Architecture: State of the Art / State of the Practice ---------------------------- William M. Ulrich Tactical Strategy Group, Inc. www.systemtransformation.com An Industry Definition of Architecture A A blueprint of the enterprise that provides a common understanding of the organization and is used to align strategic objectives and tactical demands." *Source: Architecture Working Group http://bawg.omg.org/ 2
Why Architecture? Because Enterprises are redundant collections of governance structures, information and functional artifacts Redundancy and lack of transparency within the business extends into supporting IT architectures Deploying horizontal initiatives into this complex, highly redundant and non-transparent environment drives up the time, cost and risk There is a lack of transparency as to where work is performed, how it is done and who does it 3 Architecture Reflects the How? What? Why? Who? What? How Well? How? Why? Abstract Views The ecosystem can be represented through the identification and development of relationships among a selected set of business artifacts categories. 4
Architecture Disciplines Visualization: Expose business architecture in variety of ways Aggregation: Pattern recognition Redundancy mapping Abstract Views Alignment: Streamline & transform business architecture Align IT architecture to the business architecture Alignment must be driven by business scenarios 5 Architecture Visualizations Architecture Architecture Visualization Examples al & Partner Models Models Process / Aggregation & Decomposition Operational Models Capability Map Balance Scorecard Supply Chain Models Architecture Information Flows / IT Mappings Architecture is typically instantiated in a normalized view such as a metamodel 6 Asset Models Production Models Chart of Accounts
Sample Visualization of Architecture Customer Customer Access Points Value Stream Horizontal Structure Delineation Points Sample visualization of a cross-section of business architecture based on understanding basic business abstractions and relationships This is one of many views that are possible when the business architecture is well defined across business silos 7 Architecture Alignment Aligns organization, semantics & functional aspects based on motivations Focuses on streamlining, consolidating and otherwise improving business architecture Essential to cross-functional, horizontal business and IT initiatives Alignment must be incremental, value-driven and scenario specific Ties large and small project initiatives to business motivations 8
Current State vs. Future State Current state (as-is) view of business architecture is critical to planning and executing business scenarios Current state view is only driven down to level required for a given business scenario Future state (to-be) business architecture is strategy and scenario driven Current-to-future state business architecture gap provides input to scenario planning, transformation plan 9 Architecture vs. IT Architecture Architecture Cohesive, aggregated visualizations of: Motivations al Structure Semantics Functional Aspects IT Architecture Conceptual & physical representations of: Data architecture Application architecture Technical architecture 0
IT Architecture Implements Architecture through Technology Blueprints of the technologies, data structures and applications that collectively comprise the information technology (IT) environment of an enterprise. * Applications, services & orchestrations Shadow System Artifacts Desktop & business systems out of IT s s control IT Architecture Application Architecture Artifacts Data Architecture Artifacts Technical Architecture Artifacts Physical & logical data deployments & representations Underlying platforms & technologies *Source: TSG / IT Architecture Alignment architecture / IT architecture alignment defined: A state in which governance structures, business information and value chains work in harmony with application and data architectures * Alignment is inherent in most cross-functional, cross-disciplinary initiatives * The Role of Collaborative Governance in Architecture, Cutter Journal, William Ulrich, March 2008 http://www.systemtransformation.com/citj0803_wu2.pdf 2
Implications of Poor / IT Architecture Alignment Large-scale IT projects that do little to achieve strategic or tactical business objectives Indecision as to how to allocate annual project funding Lack of trust between business and IT Dangerous spiral of escalating projects with diminishing business returns 3 / IT Alignment Requires Mapping the to the IT Architecture IT Architecture architecture and IT architecture are inextricably woven together Changes to one impacts the other, yet most enterprises cannot predict the impacts of changes between these ecosystems Lack of predictably creates pattern and culture of speculation on current state issues and future state evolution - and misplaced funding 4
Metamodels of & / IT Architectures Facilitate Alignment -impacts Enterprise Enterprise * Product Product -contains -services Customer -is acquired by -services Customer -is acquired by -impacts * ProductLine -contains -contains -affects -affects Area Area Supplier/Partner Supplier/Partner Governance Product / Service Governance Product / Service -contains ProductLine -contains Unit -relies on -is implemented through -funds Program/Projects -contains Unit -relies on Program -funds Program/Projects -funds Project -has a * Capability Level * Capability Level 3 -decomposes into * -decomposes into Capability Level 2 -facilitates deployment of Program -funds Project Information -impacts by InformationGroup -contains Information -references -uses Rule -has a * Capability Level * -decomposes into * -decomposes into Capability Level 2 -facilitates deployment of Capability Level 3 Information -impacts by InformationGroup -contains Information -references -uses Rule * -relies on -aggregates to Logical Process / Motivational Aspects Strategy_ * Logical Process -relies on * -relies on / -is defined in Data Store -is stored in Application & Data Architecture -has -uses -decomposes into Physical Process -input -output -is implemented through -decomposes into Physical Process -input -output -triggers -is implemented by User Interface ApplicationSystem -decomposes into Vision_Goals_Objectives * Task -decomposes into -triggers * -is triggered by -contains -relies on Shadow System Sample Architecture Mapping Metamodel The Architecture & Metamodel http://www.bpminstitute.org/articles/article/article/the-business-architectureecosystem-metamodel.html?tac=05p 5 Task -relies on Shadow System -is implemented by -triggers SubSystem Sample / IT Architecture Mapping Metamodel / IT Architecture Alignment & Transformation As-Is Architecture To-Be Architecture Transformation / IT As-Is Architecture Mapping Architecture Synchronization of / IT Transformation Architecture Synchronization of To-Be Architecture & To- Be IT Architecture IT Transformation As-Is IT Architecture 6 To-Be IT Architecture
Architecture Sample Roadmap Establish foundation for establishing and building business architecture Based on common metamodel, visualization options Ensure that you have horizontal and vertical visibility into business problems you are solving Focus on top executive priorities Help executives visualize the root cause Help executives visualize future state business model that addresses these issues Understand the various business alignment scenarios Engage IT and pursue business / IT alignment options as appropriate 7 Benefits of Architecture are Best Achieved when Scenario Driven For example: Streamline customer information management across business units Enable, streamline merger / acquisition related projects Facilitate deployment of new products and services across enterprise silos Streamline external and internal collaboration across business units and partners Reduce operational redundancies, inefficiencies and costs Align ineffective, inefficient governance structures Increase communication and collaboration between business and IT 8
Common Scenarios Driving Alignment & / IT Alignment Sample Scenarios Merger & Acquisition Unit Consolidation New Product & Service Deployment New Line of Supplier Consolidation Regulatory Compliance Operational Cost Analysis / Cost Reduction Sample / IT Alignment Scenarios Application Package Deployment Model Driven Migration Unit / IT Architecture Consolidation 9 How Architects are Organizing CEO CFO VPs VPs VPs VPs VPs Strategy & Transformation Core Participants COO CIO IT Architecture Team Virtual Participants Architecture Center of Excellence 20 Copyright Tactical Strategy Group, Inc. 2009
Summary / Questions In practice, much work is being done to organize business architecture efforts Much of the work is being driven by specific management requirements Cross-functional initiatives are common drivers For example, customer information management across business units Standards and tools are aligning around best practices 2 Architecture: State of the Art / State of the Practice ---------------------------- William M. Ulrich Tactical Strategy Group, Inc. www.systemtransformation.com Questions 22