Lecture 3: EA as a method for change Flashcards

1
Q

What is the picture approach?

A

A method for analysing, redesigning and combining system complexes and for improving business IT alignment in organizations.

from complex portfolio of IS -> migrate to a new single system complex

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2
Q

What are internal drivers to start using EA?

A
  • High complexity of IT environment (EA) (high IT costs)

- Emerging business problems (and poor flexibility)

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3
Q

What are external drivers to start using EA?

A

Legislation, standarization, or supervisory institutions

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4
Q

What are the steps for the picture approach?

A
  1. Serveral ‘Photo-shoots’ -> core process, applications, documents, actors
  2. Review of the photos (models) by management team
  3. Detailing the photos (models), adding fact sheets that define:
    1. 1: sustainability (of architecture)
    2. 2: Functionality (per application)
    3. 3: Process support (degree of systems supporting processes)
    4. 4: Cost and benefits (per application)
    5. 5: Risks (per application and total risk)
  4. Freezing the models of the as-is and (some) to-be situations
  5. Choosing the target EA (using multi criteria decision analysis)
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5
Q

What other two (PWC) tools can be used to reduce EA complexity?

A
  1. Mapping applications to business processes (Excel sheet)

2. Quality of the applications portfolio (functional quality vs technical quality)

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6
Q

What is function point?

A

A unit of measurement to express the amount of business functionality an information system (as a product) provides to a user. (used for assesing size and complexity of software)

Rule of thumb: one function point requires on average around 100 lines of code.

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7
Q

How can complexity of IS application portfolio be reduced?

A

1Q. Objective complexity : # components (applications), # interfaces, # functions (FP)

1A: Reduce # components per systems & portfolio, reduce # interfaces between systems, reduce # functions

2Q: Subjective complexity: the effort (perceived by actors) to understand and cope with the portfolio

2A: Reduce the effort to understand the portfolio (visual main parts), support decision making using AHP (group support system + distinguish criteria + weights and objectives.

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8
Q

What are EA design principles?

A

Are use to limit design space and guide design decisions regarding architecture design decision points to harmonize IT projects.

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9
Q

What EA Meta principles are there for guiding EA design and evolution?

A

Modularity, integration, interoperability, standardization, data consistenccy, compliance, reusability, portability, usability, simplicity, centralization

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10
Q

Which fact sheets are there in the picture approach?

A

The picture approach specifies data and technologies.

  • (sustainability of the) IT infrastructure
  • systems functionality
  • process support
  • costs
  • risks of the system complexes
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11
Q

On what four points does the picture approach focus?

A
  • Process architecture
  • Information architecture
  • Organization architecture
  • IT infrastructure
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12
Q

At what four leves is information logistics analyzed? (Robert Winter, St gallen)

A
  1. Job A -> job B (in department A)
  2. Department A -> department B
  3. Business unit A -> business unit B
  4. Company A -> company B
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13
Q

What does the PWC mapping applications to business processes analyse?

A
  • which applications are used per business process
  • which applications are used by multiple business processes
  • which business processes use similar applications (redundancy)

it support managerial decisions on:

  • which application may be phased out
  • which applications may be merged
  • prioritization of applications
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14
Q

What does PWC’s quality of the application’s portfolio analyse?

A
  • technical quality
  • functional quality
  • costs
  • which applications to improve technically
  • which applications to improve functionally
  • efficiency/cost measures
  • which applications to replace
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15
Q

What three approaches to EA change are there?

A
  • Zachman -> focus on the right models
  • picture approach -> focus on the right modeling process
  • practical approach -> use the two models for IS application portfolio management
    (choice depends on the firm maturity, design principles and EA complexity)
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16
Q

What are all internal drivers for EA?

A
  • Audit ( of systems, processes, data. Evaluating the current IST situation)
  • specify management information: which data are needed to do business
  • manage IT system portfolio: which are our core applications
  • manage outsourcing relationships: which IT services must be internal
  • guide systems development: specify IST and SOLL situations)
  • perparing a merger or acquisition
  • reducing complexity: of the IT portfolio, applications and processes
17
Q

Results of a lack of architecture are?

A
  • performance problems
  • > 50% of projects exceed budget or time schedule
  • 28% of projects fail
  • lots of data, yet little information
  • small functional changes lead to big effects
18
Q

What are the benefits of a good architecture?

A
  • clear boundaries of functional components
  • predictable estimates for cost and schedule IT projects
  • high availability
  • reduced costs of ownership of IT operations
19
Q

How to spot design debts?

A
  • no visible architectural champion
  • lack of balance between business and IT department (mainly NPV) driven
  • no decomissioning strategy
  • duplicate systems
20
Q

What are architectural principles?

A
  • principles have a raionale: why are we doing this?
  • principles have an implication: we can no longer do this.

They are sign posts on the journey

  • they underpin our investigations when we look at architectural options
  • they are used to justify the decision we make about the components in an architecture
  • they ensure that the architecture we define is consistent and keeps us on our path
21
Q

What two types of principles are there?

A
  1. commandments: these just make sense

2. spectrum principles: two doable options that have opposing arguments

22
Q

What are design principles?

A

EA principles should be used to

  • limit design space
  • guide design decisions

they should concern architecture design decision points so as to harmonize IT porjects towards predefined goals

EA principles -> quality of the EA -> EA benefits