Modeling BDN framework in ArchiMate: benefits management of IS investments applied in the context of media and television industry digital transformation

O alinhamento entre os investimentos em Tecnologia da Informação (TI) e a definição ao dos objetivos de negócios e recorrentemente referido na literatura como uma tarefa primordial com impacto direto no lucro da organização. A Arquitetura Corporativa (EA) desempenha um papel importante na descrição das dependências entre um roteiro de migração ao de TI e as contra- partes de negócios, portanto, facilitando as decisões das partes interessadas. No entanto, as evidencias mostram que um número significativo de projetos de TI não consegue entregar os resultados desejados. Normalmente, as causas do fracasso incluem (i) a predominância de abordagens de gestão financeira de caixa preta que oferecem indicadores fracos, empheg, retorno sobre o investimento ou redução de custos, e (ii) não identificar os benefícios de negócios reais fornecidos pelo valor que pode ser gerado por um investimento em TI. Este artigo usa ArchiMate para propor um modelo para entender, projetar e gerenciar os benefícios do negocio. ArchiMate permite, entre outros, modelar camadas de negócios, aplicativos, tecnologia ou estratégia e agora é estendido com benefícios de negócios. Especificamente, é apresentado um ponto de vista da ArchiMate baseado no modelo Benefit Dependence Network (BDN). O objetivo dessa visão é apoiar os stakeholders que estão ao gerenciando os benefícios a serem alcançados por um investimento em TI. A solução conceitual e discutida e demonstrada no contexto do caso de uso da industria de televisão ao e vídeo de mídia. Posteriormente, as deficiências ontológicas desse modelo s ´ ao discutidas utilizando o método Wand Weber e por meio de entrevistas com especialistas.The alignment between Information Technologies (IT) investments and business objectives definition is recurrently referred in the literature as a paramount task owning a direct impact on the organization’s profit. Enterprise Architecture (EA) plays an important role in describing the dependencies between an IT migration roadmap and business counterparts, therefore, facilitating the stakeholder’s decisions. However, evidence shows that a significant number of IT projects fail to deliver the desired outcomes. Usually, the failure causes are (i) the dominance of blackbox financial management approaches offering poor indicators, e.g., return-on-investment or cost reduction, and (ii) not identifying the real business benefits provided by the value that can be generated by an IT investment. This paper uses ArchiMate to propose a model to understand, design, and manage the business benefits. ArchiMate enables, among others, to model business, application, technology, or strategy layers and is now extended with business benefits. In specific, an ArchiMate viewpoint based on the Benefits Dependency Network (BDN) model is presented. The purpose of this viewpoint is to support the stakeholders that are managing the benefits to be achieved by an IT investment. The conceptual solution is argued and demonstrated in the context of the media video and television industry use case. Afterward, the ontological deficiencies of this model are discussed using the Wand Weber method and through interviews with experts

An Ontology-Aided Computer-Based Approach for Business Model Innovation Ideation

Business model innovation (BMI) is a key leverage for the successful long-term performance of a business. Still, there are almost no computer-based tools to support the BMI process. Most available tools focus on the initiation phase of the BMI process: to map out the current business model. Unfortunately, the later steps, such as the ideation phase, are currently not supported by computer-based tools. However, computer-based tools can assist managers in the decision- making process of elaborating new BMI ideas. This research addresses the research question on how a computer-based tool can suggest BMI cases based on a business’s business model, enterprise architecture, business innovation case characteristics, or criteria for which they are looking for in a potential BMI. A particular focus is on the combination of BMI with information technology. The research has shown that although a computer-based and ontology-aided approach for facilitating BMI would be beneficial for managers, additional research is required. A more detailed conceptualization of a business model than the current status quo can contribute to achieving such a computer-based tool for BMI recommendation. This thesis follows a design science research strategy. As part of the awareness phase, a literature review was conducted as well as three BMI cases were collected for further analysis of their characteristics. Since this research aimed to develop an ontology-aided approach for supporting the BMI ideation, a BMI ontology and a matching method had to be developed. The BMI ontology is built modularly, and therefore, it contains the individual ontologies for a business model, business capability, business innovation case, and enterprise architecture and their interconnections. Additionally, a construction industry-specific ontology was developed and added to the BMI ontology to showcase the possibility for extensions for industry-specific criteria since the developed BMI ontology is an unspecific industry ontology and thus, applicable for every business. Further, the ontology was implemented into a computer-based tool with case- based-reasoning ability to evaluate the possibility of matching BMI cases with a business model, enterprise architecture, or business innovation case criteria. Additionally, to have the functionality of filtering BMI cases, a matching method between BMI cases and filtering criteria was developed and evaluated by leveraging the collected BMI cases during the awareness phase. Through a computer-based tool, browsing, matching, and comparing BMI possibilities become an efficient and straightforward task

Integration of decision support systems to improve decision support performance

Decision support system (DSS) is a well-established research and development area. Traditional isolated, stand-alone DSS has been recently facing new challenges. In order to improve the performance of DSS to meet the challenges, research has been actively carried out to develop integrated decision support systems (IDSS). This paper reviews the current research efforts with regard to the development of IDSS. The focus of the paper is on the integration aspect for IDSS through multiple perspectives, and the technologies that support this integration. More than 100 papers and software systems are discussed. Current research efforts and the development status of IDSS are explained, compared and classified. In addition, future trends and challenges in integration are outlined. The paper concludes that by addressing integration, better support will be provided to decision makers, with the expectation of both better decisions and improved decision making processes

Preliminary design enhancement by incorporating set- based design principles and a navigator

The need for improvement of Product Development (PD) processes has been demonstrated by a high demand for the aerospace products to be developed quicker and cheaper. Set-Based Design (SBD) can improve the ability to respond faster to customers’ requirements by developing a set of design solutions for possible future product orders in parallel. In SBD participants practise SBCE (Set-Based Concurrent Engineering) by reasoning, developing and communicating about sets of solutions in parallel. As the design progresses, they gradually narrow their respective sets of solutions based on the knowledge gained. As they narrow, they commit to staying within the sets so that others can rely on their communication (Sobek et al, 1999). This research aims to develop logical guidelines for the selection of the PD tools and methods to enable the effective application of the SBD process model guided by a computerized tool, called ‘SBD Navigator’. An integration of the SBD good practices into the collaborator’s PD processes is believed to reduce the possibility of the negative design iteration and to reduce PD time thus providing financial benefits. Understanding the selection of PD methods and tools within manufacturing companies is a starting point of this research. It reveals main causes of poor incorporation of PD methods and tools in the preliminary design phase that might stop businesses from gaining a full range of benefits out of the SBD process model. As time goes on, PD becomes more difficult to manage due to the necessity of the collaboration among business participants in order to create complex and well integrated products. This research project has employed one of the deliverables from the CONGA (Concept Optimisation of Next Generation Aircraft) project which is the SBD process model customized by the collaborating company – Rolls-Royce plc. The RR-SBD process model is presented in chapter 3. [cont.

Digital Business Engineering: Methodological Foundations and First Experiences from the Field

Digitization is affecting almost all areas of business and society. It brings about opportunities for enterprises to design a digital business model. While a significant amount of research exist examining the conceptual foundation of business models in general, no comprehensive approach is available that helps enterprises in designing a digital business model. This paper addresses this gap and proposes Digital Business Engineering as a method for digital business model design. The activities are structured into six phases, namely End-to-End Customer Design, Business Ecosystem Design, Digital Product/Service Design, Digital Capability Design, Data Mapping, and Digital Technology Architecture Design. The method development follows principles of design-oriented research. Five case studies are used to analyse method requirements and evaluate it within is natural context

Digital Capability Dissected

There is a growing interest in digital innovation and transformation among the researchers and practitioners. It has been recognised that being “digital” is not all about digital data and information technologies. The notion of “digital capability” has been increasingly embraced, but definitions of this concept have remained vague and elusive. A salient research question remains: what is digital capability? This question is explored in this paper from theoretical and practical perspectives in the form of a conceptual construct: the Digital Capability Framework (D-CaF). The framework distinguishes six levels and seven dimensions of digital capability. It is intended to provide a foundation to plan and execute digital capability driven innovation and transformation initiatives. Further, it helps identify and prioritise the research areas of high impact for further studies

Method support for enterprise architecture management capabilities

"What can our EA organization do and/or what should it be capable of?". In order to answer this questions, a capability-based method is developed, which assists in the identification, structuring and management of capabilities. The approach is embedded in a process comprising four building blocks providing appropriated procedures, concepts and supporting tools evolved from theory and practical use cases. The guide represents a flexible method for capability newcomers and experienced audiences to optimize enterprises’ economic impacts of EAM supporting the alignment of business and IT.„Was muss unser UAM leisten können?“ Als Grundlage für die Beantwortung dieser Frage sollen Konzepte aus dem Fähigkeitenmanagement genutzt werden. Im Rahmen dieser Arbeit wird eine fähigkeitenbasierte Methode entwickelt, welche Unternehmen bei der Identifikation, Strukturierung und Verwaltung von UAM-Fähigkeiten unterstützt. Der Ansatz ist in einen Prozess eingegliedert, welcher vier Hauptbestandteile beinhaltet und die für die Durchführung notwendigen Vorgehen, Konzepte und Hilfsmittel beschreibt, welche wiederrum in Kooperationen mit der Praxis getestet wurden