Process Step 3: Define Business and Information Requirements (3ZIS)
Step Description and Purpose (3ZIT)
The Define Business and Information Requirements process step includes an analysis of the “as is” business and information environment and identifies business improvement opportunities to help fulfill the strategic improvement opportunities identified in process step 2. Within this process step, the architect works with the business owners and SMEs to translate the segment’s goals and performance objectives defined in process step 2 into an actionable and realistic target business and information architecture expressed within business functions and processes and information requirements. These artifacts are vetted and confirmed with business owners and SMEs to ensure they support the strategic intent and performance architecture developed in the prior step. Critical inputs to this process step include the common/mission services maturity levels and the strategic intent defined in process step 2. This matrix does not assess service-component-level (SRM) services but general business-level services or capabilities required by processes. Service component assessment occurs in process step 4. Throughout this step, the term “service” refers to the high-level end services delivered to stakeholders and customers, such as recreation reservations and permits. These services can encompass several SRM service domains, types and components. The intent of process step 3 is to determine adjustments necessary to the segment’s business and information environment in order to fulfill the performance architecture (e.g. outcomes and target measures), including effective delivery of common/mission services. (3ZIU)
The key to this process step’s success is to analyze and document the business and information requirements to the lowest level of detail necessary to form actionable recommendations. It is also important that the information and business analysis provides a synchronized and cohesive set of recommendations that guide the segment architecture findings and recommendations. These should be captured ultimately in the segment transition plan. (3ZIV)
Note that suggested analytical techniques are included for activities within the methodology to better define what is core for a complete segment architecture in the form of descriptive (not prescriptive) guidance on how to accomplish the analysis. The suggested analytical techniques provide guidance as to what outputs are core for defining a complete segment architecture. (3ZIW)
Step Outcome (3ZIX)
The outcome of this process step is an understanding of the adjustments that are required by the current business and information environments to achieve the target performance architecture, including delivery of common/mission services. (3ZIY)
Step At-a-Glance (3ZIZ)
Step References (3ZJ1)
Federal Enterprise Architecture Program, The Data Reference Model, Version 2.0, November 17, 2005 (3ZJ2)
Porter, Michael E., Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance, New York, NY, 1985 (3ZJ3)
Spewak, Steven H., Enterprise Architecture Planning: Developing a Blueprint for Data, Applications, and Technology, Princeton, NJ, 1992 (3ZJ4)