www.ids-scheer.com

From Business Process toEnterprise Architecture

ARIS Solution forEnterprise Architecture Management

ARIS Expert Paper

�����������

�� ����� �

The business processes in today’s organizations are based on highly sophisticat-ed enterprise-wide IT systems. Enterprise architectures (EA for short) are thekey tool for documenting, analyzing, and managing the complex information thisinvolves. They form part of an architecture framework that describes the contentrequired for a complete architecture.

From Business Process to Enterprise Architecture

ARIS Solution for Enterprise Architecture Management

Corporate growth typically goes hand in hand with an increasingly complexIT environment. Mergers add to the problem by creating redundancy, whileshrinking system lifecycles necessitate more flexible IT architecture man-agement. It becomes increasingly difficult to identify business-critical sys-tems, and cost-cutting targets prove elusive. Aligning IT structures with anorganization’s objectives and business processes is the only way to achievesustained improvements and a significant reduction in the cost of develop-ing, maintaining, and upgrading IT systems. This paper shows how ARISSolution for Enterprise Architecture Management allows IT infrastructuresto be aligned with corporate processes and enables long-term IT architec-ture management.

2

ARIS Expert Paper

Find out how:� ARIS Solution for Enterprise Architecture Management can be

used to align IT systems with the needs of corporate processesand

� long-term IT architecture management can be implemented.

About the Authors:

Dirk Maureris the IDS Scheer AG developmentmanager responsible for the ARIS

Design Platform products

Patrick Büchis an IDS Scheer project managerresponsible for enter prise archi-

tecture and designing/developingARIS Solution for Enterprise

Architecture Management.

Contact:arisproductmarketing@ids-scheer.com

Fig. 1: Support for multiple enterprise architecture frameworks

ARIS Solution for Enterprise Architecture Management enables companies to create, update, and optimize enterprisearchitectures based on architecture standards, such as DoDAF, Zachman, TOGAF, Archimate, and IT City Planning. TheARIS house acts as the basis for the different EA frameworks (fig. 1). The fact that the framework-specific methods arelinked to the various ARIS method views, and to the central ARIS repository, gives companies a holistic view of theirentire organization.

Pivotal to the ARIS method is an object-oriented approach for reusing architecture artifacts across different views. Thismakes it possible to recognize how corporate strategy, business processes, and IT architectures interact and to build thenecessary bridges. An enterprise architecture compromises four different architecture descriptions, as shown in figure2.

The business architecture defines business strategies and describes organizational structures and business process-es.

The application architecture describes the services and application systems that support the business processes.

The information architecture describes the business objects and data that are exchanged between process partici-pants and applications.

The lowest level is the infrastructure architecture, which is used to describe the physical landscape – the hardwareand networks that support the application systems.

3

ARIS Expert Paper

Fig. 2: From business processes to IT systems

This type of description highlights the impact of business process changes on the associated IT systems. System redun-dancy can be detected and new ITrequirements identified. Similarly, thebusiness processes affected by sys-tem shutdowns and infrastructurechanges can be easily identified. Forthis reason, the methods and inte-grational tools used for IT architec-ture management must create astructure that is fully synchronizedwith process management. The ARISValue Engineering for EnterpriseArchitecture (AVE for EnterpriseArchitecture) method provides mod-els and procedures based on ARISPlatform tools that enable corporateIT architectures to be aligned withstrategic business needs. The objec-tive is an awareness that systemarchitectures are a means to an end,and not an end in themselves –because businesses face an ongoingneed to adapt to changing circum-stances and priorities.

1 Business architecture

The key function of information tech-nology is to support and optimizecorporate processes. Accordingly, ITstrategy should reflect corporatestrategy. IT archi tectures need to bedocumented, analyzed, and opti-mized from a business process per-spective. Based on this in sight, theARIS method begins by recording thecorporate processes in ARISBusiness Architect, supported by aspecial process model. During thedesign phase, users can define coreelements of an architecture, such asorganizational units, application sys-tems, data, and IT system require-ments. Figure 4 shows a sample busi-ness process, documenting andhighlighting the relationship betweenactivities, data, participants, andsystems.

ARIS Expert Paper

4

Fig. 3: Value added chain diagram

Fig. 4: Relationship between activities, data, participants, and systems

Figure 5 is an organizational “map”that shows the relationship betweencorporate locations, businessprocesses, and the underlying IT sys-tems. This is what specialist plan-ners work with. Docu menting andanalyzing existing structures in thisway is the first step to creating anoptimized blueprint for future devel-opment. Corresponding data attrib-utes are used to map the lifecycle ofan IT system with regard to processsupport at a specific location. Thestates of the IT system indicated bythe data are reflected in the coloredmarking. Yellow and green stand for“To be phased in” and “Phased in,”while orange and red are used to sig-nal “To be phased out” and “Phasedout.”.

ARIS Expert Paper

5

Fig. 5: Relationship between corporate locations, business processes, and theunderlying IT systems

Fig. 6: IS functions form the link here between business processes and IT systems

Dialogs and specific functionalities assist the planner when capturing and updating planning data. A special reportingmechanism allows data to be aggregated for further analysis and to generate overviews (“maps”), making it possible tocome up with concrete measures for enhancing corporate IT structures as a result of this activity.

Special generation mechanismsallow views of the future infrastruc-ture to be created, so comparisonswith to-be / reference installationsare possible (current state architec-ture vs. future state architecture).Importantly, periodic progressassess ments can thus be made andplans compared with the current sta-tus.

Examining the application structuresof major IT organizations in the ageof outsourcing, outtasking, andextensive M&A activity frequentlyreveals heterogeneous system land-scapes with some data possibly heldin duplicate. If no attempt at harmo-nization is made, failure to achieveexpected synergy benefits will beaccompanied by long-term additionalcost for avoidable upgrading of lega-cy systems.

For the purposes of detailed analysis,it is therefore crucial to know howprocesses are executed in the indi-vidual parts of the company, howthey interact, and what impactchanges might have.

IS functions (information systemfunctions, fig. 8) form the link herebetween business processes and ITsystems (fig. 6). The purpose of theseobjects is to enable a system to bedefined in terms of its functionality.This allows them to be reused inbusiness processes to document theIT system functionality required by aspecific business function (fig. 7). Animpact analysis then provides aneasy way of establishing the extentto which an IT system is embedded inbusiness processes and whethersome IT systems duplicate the samefunctionality.

ARIS Expert Paper

6

Fig. 7: IT system embedded in a business process

Fig. 8: IS functions as the link between processes and IT systems

2 Application architecture

The application architecture is described usingmultiple views, which are presented in the fol-lowing sections.

2.1 IT system environment

The model below (fig. 9) groups the applicationsinto several thematic blocks, allowing exact map-ping of applications to several subsystemsacross a number of levels.

2.2 Architecture toolkit

An architecture toolkit is used to manage all thetechnologies deployed in an organization. Itallows an IT architect to define standards as ameans of harmonizing future development of theIT environment. Figure 10 shows an example ofan architecture toolkit. Additional models can beused to display information in greater detail, likethe model for database system management infigure 11. Each of these database objects con-tains information that includes the manufacturer,version, and links to the relevant manuals. Adatabase object also contains information aboutthe standardization status:

“Standard,” “Non-standard,” etc.

The aim of standardization is to cut maintenancecosts, but reducing the diversity of deployedtechnologies can also deliver savings on stafftraining and the procurement of hardware andsoftware.

7

ARIS Expert Paper

Fig. 9: IT system environment

Fig. 10: Architecture toolkit

Fig. 11: Database system with standardization status

2.3 Reference architectures

The objective of reference architec-tures is to reuse concepts and soft-ware components. They lay downrequirements targeted at creating amore uniform IT system landscape.Software suppliers need to meetthese requirements with regard todesign principles, infrastructures,and technologies. Reference archi-tectures thus help to harmonize ITinfrastructures, which in turn cutsoperating costs.

2.4 System description

Access diagrams are used todescribe systems at the type level(fig. 12). The type level (often alsocalled the “logical view”) containsinformation about the underlyingoperating system, programming lan-guage, database, hardware type,organization responsible, and personresponsible for the application.Keeping this information up to date isthe task of the application owner.

Navigation and analysis functions(fig. 13) are used for such purposesas identifying the systems that fea-ture specific technologies. Thismakes it possible to analyze theimpact of a change of technology,provider, or version, and to inform /involve the relevant persons.

8

ARIS Expert Paper

Fig. 12: Access diagram

Fig. 13: Navigation and analysis functions

The interfaces between a system andother systems can also be identifiede. g. information about the data ex -changed, protocols used, etc., canalso be stored here. Here again, thisview enables the impact of system andinterface changes to be analyzed.

2.5 Information architecture

The following diagram (ERM, fig. 15)shows a more detailed description ofthe data. This data can be reused inprocess descriptions coveringinput/output data relating to specificactivities, the data flow, and dataexchange between process partici-pants. The data objects also serve asthe basis for describing dataexchange between applications, andcan be stored with the interfaces.

9

ARIS Expert Paper

Fig. 15: Data model

Fig. 14: Program flow chart

2.6 Infrastructure architecture

In addition to description at the typelevel, systems are also described atthe physical level (instances).Instances can have informationassociated with them, such as hard-ware used, network segments, sys-tem support responsibility, ports, andIP addresses.

The following diagram (fig. 16) showsvarious different instances of appli-cation systems.

Network diagrams (fig. 17) allow therelationship between networks,routers, switches, and hardware(servers, printers, etc.) to be shown.The icons used here can be modifiedto suit specific user needs, as canthose in the other diagrams.

10

ARIS Expert Paper

Fig. 16: Application system instances

Fig. 17: Network diagram

3 Reporting

The information held in the central repository of ARIS Solution for Enterprise Architecture Management can be evaluat-ed in a number of different ways and made available to the relevant target groups. In addition to standard navigation func-tionality within the process and architecture models, automated reports, macros, and search mechanisms are also avail-able, which are specifically designed to meet the needs of enterprise architecture management. A number of standardreports are described below.

3.1 ARIS “System Evaluation” report

Based on the application system typeswithin the selected application systemtype diagrams, this report creates a sys-tem portfolio with details of data centercosts and criticality.

3.2 ARIS “System List” report

The “System List” report supports creation of various lists depending on the selection set.

Examples include:

� System lists by associated IT standard

� System lists by associated business process

� Lists of IT standards by associated business process

11

ARIS Expert Paper

Fig. 18: “System Evaluation” report

3.3 ARIS “System Fact Sheet” report

Based on the architecture data assigned by the individual project team, an overview can be generated for any system(including automatic generation at defined times). The system fact sheet describes a system with regard to contact per-sons (person, organizational unit), service level agreements, business functionality, process, and operation.

12

ARIS Expert Paper

Fig. 19: “System Fact Sheet” report

4 Web-based publication and processing of content

The cooperation of many user groups is central to any enterprise architecture project. Centralized publication of contentis thus vital to ensure a shared understanding and on going processing of standardization and development tasks.

ARIS Platform provides powerful, dynamic publication components that meet this need, allowing access to data via anintranet portal in a company-specific and role-based manner.

If individual user groups (e.g., application system owners) are to be allowed to maintain system-specific information, theARIS IT Inventory add-on can be used to provide a user interface for decentralized data input.

13

ARIS Expert Paper

Fig. 20: ARIS IT Inventory

5 Integration with IT service management environments

Many organizations deploy ITservice management systems foroperational management of theirIT infrastructure, which storeimportant data relating to themanaged infrastructure in a con-figuration management database(CMDB). ARIS Solution for Enter -prise Architecture Manage ment isable to import this instance andinfrastructure information intoARIS IT Architect e. g. in order toconduct a business impact analy-sis in the context of scenario plan-ning.

6 Special roles within an enterprise architecture team

In the context of enterprise architecture management, large IT organizations in particular have adopted specific userroles, which despite some variation in name focus on the same or similar sets of tasks, as described below.

IT System Manager:

� Documenting and disseminating system information via the intranet

� Planning system transitions based on life cycle and strategic planning

� Providing IT project managers with specification guidelines that comply with corporate IT standards and businessneeds

IT Architect:

� Establishing applications and technologies based on the existing IT landscape

� Detailing, documenting, and disseminating enterprise-wide IT standards

� Creating a long-term IT architecture framework

� Integrating and involving process management in the strategic planning framework and IT roadmap definition

IT Development Planner:

� Recording the as-is IT landscape within the organization’s core processes

� Deriving a to-be IT deployment plan

� Continuous updating of the IT plan

Architecture Manager:

� Strategic deployment of an architecture framework

� Merging of IT standards and IT system directory

14

ARIS Expert Paper

Fig. 21: ARIS and CMDB

7 Summary

By creating a seamless interconnect between IT and process architecture in a single repository, from strategy throughto infrastructure level, ARIS Solution for Enterprise Architecture Management makes it possible for the first time to fullyalign IT systems with business needs.

Benefits include being able to identify which critical business processes at which locations are affected and will there-fore need to be part of the migration project when replacing an IT system. Planners and architecture managers can nav-igate the entire enterprise architecture, following object relationships, and take informed decisions based on a holisticview of the company and a shared methodology.

Users can compare the IT standards and target architectures defined in the repository with the actual situation and cre-ate a roadmap for future development. Importantly, ARIS IT Architect facilitates organization-wide enterprise architec-ture management by supporting distributed teams. The resulting architecture information can be documented in theintranet with the help of ARIS Business Publisher, a dynamic publishing tool, in a way that meets the needs of specificgroups. In addition to designing enterprise architectures, companies can use this functionality to set up process and ITportals.

Bringing together business process design and IT architectures allows coordinated management of these two areas,enabling the kind of integrative approach that is particularly important for successful enterprise architecture manage-ment, given the interdependency of processes and IT structures.

15

ARIS Expert Paper

ARIS Expert Paper

�����������

�� ����� �

IDS Scheer AG

HeadquartersAltenkesseler Str. 1766115 SaarbrueckenPhone: +49 681 210-0 Fax: +49 681 210-1000E-mail: info@ids-scheer.com

www.ids-scheer.com

© Copyright (C) IDS Scheer AG, 2001 – 2009. All rights reserved. The contents of this document is subject to copyright law. Changes, abridgments, extensions and sup-plements require the prior written consent from IDS Scheer AG, Saarbrücken, Germany. Reproduction is only permitted provided that this copyright notice is retainedon the reproduced document. Each publication or translation requires the prior written consent from IDS Scheer AG, Saarbrücken, Germany. “ARIS”, “IDS”,“ProcessWorld”, “PPM”, “MashZone”, ARIS with Platform symbol and Y symbol are trademarks or registered trademarks of IDS Scheer AG in Germany and in manycountries all over the world. “SAP NetWeaver” is a trademark of SAP AG, Walldorf. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.U.S. pat. D561,778, pat. D561,777, pat. D547,322, pat. D547,323, pat. D547,324

ID-Number: EP-EAM-0909-EN