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How to Ensure your Architecture Repository Initiative does not Fail

tobias.ivarsson@biner.se

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Introduction

Some humble advice on how to establish an architecture repository that survives it’s own launch

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About Biner

Consultancy Training Solutions

Our goal – To offer Scandinavian's best education, certifying, coaching and consultants within Business Transformation based on international standards and best practice.

Business Transformation made easy

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About this presentation

Set the scene Look at

a couple of examples

Draw some conclusions

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Architecture is Information!

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Architecture Development

Architecture Development is an information management process

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Architecture Development

Architecture Repository

The need for information management

Architectural descriptions of the

current state

Architectural descriptions of the desired state(s)

Change initiatives and how they contribute to the future architecture

landscape Informs

Captures

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Positioning the repository

Building Blocks

Architecture Building Blocks Solution Building Blocks

DeliverablesStatement

of Architecture

Work

Architecture Vision

Architecture Definition Document

…

Contains

Artifacts

Catalogs Matrices Diagrams

Describes ContentMeta model

Defines

Architecture repository

Organizes

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Two examples

The pragmatic“Technical diversity is killing us! We need to establish some standards”

The ambitious“Our investments are uncoordinated! We need to take control over our transformation.”

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The ambitious exampleObjective Documenting an End-to-End Business process encompassing

Information, IT Solutions and Organizations Consolidating information into one repository Delivering business value by providing different views of the

information

Deliverables A central repository User centric views highlighting inefficiencies and dependencies

supporting analysis and decision making

Result Project was a success – The solution was not

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The pragmatic exampleObjective Reducing application landscape complexity by improving

use of standard components

Deliverables Extending an existing application register Improving data quality Creating user centric reports standard deviations and

business risk

Result Lots of work, limited credit but complexity visualized and

gradually reducedQ1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q40%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

Architecture Standard UtilisationYTD Target

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The pragmatic example

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Creating a successfulrepository

Information quality and business value is the key to establish a virtuous circle

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Avoiding the devious circle

• Identify critical business questions

• Limit the information scope

• Integrate information maintenance

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Never include any information that you are not committed to

maintain!

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A closer look on transformation…

Architecture

Descriptions

Impact assessme

nt

InitiationDeployment

Transition planning

Solutiondesign

Change Managem

ent

Plan

Build

Run

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Different needs in different phases

Architecture

Descriptions

Plan

Build

Run

Impact assessmen

t

InitiationDeployment

Transition planning

Solutiondesign

Change Manageme

nt

Phase Detail Time Focus UsersPlan Low to

mediumBaseline & Target

Diagrams and matrices

Enterprise architects

Build High Target Diagrams Solution architects

Run Medium to high

Baseline Catalogs(with attributes)

Solution owners Service owners

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?Setting the scope

Architecture

Descriptions

Plan

Build

Run

Impact assessmen

t

InitiationDeployment

Transition planning

Solutiondesign

Change Manageme

nt

Plan • How does an organization change effect the IT landscape? • How does an IT change effect the processes in the

organization? • What changes does a project deliver? • What are the dependencies between the projects in a

portfolio? • What will the IT landscape be like in 5 years?

Build • How does an individual project effect the overall

landscape? • Do the ongoing projects follow the established standards

and principles?

Run • What is the cost of my IT portfolio? • What is the risk associated with my IT portfolio? • How effective are my critical business processes?

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Designing the solution

Define data required tosupport the critical questions

Build the meta-model

Determine features required to support information management

Identify the appropriatesolution(s)

Architecture

Descriptions

Plan

Build

Run

Impact assessmen

t

InitiationDeployment

Transition planning

Solutiondesign

Change Manageme

nt

Use ArchiMate as

a starting point

Start small

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Designing the solution

Architecture

Descriptions

Plan

Build

Run

Impact assessmen

t

InitiationDeployment

Transition planning

Solutiondesign

Change Manageme

nt

Architecture Communication Portal

Architecture Content Management Platform

Architecture Model

Repository

Architecture

Modeling Tool

Architecture

Analysis & Reporting

tool

Relevant Enterprise Repositorie

s

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Launching

Ensure information quality at launch

Demonstrate and communicate value

Make information management part of business as usual

If possible establish metrics for information quality

Architecture

Descriptions

Plan

Build

Run

Impact assessmen

t

InitiationDeployment

Transition planning

Solutiondesign

Change Manageme

nt

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Summary

Identify critical

questionsDefine the meta-model

Polish the views and

reports

Limit the scope but

kick start the work

You most likely need a repository…