture prcess must be cnsidered. Advisry Nte Figure 2: The Infrastructure Dmains 2009 TOC Optimize and its affiliates. All rights reserved. Page 6 f 10

7 Enterprise Architecture Prcess Develping an Infrastructure Dmain Architecture An Infrastructure Dmain Architecture must define: The bjectives which are derived frm the cnceptual architecture The target architecture f the dmain cntaining a diagrammatical view f the dmain The design principles driving lgical cnsistency with ther dmains The technlgy categries, whse usage is gverned by the dmain The standards applying t the technlgy categries selected The prducts satisfying requirements and cmplying with cnceptual dmain design principles The standard cnfiguratin ptins fr prducts Advisry Nte Current Architecture Assessment While starting the target architecture develpment the current architecture and infrastructure must be assessed in rder t prepare the gap analysis and the migratin planning. A SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opprtunities, and Threats) analysis is an apprpriate tl fr this assessment. Gap Analysis During this phase a cmparisn f the desired target architecture against the current architecture assessment is carried ut. Typical steps include: Itemize the gap between current and target architecture Identify what is required t supprt the business prcesses Unify applicatins, infrmatin, rganizatin and infrastructure Determine if, hw, and when t fill gaps Determine which infrmatin system and infrastructure elements are bslete and need t be replaced in rder t supprt the business drivers Analyze infrmatin system and infrastructure elements which needs t be prcured Migratin and Implementatin Planning During this phase the fllwing steps are carried ut: Define the effrt required t get t the target architecture as well as a realistic timeframe Define the needs and pririties Which dmains f the architecture shuld be implemented first? Which dmains f the architecture are necessary fr multiple prjects? What is the implementatin plan fr the next ne, tw, and three years? Identify the implementatin prjects and their independencies 2009 TOC Optimize and its affiliates. All rights reserved. Page 7 f 10

8 Enterprise Architecture Prcess Enterprise Architecture Gvernance As the Enterprise Architecture is an iterative prcess, strng gvernance must be implemented. This includes: The implementatin f a Gvernance Structure with: A steering cmmittee An architecture review bard The invlvement f the prgram management ffice An architecture team with a chief architect wh will drive the architecture prcess Architecture dmain teams The definitin f the gvernance rles and respnsibilities Dispute reslutin and escalatin prcesses Advisry Nte The Figure belw describes a suggested gvernance structure with the rles and respnsibilities. Structure Respnsibility Cmpsitin IT Steering Cmmittee Architecture Review Bard Prgram Management Office Architecture Team Dmain Teams Priritizing effrts in relatin with Business Drivers, reaching a cmmn visin between business and IT Reviewing and imprving the Target Architecture Tracking budgets, resurces, and interdependencies between all prjects Driving architecture prcess, cmpleting dcumentatin, assisting prjects, prviding cnsultancy Cllabrating with the architecture team n the dmain target architectures, respnsible fr the implementatin Senir Management, IT and LOBs Managers, Chief Architect IT and LBs Managers, Chief Architect PMO Architecture team Representatives f prject teams, system teams, infrastructure, peratin and architecture team Figure 3: Gvernance Structure While architecture gvernance may be seen as an verhead it will bring many valuable benefits, particularly when the business wishes t make tactical prcurement decisins which cnflict with the architecture and will have negative medium r lng term impacts TOC Optimize and its affiliates. All rights reserved. Page 8 f 10

9 Enterprise Architecture Prcess Alternatives The suggested prcess is based n methdlgy and experience but ther appraches are similar and have been used by in the past. These appraches are develped with the same philsphy and a similar cntent. Fr instance The Open Grup Architecture Framewrk (TOGAF V9) alternative apprach is similar. The figure belw describes the Architecture Develpment Methd (ADM) suggested by TOGAF. Advisry Nte 2009 The Open Grup, All Rights Reserved Figure 4: The Architecture Develpment Mdel frm TOGAF TOC Optimize and its affiliates. All rights reserved. Page 9 f 10

10 Enterprise Architecture Prcess In Brief The Enterprise Architecture Prcess: Cntrls csts Enables technlgy t effectively meet and adapt t business Anticipates business and technlgy trends Prvides an adaptive infrastructure t facilitate dynamic business changes The Enterprise Architecture Prcess must start with a tp-dwn apprach, frm the business t the technlgy. This is an nging prcess and nt a prject. The architecture effrt after the first iteratin is nt an end but is a cnstant prcess which must be refreshed n a cntinual basis. The Enterprise Architecture Prcess can nly succeed with strng gvernance and gd cmmunicatins between business and IT. Advisry Nte 2009 TOC Optimize and its affiliates. All rights reserved. Page 10 f 10