What is Business Architecture?

Overview

Agility matters today more than yesterdayPrevious methods for managing change were designed for the needs of yesterdayEstablishing trusted communicationsSOA is a key success factor for agility, but not where everyone is lookingBusiness architecture is key for the business and for SOA adoption & agility

Overview

Business architecture and business model are separableProcess maps are valuable but business architecture exposes different information, and offers a schema for capturing the informationWe have industry-specific heat mapping tools that inform prioritization and validate focusMotion is the code name for tools and services offered based on a patent-pending model of business architecture

For the past several years, a gap between “Business”

Business has had difficulty expressing strategy and requirements in terms that application developers and infrastructure implementers can easily exploit.

Application developers and infrastructure implementers have had difficulty expressing opportunities for technology in terms that business can exploit.

Business CI / ITGapSome of the issues:

Competitive business pressures

Increased budget pressure

Compliances

Maintenance pressures

Proliferation of technology

And “IT” has been slowly widening

The Layers

People / Resourcing

IT Architecture

Procedural Steps

Business Architecture

Capabilities and Connections

Providing measurable visibility into your organization

Real not perceived capability

Honest Candid communications based on facts

6 Steps to Successful SOA Governance

1. Define Goals and Strategies

3. Define Metrics

5. Analyze and ImproveExisting Processes 4. Put Governance

Mechanisms in Place

2. Define Standards, Policies, Procedures Around Financial, Portfolio, Project, Service, etc

These 6 steps allow a company to incrementally developand mature their overall SOA and thus business goals

6. Refine and Go to the Next Level of SOA Maturity

What is a Capability?

Communicate Status is the capabilityRigorous schemaBeyond “how” it is implemented, there is a great deal of other important information

Metrics – how is it measured?Cost dataService level (like a service level agreement with outsourcing) – how it is and how it should performCompliance and governance regulationsOwnerCustomerDoes it directly contribute to the performance of the parent capability, or the department or the overall organization (core capability)Is this capability a key part of what external organizations such as customers think of when they do business with the organization (identity/brand) Etc.

Framework for communication Plan

1. Determine goal(s)

2. Identify target audiences

3. Finalise key messages

4. Determine strategies

5. Determine activities

6. Determine evaluation mechanisms.

Principles of Effective Communication

Credibility – approach/communicatorsTo involve, not just informTrusted and respected communicatorsVisible management supportFace to face communicationAvoid information overloadConsistent messagesTo repeat messages and vary mechanismsTo create demand; encourage team to pull for info, rather than management pushTailor communication to audience needs, and wants, not what you want to tellCentral co-ordinationManage expectationListen and act on feedback.

Progress in Motion?

Point to profits

Increasing alignment

Motion

Phase 1Establish ProjectContext

Task A: Generate Level 1 Capability Map

Task B: Generate Level 2+ Capability Map

Task C: Develop Project Objectives Statement

Task D: Create Project Context Document

Task E: Perform Capability Performance Assessment

Task F: Evaluate Resources and Commitment

Task G: Complete Phase Checklist and Create Deliverables Status Grid

Workshop: Gate 1 – Decide Whether to Proceed with Project

Phase 2Capture BusinessArchitecture

Task A: Kick-off Project with Entire Team

Task B: Gather Documentation on Existing Business Views

Task C: Assess Financial Information

Task D: Reconcile Business Views to Project Objectives

Task E: “Go In” – Map Capabilities Below Level 2 Relevant to Project Context

Task F: “Go Up” – Connect Operations Capability Levels 1 and 2 to Project Context

Task G: “Go Out” – Connect Environmental Constituent Capabilities to Project Context

Task H: “Go Down” – Cross Reference Capabilities to Organizational Units, Business Objectives and Financials

Task I: Complete Phase Checklist and Update Deliverables Status Grid

Gate 2: Check Completeness of Operational, Environmental, and Financial Framing: Off-Ramp

Phase 3Complete “As-is”Business Architecture

Task A: Identify and Document Capability Connectors Relevant to Project Context

Task B: Identify and Document Capability Service Level Expectations Relevant to the Project Context

Task C: Reconcile Business Architecture with People, Process/Procedure, and Technology Views

Task D: Complete Phase Checklist and Update Deliverables Status Grid

Workshop: Gate 3 – Understand Business Architecture

Phase 3 – Complete “As-is” Business Architecture: Off-Ramp

Phase 4Recommend Next Step

Task A: Identify Improvement Leverage Points and Improvement Impediments

Task B: Select Appropriate Improvement Model

Task C: Develop Next Step Recommendation

Task D: Project Opportunity Statement Risk Identification

Task E: Complete the Phase Checklist and Transition Project Team

Task F: Deliver Final Project Recommendation

Deliver Final ProjectRecommendation

UnderstandBusiness Architecture

Check Completeness of Operational, Environmental, and Financial Framing

Decide Whether to Proceed with Project