Enterprise Architecture The EA 3 view Copyright © 2013 Curt Hill

Introcuction By this time we have seen several frameworks –Zachman –FEA We should be getting a handle on what an Enterprise Architecture is The text book provides a view that has much in common with what we have already seen

EA = S + B + T EA – what do you think? S – Strategy –Long and short term goals B – Business –Business requirements T - Technology The point is that EA integrates all of these –Not always been done this way Copyright © 2013 Curt Hill

Two aspects to EA Management program –Resource alignment –Standardized policy –Decision support –Resource oversight Documentation method –Modeling framework –Implementation methodology –As-is and to-be views –Managing the move from as-is towards to-be Copyright © 2013 Curt Hill

Management Program In todays changing world a holistic approach is needed Businesses have often thought of the following as separate processes with separate oversight Strategic planning Workforce planning Capital planinng Security Program management A unified governance is a better approach Copyright © 2013 Curt Hill

Resource Alignment Historically Return On Investment (ROI) was the gold standard for evaluating proposals –Nothing wrong with this approach What is wrong is evaluating a proposal too narrowly –Typically departments make proposals that solve their own problems and ignore other departments –A more global approach may yield better results Copyright © 2013 Curt Hill

Standardized Management Policy The key here is integrated Decision making needs to take into account enterprise-wide directives as well as local departmental concerns All projects are reviewed by the same set of criteria –A fair playing field Copyright © 2013 Curt Hill

Management Again The modeling provided by EA should support decision making at all levels –Prevent the provincial view that some managers may have had Develop IT resources uniformly –Considering all departments, not just some Copyright © 2013 Curt Hill

Documentation Method Six basic elements Documentation framework Implementation methodology Current (as-is) view Future (to-be) view Transition management plan Common threads Copyright © 2013 Curt Hill

Cube Picture Copyright © 2013 Curt Hill

The Cube Three faces Front face: –Levels of abstraction Top face –Lines of business Right face –Components Copyright © 2013 Curt Hill

Front Five rows –Goals and initiatives –Products and services –Data and information –Systems and applications –Networks and information These are arranged from most abstract on top to most specific on the bottom –Compare this to Zachman’s owner through operator views Copyright © 2013 Curt Hill

Threads Running vertically on this front face are threads Common topics that should be considered top to bottom in each row Typical threads include –IT Security –IT Standards –IT Workforce Copyright © 2013 Curt Hill

Top Partitioned into Lines of Business (LOB) This could be the manufacturing of certain related products –GM has several: vehicles, financing, electronics An Architecture Segment is cutting the cube to include one or more lines of business –This documentation is usable independent of the entire architecture Copyright © 2013 Curt Hill

Right This considers the components These are goals, processes, standards and resources Vertical components are limited to a particular line of business Horizontal components are enterprise-wide –Also known as cross-cutting Copyright © 2013 Curt Hill

Components Again At the high level these are initiatives, goals At the low level these are equipment and programs In general all of these are documentation –A goal is only documentation Determined by a board and published enterprise-wide –A network is the EA description of a physical item Copyright © 2013 Curt Hill

Transition There are typically two architectures –The current or as-is –The future or to-be These are both elements of the EA 3 approach –Two cubes The management plan to transition from one to the other is another element Copyright © 2013 Curt Hill

The Repository There should be a library or repository of all of the documentation of the architecture –An online repository is preferred The two cubes and the path between the two are always in the process of change –Our understanding of the current enterprise is always changing, as is the future and our path from current to future Copyright © 2013 Curt Hill

All the frameworks Have substantial number of common points Different views –Global at the top to detailed at the bottom Common questions –What (product), how (process), where (location) Contrast between current and future architectures Copyright © 2013 Curt Hill