IT Architecture from A to Z: Theoretical basis. First Edition. Vadim Aldzhanov
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tools should be chosen and how to develop Enterprise Architecture? Today’s market offers dozens of tools, from free to expensive ones. Implementing some of them can cost hundreds of thousands dollar. I recommend using free or cheap tools whenever possible (if not available) for the following reasons:
• At the very start of architectural practice it should prove its effectiveness, therefore, significant investment and lost time will be a serious obstacle to create it.
• At the initial stage, it is better to use simple and familiar tools that do not require additional implementation and training. Success is determined by the implementation speed.
• One needs to gain experience and get his/her first results in order to shape adequate requirements for an expensive system.
• Only after the practice has been launched, and experience and first results have been obtained, is it time to switch to specialized products.
What are the minimum requirements for tools? How are they supposed to help you?
• Write and edit texts, make charts and tables, presentations, etc.
• Publish them on a shared resource, regulate the access rights to information, and discuss these materials.
Below is the set of tools:
• For example you can use a standard MS Office suite to compile documents, charts, spreadsheets and presentations. MS Office offers documents templates to use. There are Visio extensions to draw all the required flowcharts.
• You can use a corporate portal, a document management system, a corporate mail system, a corporate messaging system, or a dedicated file share in an organization’s corporate network for collaboration. The choice of solution will depend on what your company already has.
Recommendations for implementation
Based on the requirements and constraints defined above, you can summarize the basic approach in building the company’s IT architecture:
• Service oriented approach to building IT architecture;
• Minimizing risks by using tested and well-proven technologies and solutions;
• Reducing costs by maximizing and optimizing the use of current IT assets and solutions;
• Reducing the complexity and heterogeneity of the existing infrastructure;
• Maximum possible rational approach to the consolidation of IT assets (hardware, software), keeping the level of user support and / or specialized systems at the periphery;
• Multiple use of IT assets (IT personnel) on projects within the company;
• Standardizing IT assets (hardware, software and solutions) to reduce the cost of ownership, complexity of maintenance and increase information security;
• Implementation of single IT policies and procedures to reduce the cost of ownership, complexity of maintenance and increase information security in the company;
• Automation of routine IT processes to reduce the cost of ownership, maintenance complexity and increase information security;
• Creating a single information security policy in the organization;
• Creating a project team with a high level of competence.
Compatibility
Wherever possible, consider the availability of existing systems and maximize their benefits. This will reduce the cost of replacement, or the implementation and maintenance of new systems.
Following the main principles
When implementing new or intermediate solutions, or launching a business (or expanding it), it is recommended to be guided by the main requirements stipulated by this document. The cost of the solution and maintenance of IT infrastructure directly depends on the choice of a solution.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it can be said that building an Enterprise Architecture is one of the most important aspects of building an effective corporate governance mechanism with the integration of information technologies to obtain the best results. Integrating IT Service Management (ITSM), Project Management Methodology (PMM), Control Objectives for Information and Related Technologies (COBIT) will enable businesses to achieve exceptional results and maximize the benefits of IT.
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
General provisions
Project management is considered as a method and a set of procedures based on adopted management principles used to plan, evaluate, and control work assignments in order to duly achieve the desired result, within the budget and in accordance with project requirements. This chapter contains the basic principles of project management, which should be taken into account when building an IT Enterprise Architecture. Any projects involving, affecting or depending on IT are IT projects. The “project” approach should be a guidance when planning, developing and implementing various IT architecture services.
Project management is a very broad topic, affecting and interwoven with various directions of activity, such as quality management, risk management, finance management, and so on. This chapter briefly describes the main aspects, methods and techniques of project management.
A project is a one-time, non-recurring activity or set of actions to be taken within specific term, and aimed at creating unique products, services, results or clearly defined goals. The signs of the project are:
•There is an exact start date. The key feature of the project is the “time component”, i.e. there is the beginning and end of the project.
•There is an exact finish date. Date of the estimated deadline for the project is to be set, but the finish date is fixed upon obtaining the final result or achieving the objectives of the project.
•The project result is unique. This is the second distinction between a project and a process or regular activity. “Unique” does not mean absolutely new for everyone, it can be unique for an organizer or team.
•The resources and budget are limited.
• The specific order of the assignments. It may imply temporary changes in the managerial breakdown and make it different from the one established in the organization.
Program differs from the project by a larger scale and possibility to consist of many projects. For example, an organization has a transition program to a centralized IT management system, which may include several separate projects.
An assignment or a set of assignments is a set of actions to be performed by one or several persons using a simple list defining a sequence of actions.
Key Aspects of Project Management
Triple Constraint or Project Triangle describes the balance between the scope, cost and schedule of the project, which affects the final result, i.e. quality. Quality is the fourth element of the Project Triangle, located in the center, and any change in the sides affects it.
“Triple Constraint or Project Management Triangle”
There is a huge difference between doing something well, fast or cheap. It is impossible to change one of the factors (funds, list of jobs, time or quality) without affecting at least one of the them. As an example:
• In order to approximate the finish date (time) of a project, one can spend more resources (funds) or remove some assignments (scope) from the project.
• In order to terminate a project within a budget (funds), one can either reduce some assignments (scope), which will affect the product’s capabilities (quality).
•