Enterprise Armchair

Old for New

2007-03-30T15:36:00.000+01:00

So, as I settle into my new role, I realise that along with the tag of "one of the UK's oldest companies" comes "some of the uk's oldest technology"! At some stage within this organisation, there was (probably) a rather unspectacular falling out between the Business and IT. The fall out from this situation was a proliferation of point solutions, procured by business users wanting automation and supported by IT people wanting to be left alone (to sulk).

The sheer volume of Access databases (actually, I came across five critical line of business apps running on FoxPro ver 2.6b, non-networked, users share data via floppy disks!! For you youngsters, they're like CD's or DVD's but smaller and less shiney!) and cheap , unreliable custom apps, developed by Chuck in Dallas, prevents anyone from thinking about a refresh strategy simply because no-one wants to have a 5 year long headache (and that's just from considering the data migration strategy).

When we look at the lack of adoption of TRUE Enterprise Architecture (i.e. a representation of a business combined with a realisation of technology produced by the business and owned by the business, NOT a bunch of documents and processes written by Mister Anonymous and owned by Mister Nobody) it is easy to see why, with so many wrongs to right within the technology estate of a large organisation, EA is either overlooked ("we have a 38 year old mainframe application which runs our core line of business functions! We need to replace that, not draw pretty pictures of what we all know!") or seen as "nice to have" ("Yes Archie, we can see you have a point but the Head of IT and the CEO are meeting to discuss outsourcing all support functions and I'm not sure they will want to see your pretty pictures!"). Cynical I know, but this is the crux of the issue. EA is owned by the business! Managed carefully and invested properly, it quickly becomes the realisation of a business strategy. All the technology headaches are eased by having a clear business model / case from which to build systems and solutions.

There is another twist to this folly that has emerged; the proliferation (ooo, twice in one posting) of consultancies who have risen to explain the complex phenomenon that is EA! We now have so many methodologies that it is almost like starting over! You would think that these consultancies have smelt the cash to be made out of confusion and complexity.

Without the slightest hint of cynicism, I say:

Surely not!

New Role

2007-02-13T16:26:00.000Z

My new role is within the Architecture team of one of the UK's oldest companies. Thank the lord a movement has already been made towards the adoption of Enterprise Architecture. Work is underway on producing a reference architecture along with the modelling of business processes etc. The organisation has a typical IT legacy and has adopted many forms of technology to address ill defined business need. On the surface, business satisfaction with IT performance and agility is poor however, acceptance of joint responsibility for the state of affairs is reasonably good. It will be interesting to see how the adoption of structured thinking and strategic solution delivery over the coming months affects this position.

I will keep you posted!

New Horizons...

2006-12-27T21:10:00.000Z

I am set to leave my current workplace for pastures new. As always, I'm looking forward to a new challenge and am fervently hoping that I go to an organisation which believes in the benefits of structured thinking and wants to change the 'no time to think, less time to plan' culture that dogs IT within organisations. I am always optimistic at this stage, however, generally, I find that organisations are very much alike across the board and EA gets little more than lip service from senior managers.

Sharing

2006-12-11T22:28:00.000Z

It does seem to me that there is no real EA community. We all know the poential of EA, and the benefits therein, but apart from a few, I have to say, very sales focused offerings in this area (not mentioning any names) there is no real EA oracle. Where are the communities of practice? Where are the online resources?

To quote Pink Floyd, 'is there anybody out there'? Or, am I missing some great resources out there on the ether?

Answers on a postcard please or post a comment on this blog!

Lack of Confidence in Enterprise Architecture

2006-08-07T15:37:00.000+01:00

I don't know about other sectors but, I find it amazing that within some professional services and government sectors that IT consumers and deliverers alike find it much more accecptable to invest time and money in citing the failures of similar organisations in support of their next project i.e. site visits, references, research etc. rather that actually finding out how the operations of their own organisations are conducted.

Is it just the UK that suffers from this lack of insight. You know, that British Scott of the Antartic philosophy that nothing can be properly achieved without great hardship etc.

My advice, ask your own business users what they do, when they do it, why they do it, who they do it with.........

You know the rest!!!!!

Neglected

2006-08-03T02:03:00.000+01:00

Sorry world, I have really neglected my blog! I could have been a contender, I could have changed things, made business users see that it is the way they work that is wrong not the systems we deliver!! But no.... What did I do? I went to the pub every lunchtime and after work. I know what you're thinking "that sounds like a splendid way to conduct yourself" and "thanks for the invite, can I join you next time" but drinking copious amounts of alchohol and talking rubbish is not going to get me an entry in Wikipedia is it? I am wracked with guilt as I was browsing the web today and saw a link to this blog!!!! Oh the shame, last updated over six months ago!

I promise that I will concentrate more on waffling on about Enterprise Architecture and less time in the bar! Ok, just a quickie then, seeing as it's your round!

How to Implement a Large Scale Portal Solution

2005-11-18T11:04:00.000Z

DO your analysis before you decide on a product / solution / concept. So many organisations say "we need a Portal!" without actually finding out if they actually do. I have been involved in many Portal projects where at some stage down the line the organisation realises that what they actually need is good CMS and KM or Enterprise Search Solution.

DO find out how your users work! Many Portal projects fail because IT deliver their "best guess" of what interface a user requires. Sit down with key users and establish what their typical journey is through the multitude of systems interfaces.

DO get a dedicated Portal team organised! When it comes to implementation time, expand this to become a virtual team which includes all of IT and relevant business representatives.

DON'T aim to implement everything at once. The 'Big Bang' approach DOES NOT WORK. Don't just take it from me. The Internet is littered with Portal hard luck stories from those who tried and failed to deliver everything.

DO break things into chunks. Levels of complexity within Portal projects are always high. Abstract this complexity by using work streams or even separate projects.

DON'T promise too much. Portal projects are plagued with 'blue sky' promises.

DON'T treat a Portal implementation as an ordinary project. Portals deliver fundamental changes in the way people work, it is not just another application, it is the road to a single application interface. Treat it as such.

DO market the benefits of the solution. Establish clear business benefits for each phase / work stream, believe me, it will help you in the future. Portal projects regularly 'disappear up their own arse' because by the time they are delivered, no one can quite put their finger on why they wanted one in the first place.

DO use Enterprise Architecture to define what you have already AND what you plan to have.

DON'T expect your users to undersand the interface just because you do! Those close to the project naturally find using the Portal easy. Users will have a much different experience. If you can afford it, hire an interface design specialist and get them to justify and document every piece of functionality in plain English. Include this in a context sensitive help application.

DON'T implement features just because you can. Establish a business case with clear and concise benefits for every application then implement them as separate projects within individual business and technical application owners.

It on again!! Or is it?????

2005-10-17T16:38:00.000+01:00

It seems that after some swift negotiations that EA is back on the agenda! Except, in classic fashion, and totally in line with what guru JZ (John Zachman that is) warns about, there is a piece of software that does it all for us! In reality, of course, it doesn't. It is basically a series of change control spreadsheets, all very clever, but essentially NOT enterprise architecture.

The acid test now is, does this organisation want REAL enterprise architecture? Are the senior management team ready to commit resources? Do they REALLY understand what is needed?

We shall see!

It's Off!!

2005-09-27T18:00:00.000+01:00

In true fashion, apparantly, I am too busy on other projects to consider giving up three hours of my time to knock together a presentation on the merits of EA. Not business critical, according to management.... Don't start me off, NOT BUSINESS CRITICAL?? So chasing around in circles trying to deliver solutions that goodness knows how many other project teams have already similarly delivered is??

I despair...

[Deep Breath] Onwards and upwards I suppose, bite your lip and save it for another day.

Has the Penny Dropped??

2005-09-23T10:01:00.000+01:00

Unbelievebly, and a blessed release to anyone who might read my ramblings (doubtful), within the organisation I am currently engaged with, EA is to be considered for adoption. I have a presentation to put together to demonstrate how EA could help manage the complexity of this organisation. Is this the beginning of the end for frustration in IT projects, of constantly saying "what does that system do and who owns it"?

We shall see.....

Wouldn't it be Nice

2005-09-22T15:40:00.000+01:00

I'm not a Beach Boy's fan but wouldn't it be nice if, for instance, when going through a supplier engagement process for, let's say, a new search engine, incorporating the latest fad, Enterprise Search, you had all the documentation to hand regarding all the systems implemented which included some form of search mechanism. This might just help you decide whether "any term" searching or "all term" is either relevant or is actually not important. Ask yourself a question, do you really know the difference. Where does Boolean searching fit in, if at all. Does Boolean searching actually mean AND, OR, NOT or is it more as Java defines it i.e. true or false??

Does ANYBODY know how to convince people that implementing EA will solve these difficulties? Does anybody know how to present EA in such a light so as to make it EASY TO UNDERSTAND for the un-initiated!!!

OK, rant over.

Even PM's Understand

2005-09-21T12:11:00.000+01:00

Don't get me wrong regarding the title, I think Project Managers are usually useful and give a comfort factor to working in IT as in they always know what you should be doing etc. when quite often working to put systems in place I don't even know what day it is... Anyway, I was asked along to a meeting which included a discussion on how the organisation could document the upgrade of a data centre from one service level to a new one. "What we don't want to do," the barrow boy like PM said "is implement this new hosting solution without documenting everything within it which needs support!" He said this after he had just trailed around everyone with a piece of kit in the data centre asking the same questions, "What does your kit do, what software does it have on it and who is the best contact within the business?" It's becoming a feature if my life at the moment but, I said "Have you ever heard of Enterprise Architecture?" The answer was no, but after a quick diagram, he got that excited he was onto the Project Team manager telling him how much this would help him and so on. The trouble is, his boss is in meetings until next week, then on his hols until mid-October, and it isn't the sort of decision he can take without authorisation, blah blah....

So like the title to this post says, even PM's understand. What is it about senior management that they don't get it? EA isn't invasive or time consuming or for that matter life changing! It is, quite simply, a thinking tool. A structured way to document. I wish for a Nike moment... i.e. JUST DO IT!!

I continue my search for the answer. Actually, it has just occured to me that perhaps, in true Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy form, I should be looking for the question!

The Trouble with EA!!

2005-09-19T16:33:00.000+01:00

The day after presenting Enterprise Architecture to a meeting full of BA's, senior management and techies, the classic happened. I got called into a Portal project meeting where I was told that a full assessment of all back office systems was required to establish their ability to be integrated into a single Web interrface via a Portal. "This is the perfect opportunity to use EA!" says I. Senior IT within the organisation say, "We feel that whilst we understand the benefits of using the EA methodology, the timescales of this project mean that we need something quick and simple".

Hmmm, looks like the Portal solution will be the same, and senior IT will be regarded by the business as the latter:

SO NO CHANGE THERE THEN!!!!

Grasping the concept!!

2005-09-15T16:46:00.000+01:00

I am getting more and more frustrated about the ability of business to grasp methodologies such as EA and the obvious benefits structured thinking provide. IT is constantly criticised about poor delivery, performance and mis-alignment towards business, but when the time comes to implement common sense based alignment (EA) all you get is 'we don't have time for that.... Yes, that is a lovely thought but when are you going to deliver my upgraded Ask the CEO app with the ESP Interface?"

Makes you wonder if whinging about IT and its inadequacies makes business feel better about themselves and less like they are the ones cocking things up!

Enterprise Architecture is just common sense, isn't it???

2005-05-06T15:11:00.000+01:00

Well come on, it is ! Let's not get too complicated about this. You wouldn't build an extension onto your house without a plan, would you? or at least letting the builder have a look at what needs doing? The look of bewilderment on the faces of IT Project Managers when I tell them I have come to their organisation to gather together all the aspects of their business and details of their technology and place them into a structure using methodology X (Zachman, TOGAF, etc.) ,you would think I had just outlined a project to bounce ping pong balls off the moon. " I don't understand why we need to do this! My project is failing, do you really think I have time for this?" It's a times like these you need a Homer Simpson button.... DOH!!

Breaking whatever you are doing down into small chunks or levels of abstraction is simply logical, everyone does it. Questioning yourself about what you are doing, what your motivations are, When you have to do it and how you are going to do it are just natural. Structuring these abstracts into a framework just prevents you having to explain to the MD, for the tenth time, why you can't change the application to include a Extra Sensory Perception module until the TA has interpreted the BA's spec.

I understand it, please tell me there are others.