Architecture Capability that generates value

ITARC May 22nd, 2015, Per-Erik Padrn, Eva Kammerfors

Background

In the autumn of 2014 Iasa Sweden

performed a study regarding architecture capability
together with several large Swedish corporations

We wanted to investigate what factors are important

to establish a successful implementation of
architectural work
What is architectural capability?
How do we ensure value creation from the architecture
work?
How can we measure the conditions for architectural
capability?
What are the pitfalls? Showstoppers? Enablers?
What can we learn from real case studies?.

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The team behind the study
Per Carlsson, SKB
Robert Ciborowski, Scania
Mathias Ekstedt, KTH
Caroline Hallin, AFA Frskring
Joakim Jerbrant, Nordea
Olle Mulmo, SBAB
Jens Mrtensson, Nordea
Jens Rotenhem, Tele2
Henrik Waxell, Ericsson
Henrik Wirlee, LRF
Mathias Zetterfeldt, Scania
Editor: Per-Erik Padron, Perago
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Purpose with this workshop

We want to share our findings!

We want your input and thoughts!

The study will later be fully described in

The architecture capability handbook
(Swedish Arkitekturell frmga -
handboken)

4
Who are we?
Per-Erik Padron, Perago: CITA-P with experience in
architectural work since 1996. He has been a trainer in
numerous program, among them the Swedish Computer
Society and KTH

Eva Kammerfors, Teama AB: Senior advisor and trainer in

business and enterprise architecture design, management
and governance with long experience from integrating
business and IT in many companies, organizations and teams

5
Who are you?

Name and role

What architecture disciplines are

you practicing in your organization?

Special interests?

6
Workshop agenda

The architecture capability context

What are the value drivers and benefits?

What do the frameworks say?

How do we measure the conditions for architecture

capability?

How to improve architecture capability

8
Workshop agenda

The architecture capability context

What are the value drivers and benefits?

What do the frameworks say?

How do we measure the conditions for architecture

capability?

How to improve architecture capability

9
 Architecture used for enterprise
change is a young science

The IT architecture discipline was launched

in the early 1980s

During the 1990s, process development

became an important instrument for
business development

In the 2000s, the architecture concept and

disciplines has taken business and IT
development to next level

If you cant describe it you cant change it!

John Zachman

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 The architecture disciplines
requires certain skills

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 What is a capability?

A capability is a cohesive, distinct and independent

component of the enterprise and the architecture

The capability gives us ability to group processes,

information, skills, IT support and business rules together

A capability is sometimes used in the same way as we use a

skill and it is expressed in what capacity is responsible for,
such as sales, customer support, architecture

A capability does not describe how it will be realized but

may have different solutions over time

12
 The architecture capability manages
complexity and prepares for change
Ability to describe and analyze the enterprise
and its components from different views

Ability to relate and connect enterprise components

Ability to understand and change the enterprise

in a way that supports the strategic direction and
goals

The architecture capability provides us with the ability to design the

elements of the socio-technical structure and to make them
cooperate in order to achieve the organizations goals

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 Key findings

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 An architecture capability is not an
isolated island
Facilities,
factories,
trans-
portation
services

Architecture
capability

Finance
mana-
gement
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 Rather it is a connection hub!
Facilities,
factories,
trans-
portation
services

Architecture capability

Finance
mana-
gement
16
 We found a holistic view of
architecture and architecture work
We found a large interest for how the different architecture
areas work together

We found an increasing number of notation, description

models and frameworks

We found a lot of "Semi" solutions, ready made standard

systems and reusable modules to integrate with existing
solutions

17
 Lots of different frameworks are
there to support

18
 Many supporting tools as well

19
 Workshop agenda

The architecture capability context

What are the value drivers and benefits?

What do the frameworks say?

How do we measure the conditions for architecture

capability?

How to improve architecture capability

20
 The architecture capability manages
complexity and prepares for change
Ability to describe and analyze the enterprise
and its components from different views

Ability to relate and connect enterprise components

Ability to understand and change the enterprise

in a way that supports the strategic direction and
goals

The architecture capability provides us with the ability to design the

elements of the socio-technical structure and to make them
cooperate in order to achieve the organizations goals

21
 Exercise: Who are the customers
of the architecture work and
what values should architecture
deliver?

Discuss in groups

Write down the most important

customers on a post-it note

Write down the most important values

on a post-it note

Put the notes on the board and discuss

in plenum

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 Four value areas found in the study

Increased
flexibility and
change capacity

Business enabled
through right IT

Correct information

Common understanding and holistic view

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 What type of changes can an
architecture capability deliver?
A business-initiated problem or
development need
A process, information or capability
target model
Detailed business requirements composed
to routines and instructions

An architectural pattern

Reusable Program code

An implemented IT Support system

A realized business process

A realized business value

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 Discuss: What are the
changes your architecture
capabilities deliver?

Common discussion

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 Workshop agenda

The architecture capability context

What are the value drivers and benefits?

What do the frameworks say?

How do we measure the conditions for architecture

capability?

How to improve architecture capability

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 RUP

RUP describes architecture artifacts, roles,

milestones and risk management. The architecture work is
related to each system development initiative.

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 RUP recommendations for
architecture capability
1. Appoint a person responsible for the architecture

2. Identify architecture requirements

3. Develop artifacts that describe the architecture such as

BAD and SAD (Business Architecture Document and
Software Arcitecture Document)

4. Develop a candidate architecture

5. Test the candidate architecture using working prototypes

6. Ensure that the architecture is stable before the IT solutions

are developed
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 TOGAF Architecture Capability
Framework

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 TOGAF recommendations for
architecture capability
1. Integrate architecture work and governance with
projects/portfolio and program management as well as
business operations

2. Develop visions and objectives for the future state

3. Build a knowledge base by continually improving the

architecture

4. Harvest the ideas and solutions and create reusable

building blocks

TOGAF Architecture Capability Framework focuses on the

whole architecture line organization

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 ITIL

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 ITIL recommendations for
architecture capability
1. Ensure that there is a well thought underlying architecture
that will guide the process of change

2. The architecture should be based on business

requirements

3. Communicate architecture by means of frameworks,

strategies, recommendations, regulations and standards.

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 SAFe (Scaled Agile Framework)

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 SAFe recommendations for
architecture capability
1. Keep specific track of the architecture work through
architecture epics and architecture epics Kanban on
portfolio level

2. Architecture epics are drilled down to architecture features

which are maintained in the program backlog. Architecture
features are detailed in architecture user stories.

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 Other sources of inspiration, examples

Mike the Architect COBIT

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Exercise: What are your experiences
from using architecture frameworks
for improving architecture capability?

Discuss in groups

Write down your best experiences

from using frameworks on a post-it note

Write down areas where you would like

to see framework improvements (if any)

Put the notes on the board and discuss

in plenum

36
 Workshop agenda

The architecture capability context

What are the value drivers and benefits?

What do the frameworks say?

How do we measure the conditions for architecture

capability?

How to improve architecture capability

37
 The importance of knowing your
context
In order to improve the architecture capability, you
must know your opportunities and understand the
existing preconditions
By understanding your opportunities and how to benefit
from the skills of both the organization and of each
individual, you can combine your architecture capability into
a strong interconnected team

By knowing the existing preconditions, it is easier to

improve the situation with right decision-making, recruiting,
allocation of responsibilities and purchase management

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 We have identified 5 architecture
capability organization types

5. The
organization that
is subject to
4. The stable major changes
organization
3. The mature
organization
2. The dynamic
and growing
organization
1. The
organization with
no or almost no
experience of
architectural
work

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 The 5 architecture capability
organization types

5. The
organization that
is subject to
4. The stable major changes
organization
3. The mature
organization
2. The dynamic
and growing
organization
1. The
organization with
no or almost no
experience of
Our organization has no clearly defined
architectural
work
"we". There is no clear idea that we have
common problems and the need to
solve them.

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 The 5 architecture capability
organization types

5. The
organization that
is subject to
4. The stable major changes
organization
3. The mature
organization
2. The dynamic
and growing
organization
1. The
organization with
no or almost no
experience of
We are willing to experiment and accept
architectural
work
some failures.
We do not have clearly defined roles
and responsibilities

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 The 5 architecture capability
organization types

5. The
organization that
is subject to
4. The stable major changes
organization
3. The mature
organization
2. The dynamic
and growing
organization
1. The
organization with
no or almost no We have a tradition of defining roles and
experience of
architectural
responsibilities. There is a clearly
work defined mission statement. We have
distinct "domains" such as sales, IT and
distribution.

42
 The 5 architecture capability
organization types

5. The
organization that
is subject to
4. The stable major changes
organization
3. The mature
organization
2. The dynamic
and growing
organization
1. The
organization with
no or almost no There is a clear distinction between
experience of
architectural
strategic, tactical and operational level.
work There is an established business
planning process in which architecture
work is integrated.

43
 The 5 architecture capability
organization types

5. The
organization that
is subject to
4. The stable major changes
organization
3. The mature
organization
2. The dynamic
and growing
organization
1. The
organization with
no or almost no
experience of
architectural
The changes in the outside world are
work rapid and they are difficult to predict
Plans and goals changes very often.

44
Exercise: Architecture capability
organization type

Discuss two and two:

Of which of the predefined (1 to 5)

architecture capability organization
type is your organization today?

Why can it be good to know the

architecture capability organization
type?

45
 We have identified 5 architecture
capability organization types

5. The
organization that
is subject to
4. The stable major changes
organization
3. The mature
organization
2. The dynamic
and growing
organization
1. The
organization with
no or almost no
experience of
architectural
work

46
 We created a measurement tool to
understand the detailed conditions for
architecture capability
A combination of opportunities and preconditions

47
 Opportunities for architecture
capability on organizational level
Architectural insight (awareness and understanding of how an active
architecture work can make a difference)
Engagement (cross-discipline work and willingness to understand common
current state and agreement on common target state)
Culture and knowledge management (the way we cooperate within the
organization, the way we create and share common best practices,
information and knowledge, the way we anchor and engage cross
disciplines)
Active learning (our ability to learn from earlier experiences by a
structured and accepted way of working with retrospectives and lessons
learned)
Evaluation and quality assurance (continuous measuring of the
architecture work and how it connects to the agreed quality levels)
Timing (ability to know when to lift certain questions, when and in which
sequence to perform certain architecture work. Ability to understand the
level of preconditions and to perform continuous priority changes)
48
 Preconditions for architecture
capability on organizational level
Clear architecture responsibilities (competencies, roles, organization,
mandate and decision-making)
Visible business goals (documented, decided, communicated, used and
governed)
Framework, principles and methods (standardized way of working for
development, maintenance and governance of architecture and architecture
work)
Current state agreement (knowledge of the current state for different
architecture discipline, including relations and dependencies as well as
common problem definitions
Target state agreement (descriptions of future architecture state for
different architecture discipline including what problems that will be solved
and how to get there)
Managed Architecture processes (process to develop, maintain,
communicate, anchor and realize the architecture)

49
 Exercise: Measure your architecture
capability opportunities

Individual exercise

Use a scale 1-5 where 1 is

low maturity and 5 is
high maturity

Fill in the template

If you have time: Fill in target

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51
 Exercise: Measure your architecture
capability preconditions

Individual exercise

Use a scale 1-5 where 1 is

low maturity and 5 is
high maturity

Fill in the template

If you have time: Fill in target

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53
 Discussion

Does the measurement tool cover relevant areas?

Any perspective we should add?

54
 Workshop agenda

The architecture capability context

What are the value drivers and benefits?

What do the frameworks say?

How do we measure the conditions for architecture

capability?

How to improve architecture capability

55
 We found some common improvement
areas for architecture capability

The need for a stronger focus on the enterprise level and

its internal (and external) connections

The need to agree on what problems and opportunities the

enterprise have

The need for correct information and high information

quality

The need for highly effective IT support to the business

operation

The need for increased change capacity, flexibility and

execution power

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 We also found some common
pitfalls
Trying to do all at once - to boil the ocean

Uncoordinated architecture capability strategy

Lack of overview and balance between objectives and

means

Too much solution focus, no architecture or planning of

architecture work and no finances of architectural work

Too much focus on current state, missing target

No common competency platform

Too much police work rather than support and guidance

57
 Different architecture capability
organization types need different kinds of
improvements

Ex 1: The organization with none or almost none

experience of architectural work will need to focus on architectural insight,
Engagement, as well as visible business goals

58
 Different architecture capability
organization types need different kinds of
improvements

Ex 2 : The organization that is subject to major changes will need to

focus on architectural insight, current state agreement and target
state agreement

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 Summary

Listen to your audience and understand your

context

Take advantage of existing framework, diagram

standards, tools and methods
Create, provide and share good examples
Start, test and evaluate!

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Thank you!

eva.kammerfors@teamaab.se
per-erik.padron@perago.se