LJMU Enterprise Architecture Pilot

(LEAP)

John Townsend Deputy Director (Corporate Information Systems)

Background & ContextBackground & Context• LJMU commitment to the European

Foundation for Quality Management Excellence Model – winner of the 2008 UK Excellence Award

• Associated implementation of Balanced Scorecard approach to strategic management

• Well-established Development Programme using Managing Successful Programmes approach – coherent approach to managing all IS/Process projects – aligned with corporate strategy & Excellence Model requirement to manage by fact & process

Background & ContextBackground & Context

• Major investment in Oracle applications and technology

• Existing Information Systems Architecture project taking first steps in EA development

• New Governance structure with senior mandate to oversee Architecture & Principles

Pilot ObjectivesPilot Objectives• to gain familiarity with the TOGAF approach • to incorporate existing work into the TOGAF approach• to apply TOGAF to the ‘Student Recruitment,

Development and Support’ domain, completing first-cut Business, Information Systems and Technology architecture models for the area

• to evaluate the success of the approach in engaging with senior management

• to evaluate the success of the approach in aligning business objectives with information systems

• to evaluate the success of TOGAF in supporting SOA approaches

• to provide the basis for continuing EA/SOA work

Approach (emergent)Approach (emergent)• implement a Governance structure that mandates

Architecture development, develops Principles and gives Executive Board level endorsement

• start assimilating artefacts/learn about TOGAF• select a tool (BiZZdesign Architect)• model the EA across the whole organisation at a high

level, to give context/connectivity • select a burning platform to go into detailed EA and

demonstrate business value (in LJMU’s case, Student Recruitment, Development & Support – driven by a high profile two year project to transform student administration)

Key Areas of ActivityKey Areas of Activity• TOGAF: training & familiarisation, attendance at

Open Group Conferences • Tools: review & evaluation of possible tools;

deployment of selected tool• Business Architecture: review & assimilation of

existing artefacts• Governance: promotion through Governance

structure & development of Information Management Principles

• Research: reading ref other/alternative approaches eg Enterprise Architecture As Strategy; Dynamic Enterprise Architecture; attendance at various events

• e-Framework: workshop & familiarisation

TOGAFTOGAF

• TOGAF to EA like PRINCE2 to Project Management – seems too big, may be best treated as toolkit, use what works

• Is a process – fairly neutral on what an EA may look like, what tools may be used, practicalities of modelling

• The ADM seems to conflict with our use of MSP – from LJMU point of view, there is a point at which the ADM would hand over; equally, parts of the ADM seem to fall into the institutional strategic planning process

• Trick seems to be to align what you’re already doing with the ADM and fill in the gaps, rather than start with a blank sheet of paper

Strategic planning/Governance

ProgrammeManagement

ToolsTools• All research suggests a deployment of a

comprehensive EA tool is essential• Reviewed various options – Telelogic, Oracle,

Orbus – settled on BiZZdesign Architect• Based on the Archimate modelling language• BiZZdesign delivered training & follow up• Beginning to get to grips with using tool,

developing models in the area of Student Recruitment, Development and Support

• Using with Business• Seems to be right choice, as ‘easy’ as an EA

tool gets, particularly good in managing relationships

LJMU ArchitectureLJMU ArchitectureProspective

StudentAIO

Application Service (UCAS)

Enquiry Service

Applicant Acceptor

Student RecordMgt Service

Application

Enquiry

Oracle CRM System Oracle Finance System

CRM Service Applicant Service

Application AcceptanceEnquiry

Recruitment Process

Academic

Oracle Student System

GovernanceGovernance

• Critical in obtaining Senior Management buy-in

• LJMU existing investment in new Governance structures

• Ref workshop later

Information Management

Steering GroupBusiness Membership

Development Programme

Business Membership

IT Steering Group

Business Membership

ArchitecturePrinciples

InfrastructureBusiness Applications Needs ITMembership

Investment & prioritisation

Methodologies: MSP ITIL

MonitoringComplianceReview

Governance – IM Governance – IM PrinciplesPrinciples• 1. Information is a valuable shared institutional resource and must be managed

appropriately throughout its lifetime.

• 2. Information should be available to those who need it (ideally ‘anytime, anywhere, and anyhow’) subject to security and acceptable use policies.

• 3. University information must be trustworthy (relevant, accurate, timely, secure)

• 4 All members of the University community are personally responsible for managing the information they create and use.

• 5. Information management should add value to the University community.

• 6. The status of information sources (e.g. definitive/primary, derived/secondary) must be clearly defined and only definitive/primary sources should be updated.

• 7. Information management must comply with external statutory and regulatory requirements.

• 8. Information management principles will inform IT principles.

• 9. There is a common vocabulary and data definition.

• 10. The University is responsible for assisting staff to work in the most effective ways possible.

Research & EvaluationResearch & Evaluation• Alternative approaches: Dynamic Enterprise

Architecture (DYA) • Discussions with Oracle UK extending into

meetings with Griffiths Waite, Oracle consulting partner & EA/SOA specialist

• Engagement with EDUCAUSE EA constituent group (ITANA) & BCS Architecture Group

• Interest in Dutch SaNS group, taking an EA approach to implementation of Oracle Campus Solutions

Outcomes/Next StepsOutcomes/Next Steps• Overall high-level Architecture in place• Architecture for Student Recruitment,

Enrolment & Development modelled in Architect

• SUMS in relation to Enrolment in development for e-Framework

• Architecture approach recognised as beneficial, further EA work mandated as part of major project to move from the Oracle Student System to Oracle Campus Solutions by 2010

• Working with Griffiths Waite, Oracle EA/SOA consultancy, to progress this

e-Framework/SUMse-Framework/SUMs

Authenticate

Build Module Choice

Student manages his/her enrolment cart to select the optional module content for a programme of study and submits this for approval.

Business Process Names

Service Genres ORService Expressions (delete one)

Create

Modify

Validate

SMS OMRDataSources

Module Registration Service Usage Model

Obtain

Authorise

Search

Summary of Business Process Requirements

Administrator accesses his/her confirmation cart check and validates module choice.

Administrator loads module choice for pre-enrolment.

Validate Module Choice

Load Module Choice

Authenticate

Authorise

Modify

Obtain

Validate

<<load choice>>

Alert Alert

e-Framework/SUMse-Framework/SUMs

<<register>>

Module Registration

Student makes module choice. Submitted choices are validated by an Administrator.

Business Process Names

Service Genres ORService Expressions (delete one)

<<person details>>

Process Person Details

Person details forms are produced and circulated to students. Then processed onto the SMS.

SMS OMRDataSources

Returning Student Enrolment Service Usage Model

Summary of Business Process Requirements

Default core modules are loaded along with validated option modules

Pre-enrolment

<<arrival>>

Students arrival is verified, SLC is notified and student is Enrolled

Confirm Arrival

<<pre-enrol>>

SLC

Questions/IssuesQuestions/Issues

• Need to establish specific EA resource – Enterprise Architect as staff role

• Is Open Group membership necessary/beneficial for the future?

• Will BiZZdesign Architect prove to be the best tool in the longer term?

Some Initial ConclusionsSome Initial Conclusions

• Good Governance is essential• EA is not something you do just to have one –

needs to be applied where can deliver business benefits, if can’t, don’t bother

• It’s the journey, not the destination!

“Whichever route you choose, remember that EA is a path, not a destination. EA has no value unless it delivers real business value as quickly as possible. One of the most important goals of any EA is to bring the business sides & the technology side together so that both are working effectively towards the same goals”.

Roger Sessions, ObjectWatch, May 2007 http://www.objectwatch.com/white_papers.htm#4EA