The Enterprise Architecture Analysis Tool – Support for the Predictive, Probabilistic Architecture Modeling Framework

The business of contemporary organizations is heavily dependent on information systems. Business processes and IT are interwoven and numerous technologies are in use. How the involved systems affect each other or impact the organizations’ business domain is often uncertain, thus decision-making regarding information technology is challenging. Enterprise architecture (EA) is a holistic, model-based management approach. Many of the available EA software tools focus on documenting and have limited analysis capabilities. In this article, a tool for EA analysis is presented, supporting the analysis of properties such as business fit, security, and interoperability. The tool is implemented to support the Predictive, Probabilistic Architecture Modeling Framework to specify and apply assessment frameworks for performing property analysis on EA models

Visualizing and Measuring Enterprise Architecture: An Exploratory BioPharma Case

We test a method that was designed and used previously to reveal the hidden internal architectural structure of software systems. The focus of this paper is to test if it can also uncover new facts about the components and their relationships in an enterprise architecture, i.e., if the method can reveal the hidden external structure between architectural components. Our test uses data from a biopharmaceutical company. In total, we analyzed 407 components and 1,157 dependencies. Results show that the enterprise structure can be classified as a core-periphery architecture with a propagation cost of 23%, core size of 32%, and architecture flow through of 67%. We also found that business components can be classified as control elements, infrastructure components as shared, and software applications as belonging to the core. These findings suggest that the method could be effective in uncovering the hidden structure of an enterprise architecture

Visualizing and Measuring Enterprise Application Architecture: An Exploratory Telecom Case

We test a method for visualizing and measuring enterprise application architectures. The method was designed and previously used to reveal the hidden internal architectural structure of software applications. The focus of this paper is to test if it can also uncover new facts about the applications and their relationships in an enterprise architecture, i.e., if the method can reveal the hidden external structure between software applications. Our test uses data from a large international telecom company. In total, we analyzed 103 applications and 243 dependencies. Results show that the enterprise application structure can be classified as a core-periphery architecture with a propagation cost of 25%, core size of 34%, and architecture flow through of 64%. These findings suggest that the method could be effective in uncovering the hidden structure of an enterprise application architecture

Automated Modeling with Abstraction for Enterprise Architecture (AMA4EA):Business Process Model Automation in an Industry 4.0 Laboratory

The transformation towards the Industry 4.0 paradigm requires companies to manage large amounts of data. This poses serious challenges with regard to how effectively to handle data and extract value from it. The state-of-the-art research of Enterprise Architecture (EA) provides limited knowledge on addressing this challenge. In this article, the Automated Modeling with Abstraction for Enterprise Architecture (AMA4EA) method is proposed and demonstrated. An abstraction hierarchy is introduced by AMA4EA to support companies to automatically abstract data from enterprise systems to concepts, then to automatically create an EA model. AMA4EA was demonstrated at an Industry 4.0 laboratory. The demonstration showed that AMA4EA could abstract detailed data from the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system and Manufacturing Execution System (MES) to be relevant for a business process model that provided a useful and simplified visualization of production process data. The model communicated the detailed business data in an easily understandable way to stakeholders. AMA4EA is an innovative and novel method that contributes new knowledge to EA research. The demonstration provides sufficient evidence that AMA4EA is useful and applicable in the Industry 4.0 environment

Business Capability Mining - Opportunities and Challenges

Business capability models are widely used in enterprise architecture management to generate an abstract overview of an organization’s business activities to reach its business objectives. The creation and maintenance of these models are associated with a huge manual workload. Research provides insights into opportunities for automated modeling of enterprise architecture models. However, most models address the application and technology layer and leave the business layer largely unexplored. Particularly, no research has been conducted on the automated generation of business capability models. This research paper uses 19 semi-structured expert interviews to identify possible automated modeling opportunities of business capabilities and related challenges and to jointly develop a business capability mining approach. This research benefit both, practice and research, by describing a situation-based business capability mining approach and identifying appropriate implementation scenarios

ANÁLISIS TEÓRICO DE MODELOS DE DIRECCIÓN ESTRATÉGICA E INTEGRACIÓN DEL SISTEMA DE DIRECCIÓN DE LA EMPRESA

Strategic management has evolved in relation with increasing lacks from enterprise systems. The obtained models as result from scientific investigation and practical applications in this knowledge area, have contributed to raise the organizational development. However, is a challenge to modern strategic management models, the rising influence from Information Technology (IT) and integrated management from those associated capacities. In this article is showed a theoretical analysis from strategic management system and integration management system models, to define lacks on IT variables management from enterprise architecture approach.La dirección estratégica, ha evolucionado en correspondencia con las necesidades crecientes de los sistemas empresariales. Los modelos obtenidos como resultado de la investigación científica y las aplicaciones prácticas en esta área del conocimiento, han contribuido a potenciar el desarrollo organizacional. Sin embargo, constituye un desafío para los modelos de dirección estratégica actuales, la creciente influencia de las Tecnologías de la Información (TI) y la gestión integrada de capacidades asociadas a estas. En este artículo se presenta un análisis teórico de modelos de dirección estratégica e integración del sistema de dirección de la empresa, para determinar insuficiencias en la gestión de variables de TI desde el enfoque de arquitectura empresarial

The proposed alignment framework in enterprise architecture development for the Omani public sector

The misalignment between Enterprise Architecture (EA) development and stakeholders’ goals plays a vital role in the low acceptance of EA in organizations and governments. Literature has highlighted the need for an alignment framework to support enterprise architects to align the development process of EA with the stakeholders’ goals. Hence, this research developed an alignment framework to align the EA development process with the stakeholders to produce an agreed architecture that supports the architects. Multiple Perspectives Theory (MPT) was used to develop a preliminary research model that provided the initial guidance in data collection and analysis. The research employed a qualitative case study approach to build an in-depth understanding of EA development process, enterprise architects and stakeholders’ roles, as well as the factors influencing the alignment between them. The Government Architecture Framework (GAF) of the Omani public sector was used as the case study that included GAF documentation review, and interviews with architects and stakeholders who participated in the development of GAF. The findings showed that twelve alignment factors influenced the development of GAF which are standardization, development scope, principles, governance, top management support, culture, commitment, awareness, communication, value of EA, change management capability and experience. These factors were used as the base to develop the alignment framework followed by a focus group session with GAF architects was organized to validate the final framework. As a conclusion, the study has shown that the alignment framework provides a comprehensive understanding for practitioners and academicians about the factors and their influences at each EA development step

Hybridisovellukset SharePointissa : Suunnitelma laadunvarmistusprosesseista kohdeyrityksessä

SharePoint-alustojen päälle rakennettujen liiketoimintasovellusten kenttä on muuttumassa radikaalisti. Muutoksen katalyyttinä on trendi pilviteknologioihin siirtymisessä. Liiketoimintasovellukset ovat suurissa yrityksissä perinteisesti rakennettu yritysten itse hallinnoimien servereiden päälle. Pilviteknologiat mahdollistavat liiketoimintasovellusten rakentamisen palvelutarjoajan infrastruktuurin päälle pilveen, joko kokonaan tai osittain. Ongelmaksi muodostuu ohjelmistokehitykselliset ja laadunvarmistukselliset prosessit, jotka heijastavat edelleen perinteistä omiin servereihin perustuvaa liiketoimintasovellusmallia. Tutkimuksen tavoitteena oli luoda kohdeyritykselle uudistetut laadunvarmistusprosessit peilaamaan pilvipalveluteknologian mahdollistamia SharePoint-hybridisovelluksia. Tavoitteesta johdettiin tutkimukselle yleistettävämpi tavoite sovelluskehityksen implementointi- ja muutosprosessien suunnittelemiseksi laadunvarmistuksen näkökulmasta. Tutkimuskysymys muodostui seuraavaksi: Millaisin prosessein voimme viedä eteenpäin sovellusten implementointia ja muutoksia, niin että ne ovat linjassa yrityksen laadunvarmistuksen kanssa? Tutkimus toteutettiin iteratiivisena haastatteluihin perustuvana toimintatutkimuksena. Haastattelut olivat teemaperusteisia, ja ne käytiin kahdenkeskeisesti kirjoittajan ja kohdeyrityksestä tarkkaan valittujen sidosryhmien jäsenten välillä. Tutkimuksen lopputuotoksena syntyi hybridisovellusten laadunvarmistusprosessit, eli implementointi- ja muutosprosessit, jotka otetaan käyttöön kohdeyrityksessä osana SharePoint-sovellusten hallinnan päivittäistä työtä. Prosessien optimointi on merkittävässä roolissa kustannusten laskemiseksi laadunvarmistuksellisissa toimissa. Lisäksi tutkimuksessa tunnistetaan jatkokehityskohteet myös tulevaisuuden optimointeja ja prosessien elinkaarien pituuksia ajatellen. Tutkija on poistunut organisaatiosta ennen prosessien käyttöönottoa. Tutkimuksen tuotokset ovat vahvasti sidoksissa kohdeyritykseen, eikä niiden soveltuvuutta voida yleistää kaikkeen laadunvarmistukselliseen prosessikehitykseen

A Pattern-Based Approach to Scaffold the IT Infrastructure Design Process

Context. The design of Information Technology (IT) infrastructures is a challenging task since it implies proficiency in several areas that are rarely mastered by a single person, thus raising communication problems among those in charge of conceiving, deploying, operating and maintaining/managing them. Most IT infrastructure designs are based on proprietary models, known as blueprints or product-oriented architectures, defined by vendors to facilitate the configuration of a particular solution, based upon their services and products portfolio. Existing blueprints can be facilitators in the design of solutions for a particular vendor or technology. However, since organizations may have infrastructure components from multiple vendors, the use of blueprints aligned with commercial product(s) may cause integration problems among these components and can lead to vendor lock-in. Additionally, these blueprints have a short lifecycle, due to their association with product version(s) or a specific technology, which hampers their usage as a tool for the reuse of IT infrastructure knowledge. Objectives. The objectives of this dissertation are (i) to mitigate the inability to reuse knowledge in terms of best practices in the design of IT infrastructures and, (ii) to simplify the usage of this knowledge, making the IT infrastructure designs simpler, quicker and better documented, while facilitating the integration of components from different vendors and minimizing the communication problems between teams. Method. We conducted an online survey and performed a systematic literature review to support the state of the art and to provide evidence that this research was relevant and had not been conducted before. A model-driven approach was also used for the formalization and empirical validation of well-formedness rules to enhance the overall process of designing IT infrastructures. To simplify and support the design process, a modeling tool, including its abstract and concrete syntaxes was also extended to include the main contributions of this dissertation. Results. We obtained 123 responses to the online survey. Their majority were from people with more than 15 years experience with IT infrastructures. The respondents confirmed our claims regarding the lack of formality and documentation problems on knowledge transfer and only 19% considered that their current practices to represent IT Infrastructures are efficient. A language for modeling IT Infrastructures including an abstract and concrete syntax is proposed to address the problem of informality in their design. A catalog of IT Infrastructure patterns is also proposed to allow expressing best practices in their design. The modeling tool was also evaluated and according to 84% of the respondents, this approach decreases the effort associated with IT infrastructure design and 89% considered that the use of a repository with infrastructure patterns, will help to improve the overall quality of IT infrastructures representations. A controlled experiment was also performed to assess the effectiveness of both the proposed language and the pattern-based IT infrastructure design process supported by the tool. Conclusion. With this work, we contribute to improve the current state of the art in the design of IT infrastructures replacing the ad-hoc methods with more formal ones to address the problems of ambiguity, traceability and documentation, among others, that characterize most of IT infrastructure representations. Categories and Subject Descriptors:C.0 [Computer Systems Organization]: System architecture; D.2.10 [Software Engineering]: Design-Methodologies; D.2.11 [Software Engineering]: Software Architectures-Patterns