...Booch’s article “The Irrelevance of Architecture” (May/June 2007). Way too many people already feel that architecture is irrelevant, and they’ll be tempted to read the misleading title, skip the article, and forever use Booch as proof of their erroneous beliefs about architecture. Additionally, I should admonish Booch for the invalid assumptions and errors of omission his article propounded on the way to reaching an otherwise good conclusion—namely, that architecture is quite relevant. A better conclusion would have been that a proper systems architecture is vital, desires of the agile cowboy coding hackers notwithstanding. One always has an architecture. It might have been done explicitly; otherwise, it’s ultimately defined by whatever the developers came up with. It all depends on which end of the dog is wagging the other. And this is not some Big-Endian vs. Little-Endian religious dispute (see Danny Cohen’s article “On Holy Wars and a Plea for Peace” in the October 1981 issue of Computer). When it comes to dogs, the tail should be the thing wagged, just as a design should be dictated by an architecture. And architecture is relevant to the end users. Without starting with a proper systems architecture, the end result won’t serve users well. They might not care about the implementation details, but they do care that the interface and functionality suit their needs when delivered. Although Booch observes the generic relationship between architecture and implementation, he omits the...
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...Article Essential Layers, Artifacts, and Dependencies of Enterprise Architecture By Robert Winter and Ronny Fischer Abstract After a period where implementation speed was more important than integration, consistency and reduction of complexity, architectural considerations have become a key issue of information management in recent years again. Enterprise architecture is widely accepted as an essential mechanism for ensuring agility and consistency, compliance and efficiency. Although standards like TOGAF and FEAF have developed, however, there is no common agreement on which architecture layers, which artifact types and which dependencies constitute the essence of enterprise architecture. This paper contributes to the identification of essential elements of enterprise architecture by (1) specifying enterprise architecture as a hierarchical, multilevel system comprising aggregation hierarchies, architecture layers and views, (2) discussing enterprise architecture frameworks with regard to essential elements, (3) proposing interfacing requirements of enterprise architecture with other architecture models and (4) matching these findings with current enterprise architecture practice in several large companies. Keywords enterprise architecture, architectural components, architectural layers, architectural views, interfaces ENTERPRISE ARCHITECTURE: DEFINITION According to ANSI/IEEE Std 1471-2000, architecture is defined as the “ fundamental organization of a system, embodied in...
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...No Enterprise is an Island Enterprise architecture in the internet era must accommodate multiple platforms and user communities By Meir Shargal & Yoav Intrator E-business is changing the way people work and communicate, requiring a different approach to enterprise architecture. Previously, systems revolved around a specific user community or platform. The system design, in most cases, coupled the user platform to the actual services. For example, a travel agency's system and applications targeted a single tier audience -- brokers -- and worked on a single platform, such as Green Screen. They supported one entry point, such as Web, fax, email, or voice response units (VRUs). In such a straightforward environment, developing systems based on the needs of that one group of users, and on the functionality of that specific platform, made sense. Today, business -- and the technology that supports it -- is more complex. During a typical work day, you may access a corporate extranet and check your inventory status at a supplier's warehouse, participate in a Web-based corporate discussion group, or receive an email message via your mobile PDA. Electronic communication now takes place across multiple platforms and among multiple companies, widening and blurring the boundaries of the individual enterprise. You can no longer neatly define users and systems, making the traditional user- or platform-focused approach to enterprise architecture inadequate. How you receive services changes...
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...locate and schedule any changes in professional development activities going on within the company that are relevant to their different positions. In addition, the project being addressed would ensure the employees adopt well-planned sophisticated search capabilities that are often required within the business system. In addition, the new project would enable the 30,000 employees to effectively understand the roles bestowed upon each of them and efficiently carry out their duties as per the requirement of the scheduled roles. As a matter of fact, the project would give the employees the ability to add any scheduled events to their personal calendar as they would desire. Basically, the increased use in the new IT system would be able to support social networking among employees to allow them determine who is attending any conferences and events planned by the management. Initiating this project will also promote fostering mutual relationships among employees and ensure effective coverage of conferences that are often considered of high importance to the company. In conclusion, the adoption of the IT project would work hand in hand with the objectives of the company to ensure that all the 30,000 employees in the three areas are held responsible for any activity that goes on within the business infrastructure. Documenting the system architecture would...
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...21 principles of enterprise architecture for the financial sector Thiago Souza Mendes Guimarães (tmendesg@br.ibm.com ) IT Architect IBM China 20 November 2012 The article lists the most relevant architectural principles for an IT department to follow in the financial market, with details about each principle. These principles are essential for an IT department to take on a strategic role in the company and to indicate actual value generation in IT decisions within an environment where pressure and business decisions are critical. Structure of these principles This article was developed with the purpose of proposing certain principles that must drive an enterprise architecture initiative. The main motivation that led to the development of this list is the difficulty of implementing enterprise architecture in an environment as hostile as the financial market. There is great pressure on the technology segment, which is usually not perceived as strategic. An even greater challenge is showing that IT decisions can add value and differentials to businesses. This list was organized and developed based on the selection and adjustment of the most relevant principles established throughout my experience in the financial market. Despite being selected within the financial segment context, most of these principles apply to any type of industry after only a few minor adjustments. Definitions Principles are high-level definitions of fundamental values that guide...
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...Service Request SR-rm-022 for Riordan Manufacturing Christina Noll BSA/375 December 6, 2014 Instructor: Morton Smith Service Request SR-rm-022 for Riordan Manufacturing Before the project begins information needs to be gathered from key stakeholders and from observations of how the current system works and is used. Next this document will describe information-gathering techniques that can be used, as well as systems analysis tools that can and will be used for the project. This document will also identify key factors to ensure that information required for the project is gathered successfully. An explanation of the importance of the project scope, will be given. A description of the areas of project feasibility that will be examined will also be discussed. Information will need to be gathered in two different ways. First information will be gathered from the key stakeholders, such as the President & Ceo- Dr. Michael Riordan, the Chief Operating Officer- Hugh McCauley, the Director of Human Resources- Yvonne McMillan, and the Chief Information Officer- Maria Trinth. These key stakeholders are important because they can explain what the current system is as well as how it is used. The second way is to gather information by observing how each employee uses the current system, notating key elements of the system that is used by all employees. Two techniques that are recommended to be used in the information-gathering process are, one-on-one interviews and/or a facilitated...
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...Service Oriented Architecture Introduction: Defining SOA Service oriented architecture is a reliable software architecture that generates many positives for business activities. This software design principle is implemented into many organizations to connect multiple clients with the wide range of business functions. Service oriented architecture is becoming more popular among enterprises that will eventually become enthused by the benefits and importance this application has to offer. SOA is essentially a cluster of services that take part in communication with one another. It’s important to become acquainted with the definition of services. First of all the service portion of the architecture includes the key components of software code that’s shared throughout the architecture. The service part of SOA is referred to the self reliant function that does not need to obtain dependence from other services. SOA can be used in conjunction with web services. The primary functions of both SOA and web services are to make the SOA more mainstream for users with productive initiatives, in result that will make it more useful for web services. Web services are centrally concerned with technology specifications, while the service oriented architecture pinpoints the software importances. Service oriented architecture is a viable asset to the technology world for bringing value to those businesses...
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...1) What factors motivated Kodak to change its organizational architecture? When Kodak began making changes to its organizational architecture in 1984, its current architecture did not fit the business environment for the industry. The largest factor that motivated Kodak to make this change was increased competition and decreased market share. Until the early 1980’s, Kodak owned the film production market with very little competition. This suddenly changed when Fuji Corporation and many other generic store brands began producing high quality film as well (Brickley, 2009, p. 358). Another factor in this change was technology advancements. As technology rapidly expanded in the 1980’s, other competitors obtained the ability bring new products to market in a much shorter timeframe (Brickley, 2009, p. 358). Film and related products became more readily available, resulting in a more competitive film production industry. With this changing market environment and technological advancement, Kodak lost its monopoly in the film production market and was forced to make a change. 2) What mistakes did Kodak make in changing its architecture? In order to regain some of its lost market share, the company made some rapid and unbalanced changes to its architecture. However when making changes to one area of the company, it failed to coordinate the changes to other areas. In 1984, the company restructured and changed its decision making process to become more decentralized. As a...
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...Abstract Brands play a critical role in a firm's international marketing strategy. A coherent international brand architecture is a key component of the firm's overall international marketing strategy as it provides a framework to leverage strong brands into other markets, assimilate acquired brands, and rationalize the firm's international branding strategy. This paper looks at the various components of international brand architecture and the different types of architecture found among a sample of large international consumer goods companies. Based on these initial insights, some key issues that need further research are identified. Introduction Branding is a key element of a firm’s marketing strategy. Strong brands help establish the firm's identity in the market place, and develop a solid customer franchise (Aaker, 1996; Kapferer, 1997; Keller, 1998). Owning the number one or two brand in the product category provides manufacturers withas well as providing a weapon to counter growing retailer power (Barwise and Robertson, 1992). A strong brand name Theycan also provide the basis for brand extensions, which further strengthen the firm's position in the marketplace as well as potentially enhancing the brand’s value (Aaker and Keller, 1990). As firms move into international markets, branding plays an important role in its marketing strategy. In particular, a cautious branding strategy provides a means to enhance the firm’s visibility and integrate strategy across...
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...Riordan Manufacturing is a research and development company that specializes in the production of polymer materials. The company is currently “employing 550 people with projected annual earnings of $46 million. The company is wholly owned by Riordan Industries, a Fortune 1000 enterprise with revenues in excess of $1 billion.” (University of Phoenix, 2013) Hugh McCauley, the COO of the company, wants to develop a new application for the human resource department in order to keep up with changing technology. He would like to have a system that integrates all of the existing HR tools the company uses into a single, modern information systems application. This project will need to consist of several different stages in order for it to potentially be successful and will require an analyst to ensure all key points of the project are met. One of the first areas we need to look at when transitioning from analysis to design is the application software. “Software application architecture is the process of defining a structured solution that meets all of the technical and operational requirements, while optimizing common quality attributes such as performance, security, and manageability.” (Microsoft, 2014) Taking into account the requirements of the new design, a thin client-server architecture, where the server performs the application logic, makes the most sense to use. One of biggest benefits to a thin client-server architecture is that it is low cost and easy to maintain. Another...
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...APPLICATION AND TECHNOLOGY ARCHITECTURES 1 Application and Technology Architectures CIS510 Advance System Analysis and Design NAME Dr. Matthew Anyanwu 27 July 2010 APPLICATION AND TECHNOLOGY ARCHITECTURES 2 Abstract After reading about Reliable Pharmaceutical Service (RPS) at the end of Chapter 1, this paper will Create an application architecture plan for RPS to follow for the next five years and additionally create a graphic technology architecture plan. Additionally, we will write a page narrative with graphic depictions describing the plan and including, an overview of the application architecture, an overview of the technology architecture, and ideas for how the architectures will evolve over the next five years. APPLICATION AND TECHNOLOGY ARCHITECTURES 3 Reliable Pharmaceutical Service (RPS) is having some serious issues internally with its staff and also stiff competition from other drug stores (i.e., Walgreens, CVS, etc.). As part of the RPS IT Team, it is necessary for us to develop an application architecture plan so that we can keep the company alive. Without it, management may be forced to file for bankruptcy. A necessary feature of application architecture is its flexibility to adapt itself to constantly and rapidly changing environmental...
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...within this company is to maintain the security of the data that they for which this company builds applications. ("Smith Consulting Intranet", 2015) The main focus of this company is the creation of efficient financial applications as well as other functional applications as requested. The company has about 350 employees that currently working for them across all sites ("Smith Consulting Intranet", 2015). From the company intranet there does not seem to be a current database in place for that tracks their consulting staff, clients, each staff member's skill sets, and what projects they are working on. In order to create a database we would have to first select the best database environment for the project. Within this situation the database would not house confidential information so the need for strong security would not be necessary. For this particular database the amount of data that is being imported into the database is rather small. The company has 4 main clients and 350 employees. The system that I would select for this project would be Access. Access can handle all of the data that is needed to create this Project Database. SQL and Oracle are create database structures when dealing with huge amounts of data, this would not be the case in this situation and it would not be feasible to spend the extra money on these systems when Microsoft office is readily available (in most offices). There are two commonly used database architectures one tier and...
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...Mejias FRIST NAME: Jesus SECTION: Q1. Smart-Toys-Smart Kids CEO (Part 1) “Smart-Toys-Smart Kids” is a toy manufacturing company. They are providing toys to retail stores in the region. The company has 500 employees. The CEO of the company Fred is looking for alternatives to streamline B2B transactions between his employees and the retail stores. Fred's information systems department has presented him with two alternatives for developing the new tools for better customer service with the retail stores. The first alternative will have a special software tool developed in C++ program (application software) that clients ( 500 employees) will download onto their computers to run. The tool will communicate with the server to select data to analyze. The second alternative will have the C++ program running on the server in the headquarters; the client (500 employees) will use his or her browser to interact with the server. Part of the program in the user computer and other parts are in the Server side. a) Classify the two alternatives in terms of what type of application architecture they use. b) Outline the pros and cons of the two alternatives c) Make a recommendation to Fred about which is better. ANSWER a) Classification Alternative 1 : | Alternative 2 : | Client-Server Architecture | Client-Based Architecture | b) Alternative 1 | Alternative 2 | Pros | Cons | Pros | Cons | If these servers are implemented correctly the organizational...
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...MBA 540 Final Exam 1. (10 pts.) Discuss how organizational architecture and corporate culture are related. Use an example of a real-life firm and discuss how its corporate culture blends with its organizational architecture. Organizational architecture and corporate culture should be intertwined within any successful company or organization. In the text, Brickley (2009), refers to organizational architecture as being three legs of a company: assignments of decision rights, 2) methods of rewarding individuals, and 3) the structure of systems to evaluate the performance of both individuals and business units. Organizational architecture is the framework of company departments such as managerial chain of command, the duty description and responsibility of each position. Corporate culture includes the ways work and authority are organized, the way people are rewarded and controlled for their work, as well as taboos, customers, heroes, slogans, and social rituals. The three elements of architecture help form the existence of how a culture is developed. A prime example is Merrill Lynch. Merrill is a well know investment company that manages the portfolio of investors. It suggested to its client to buy Info Space though, internally, analyst knew the stock had tanked in price. They were never upfront about selling the stock. Their ethical violations caused shockwaves in the investment community forcing other to ensure measures were in place to prevent a disaster. Merrill Lynch had...
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...Int. J. Production Economics 147 (2014) 230–238 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Int. J. Production Economics journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/ijpe Defining value chain architectures: Linking strategic value creation to operational supply chain design Matthias Holweg a, Petri Helo b,n a b Judge Business School, University of Cambridge, UK Department of Production, Faculty of Technology, University of Vaasa, Finland art ic l e i nf o Article history: Received 31 May 2012 Accepted 13 June 2013 Available online 28 June 2013 Keywords: Value chain Supply chain management Operations strategy a b s t r a c t Over the past three decades scholars have developed comprehensive insights into the operational and strategic aspect of designing and managing the supply chain. Reviewing this ample body of knowledge however one cannot help but notice a persistent disunion between the “value chain” view that considers aspects of value creation and appropriation, and the operational “supply chain” view that considers strategies and tools for designing and operating efficient inter-firm networks. Commonly these views do not interact: value creation has the aim of capturing the maximum value-added in financial terms, the supply chain view aims for designing operationally efficient supply chains. In contrast to their treatise within the academic literature, from a practical point of view these two aspects are both necessary (and thus in their own right insufficient)...
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