Developing EA Blueprints

Overview of ConceptsEA Methodology Vs Framework

Current & Future EA Development

In-depth Concepts of above

Understanding the Relationships between EA Methodology & Framework

An EA Methodology defines:

• The work breakdown steps to manage & execute EA work, for example TOGAF

An EA Framework classifies the types of EA documents produced in the course of executing EA work.

Remember this lecture 1 slide?

Also note that EA3 calls the:• Classification types of EA documents as “EA components” . The EA3 diagram

we frequently use shows the classification taxonomy (structure) of how Bernard views classifying the types of EA documents.

• Actual documented specs “EA artefacts”. Because they are classified by EA components, they are also tagged appropriately when stored in the EA repository to aid easy retrieval.

EA Methodology Guidelines for Current & Future EA Development

An EA Methodology defines:

• The work breakdown steps to manage & execute EA work, for example TOGAF

An EA Framework classifies the types of EA documents produced in the course of executing EA work.

Remember this lecture 1 slide?

An EA methodology will also involves modelling the current and future blueprints of EA, to provide a snapshot of:

1. How today’s (ie current) strategic, business and ICT services integrate to profile the organisation’s service capabilities and marketable products;

2. How future strategic, business and ICT services integrate to profile the organisation’s service capabilities and marketable products, relating to a selected future or a series of future scenarios.

EA Methodology Guidelines for Current & Future EA Development

An EA Methodology defines:

• The work breakdown steps to manage & execute EA work, for example TOGAF

An EA Framework classifies the types of EA documents produced in the course of executing EA work.

Remember this lecture 1 slide?

Once the current and future EA blueprints are defined (ie all the artefacts are documented to profile the organisation’s current and future EA views, the EA team has to work out how to change/transform the current EA blueprint to the desired future one or mix of future EA scenarios.

An EA methodology will continue to describe the steps in preparing and executing an EA transition plan to realise the desired future EA scenario.

Summary of Current & Future EA Dev Concepts

Tut2: Lay Language: is a level of quality attainment that is used as measure, norm or model in comparison evaluations

Tut2: Lay Language: is an industry wide or an open system

community agreement of a standard

Tut2: Sometimes they are the same

Methodology

Framework

1. What EA artefacts to produced based on the classification taxonomy specified in an EA framework?

2. How to develop current & future EA blueprints?

3. How to prepare & execute a transition plan that describes how to change a EA blueprint to realise a desired future EA blueprint or a series of future EA scenarios

Past tut slide

Developing EA Blueprints

Learning Deeper Conceptsdiscussed in lecture 5

Varying EA Frameworks & Visual Interpretations

Zachman EA Framework

Lecture Slide – EA3 FrameworkBE WARE THAT:

1. Different EA Standards recommend different “analysis and design” documentation frameworks

2. Even within a Standard, academic and practitioners can visualise the same standard’s documentation framework differently, however still agreeing the same EA classification taxonomy concepts.

Therefore, as a proficient architect, you should check that a given EA framework diagram carries the same semantics as the intended original EA framework, before using it.

How EA3 Framework structures the classification of EA documentation

Business EnvStrategic

Operational

ICT EnvStrategic

Operational

EA ComponentSee it as:

Classified by

KPI

Performance Measures

uses

appliesEA Doc

Template

Template Section

Breakdown

EA Artefacts

Instantiated in

Links

Applied by

EA Modelling Method

Modelled by

Eg UML MethodsStructured Methodsetc

Simply put, view•

An EA3 component describes & structures the elements of an org’s business & ICT environments (aka EA doc content-descriptors)

• An EA3 artefact is a type of EA documentation that contain information about EA components (aka EA doc content-instances)

How EA3 Framework structures the classification of EA documentation

Business EnvStrategic

Operational

ICT EnvStrategic

Operational

EA ComponentSee it as:

Classified by

KPI

Performance Measures

uses

appliesEA Doc

Template

Template Section

Breakdown

EA Artefacts

Instantiated in

Links

Applied byEA Repository

stores

EA SwareTool’s DB

EA Sware Tool

populates

Sources from

EA Modelling Method

Modelled by

Enabled by

enables

If you want to further understand where EA artefacts are stored, depending on what EA documentation software tools are used

Network & Infrastructure LevelSystem & Application Level

Data & Information LevelStrategic (Goals & Initiatives) Level

Product/Service Level

No example given

EA3 Component-Artefact Examples

Network & Infrastructure LevelSystem & Application Level

Data & Information LevelStrategic (Goals & Initiatives) Level

Product/Service Level

No example given

EA3 Component-Artefact Examples

Vision Statement

Mission Statement

Strategic Directions Description

SWOT Analysis Findings

Concept of Operations

Current Scenario

Future Scenario 1

Future Scenario 2….

Future Scenario N

Concept of Operations Visual Diagram

Competitive Strategy Sub-PlanStrategic Positioning Goals

Strategic Org Projects BreakdownKPI & Measures

Strategic Plan as a “component” formats what is in an actual strategy plan

Content populated strategy plan artefact containing vision stmt,

mission stmt………..

Zooming deeper into an example of Component & Artefact Relationship

• Using a number of software tools

• Includes a number of KPI and performance measures info

Purpose of Management Graphic Views of EA Artefacts

EA3 component structure enables:All management stakeholders – strategy, business & ICT managers cam hold interest in EA program less risks to EA program management:

An EA Methodology also involves

Current & Future EA Blueprints development

Current EA Blueprint Development:

Documented EA modelling of current

business & ICT environments

Best Case Scenario of

Future EA Blueprint Development:

Documented EA modelling of selected future scenario

of business & ICT environments

Several Future Business & ICT

scenarios formulated & evaluated

involves

An EA Methodology also involves

Current & Future EA Blueprints development

Current EA Blueprint Development:

Documented EA modelling of current business & ICT

environments

Future EA Blueprint Development:

Documented EA modelling of selected future scenario

of business & ICT environments

Range of Analysis & Design / Modelling Methods

IDEF Activity ModellingSwim Lane Modelling

Business Process Flow ModellingProject Management methods

Business case development methodsData & information modelling methods eg ER, DFD, ontology modelling

SoA Modelling methods…….. etc

Lecture shows many graphic diagrams of outcomes

Identify the ICT resources linked to supporting current strategy & business work & products

Identify the ICT resources linked to supporting future scenarios of strategy & business work & products

An EA Methodology also involves

Current & Future EA Blueprints development

Current EA Blueprint Development:

Documented EA modelling of current business & ICT

environments

Future EA Blueprint Development:

Documented EA modelling of selected future scenario

of business & ICT environments

Step 1: Develop Current & Future EA blueprints

Transition Plan

Step 2: Develop the Arch Management Plan

Tutorial Tasks

MCQ 10 – Special Focus Discission

Which one of the following is most Incorrect?

The management view of EA artefacts helps to increase:a) Communicating the high level management-friendly view of EA b) Gaining and maintaining the support from EA executive sponsors

and other stakeholders c) Showing the scope boundary of the organisation’s EA

documentation d) Combining EA and other IRM artefacts into actionable

information for managing and decision-making purposes

Which is the correct answer

& why?

Section 2 Questions1. What is the purpose of current views of EA components?

2. How do artifacts relate to EA components?

3. Provide some examples of artifacts at the Goals & Initiatives level of the EA³ Cube Framework.

4. What is IDEF-0 modelling and how can it be used to document EA components at the Products & Services level of EA³ Cube Framework?

5. What are the differences between traditional (ERD and DFD) data modelling techniques and object oriented data modelling techniques (UML)?

6. Provide some examples of artifacts at the Applications & Services level of the EA³ framework

7. Is vendor-supplied documentation on software and hardware products important to retain as EA artifacts? Why?

8. What are some of the EA artifacts that would be desired at the Network & Infrastructure level of the EA³ Cube Framework?

Section 2 Questions9. Find a public or private sector enterprises and identify the following current EA

components/artefacts at each level of the EA³ Cube Framework: a. Identify current strategic goals, initiatives, and outcome measures. b. Identify current LOBs, business services, and associated activity/flow

diagrams. c. Identify current information flows and data documentation in each LOB. d. Identify the current IT systems and applications that support information

flows for each LOB. e. Identify the current IT infrastructure and networks that host IT systems and

applications.

2 ways of handling this:

(a) A Simple one is to link to the Danforth case study (scene 4) to identify the possible artefacts under each of the EA3 levels by using the EA3.2 list of artefacts – the answer is pretty straight forward if you read the book - – this can shape an answer that you would expected in the example

(b) A real life case study – which an example will be given in next week – this is NOT an answer you would expected in the example, but more appropriate for an assignment

Case Study Scene 4 – Explaining the EA3 Methodology

VinceThe Albright

Architect

“Thank you for coming to today’s meeting of the Enterprise Architecture Working Group” said Sam. We are going to talk about the method for developing current and future views of the two segments of the company’s enterprise architecture we are developing. These segments cover manufacturing and production, which are the lines of business identified by Kate and Jim that require more IT support. At the last meeting we developed the detailed implementation methodology that will guide our efforts and reduce the risk that we will not be successful. Vince Albright, our Chief Architect, will describe the documentation of current and future views.”

“In accordance with our implementation methodology, we will be using the EA framework to organize and guide the documentation of current and future views of these segments of the DMC architecture. Following the framework’s structure, we will gather existing artefacts of information on the lines of business in the following order: strategic goals and initiatives, business services, information flows and data elements, systems and support services, and the network infrastructure. These documentation artefacts come in many forms including reports, policy memos, manuals, spreadsheets, briefing slides, diagrams, and video files. By organizing these artefacts in the online EA repository into categories that match the levels and areas of the framework, we can establish links between the information to produce robust new views of the lines of business. This also establishes a baseline of EA information for future planning and decision-making.

As for documenting the future views, we will start by establishing several future operating scenarios with Jim, Kate and their staff members. These scenarios are short stories about possible future activities in a variety of friendly and hostile business climates. The scenarios help us to identify important planning assumptions about their future line of business activities, depending on the environment. Once the most probable scenario is selected, we will use the planning assumptions to guide discussions in our Working Group, and decisions by Jim and Kate on what they want to invest in to best position themselves for success in the future. Finally, we will identify how these decisions cause changes to the current EA at each level of the framework, and will document those changes in new artefacts that are saved in the EA repository in a separate future EA section