Enterprise Architecture

Philosophy and Methodologies

Practice Areas
Strategy
Architecture
Implementation

The Information Architect's Cooperative

Clients

People
Jon Blunt
Carol Buckser

Info|Ed’s methodologies create linkages between plans and actions and provide management with the tools they need to evaluate progress towards goals. Info|Ed works with large and small companies to develop customized Information Architectures that enable the translation from plan to action in a defined management framework.

Enterprise Architecture

Info|Ed specializes in developing frameworks within which business and technology trade-offs can be addressed. When constructed well these frameworks project management’s policies and objectives to where it matters: the implementation of new systems and business processes.

The Enterprise Architecture is described in documents that collect this information and make it appropriately available to everyone in the organization. A well-designed architecture frees up creativity and productivity by defining a space within which IT management and development groups can seek innovative solutions knowing these will be consistent with the business strategy. Corporate management can take assurance from the knowledge that they have created clear explicit guidelines for being kept abreast of the status of projects and the business implications of changes to plans.

Typical deliverables from an Enterprise Architecture engagement include:

Philosophy and methodology

A goal of every engagement is to build the skills in the client organization to use the tools and models created. This means that we apply the principles of effective change management at every stage of an engagement to ensure there is a smooth transition from planning and design to implementation.

In many engagements we bring together cross-functional, and often multi-level teams to identify breakdowns in processes and opportunities for improvement. Often these teams continue after the initial engagement, maintaining ownership of the systems, continuing to give direction to the project, and ensuring that all the stakeholders are committed to its success.

Practice Areas

Strategy

IT Enabled Business Strategy

Information technology is changing the fundamental economics of many industries and markets. Innovative companies are investing in IT to enter new markets, add value to products, or to change distribution models. Collaborative technology, often using Internet technologies, can link companies to customers and suppliers and create novel value systems.

IS Strategic Planning

The rate of technology innovation is not slowing down and IS’s clients are getting more sophisticated and demanding. At the same time, there is a critical shortage of IT staff in the US. In this environment it is a challenge to build an organization that can stay productive and responsive to the client requirements.

Architecture

Enterprise Architecture

In many companies the level of IT investment has reach a level where corporate and line of business management have to be engaged in IT planning. However, the traditional tools have tended to exclude non-technical management; asking them for their needs but never presenting back the resulting plans in a form that engaged them in collaborative design. Enterprise architecture provides this integrative planning framework that keeps the key decisions at the level of business capabilities but also drives out the implications.

System Architecture

Networks and distributed client-server systems can deliver integrated information to management, key staff, customers and business partners. In many cases the final system is a composite of elements some purchased, some developed in house, and some that reside in third party organizations. The opportunities are great but so are the risks.

If the basic structure, the architecture, of the system is not correct these critical systems may never deliver the expected benefits. The architecture is more than the technical design and includes:

Implementation

Project Assessment

However good the planning, implementation is the time when IS and the business discover the true requirements. Every stage from design to testing, to training can be made an opportunity to learn, adjust, and deliver excellence. Yet, the pressures of delivering to a deadline and meeting budget tend to breakdown cooperation and throw up barriers to communication. The result is that key projects can get off track with implications across the organization.

Business Process Redesign

Technology creates the opportunity for better coordination across the business and throughout the value system. However existing business processes are often a barrier to taking the greatest advantage. Integrating the business redesign and the technology implementation is usually the best approach since it enables the groups that will use the new systems to participate actively in the design process. This type of project is more complex to administer than one that follows a technology-focused approach. Yet succeeding with this joint design of system and work may be critical to evolving and growing the business.

The Information Architect's Cooperative

The first meeting of TiAC, The Information Architect's Cooperative, was in June 1993.   Meeting since then three times a year, TiAC is the premier working group for information and enterprise architects. TiAC is just one of the ways that Info|Ed supports the development of this emerging profession.

Clients

Past and current clients of  Info|Ed include: