Process Step 3: Define Business and Information Requirements (3ZKO)
Activity 3.2: Determine business and information improvement opportunities (3ZKQ)
Activity Description: (3ZKR)
The segment architect should analyze the gap between the current and required business environment in the context of the strategic improvement opportunities identified in process step 2. This activity focuses on determining which elements within the current state business and information environment must change in order to meet the desired strategic improvement opportunities. The segment architect should describe the needed changes to the business and information environments and whether any of these changes are currently addressed with planned initiatives or investments. The result of this activity is an articulation of the changes that must be made so the target business and information architectures can be defined in the subsequent activity. (3ZKS)
Activity Inputs: (3ZKU)
- Existing documentation on the current business and information environment (Processes, practices, rules, PAR and applicable PART reports) (3ZKV)
- Segment scope and strategic intent (3ZKW)
- Common / mission services maturity levels (3ZKX)
- As-is business value chain diagrams (3ZKY)
- As-is business function model (3ZKZ)
- As-is key business process models (3ZL0)
- High-level information requirements (3ZL1)
- As-is key business process swim lane diagrams (3ZL2)
- As-is key information sources qualitative assessment (3ZL3)
Tasks: (3ZL4)
3.2.1 Align strategic improvement opportunities to the business architecture (3ZL5)
Using the segment’s strategic intent from process step 2, the architect should align the elements of the business architecture to the strategic improvement opportunities outlined in process step 2. The architect can use the business and information to strategic improvement opportunities alignment matrix to link the business processes and activities to the strategic improvement opportunities. The purpose of the matrix is to link business processes with the strategic improvement opportunities so the architect can determine which processes and activities may need adjustments/optimization to achieve the strategic improvement opportunities and deliver the target services. In other words, the architect should be able to directly align the strategic improvement opportunities from process step 2 to the processes identified in process step 3. (3ZL6)
3.2.2 Determine the required adjustments to the business architecture (3ZL7)
Using the business and information to strategic improvement opportunities alignment matrix, the architect should determine which elements of the business architecture need to be adjusted to achieve the strategic improvement opportunities from process step 2. For example, if the analysis of the current processes revealed process efficiency opportunities and those processes are tied to strategic improvement opportunities, the architect should determine if the process efficiencies will help achieve those strategic improvement opportunities and therefore should be recommended. The intent of this analysis is not to attempt to re-engineer business processes by recommending numerous changes to the business architecture, but to determine the key processes and high-level adjustments necessary to achieve the strategic improvement opportunities articulated in process step 2. (3ZL8)
The architect should also do the research required to determine if business and IT initiatives are currently planned that will support the required changes in business architecture, and whether these initiatives would, when implemented, fully or partially address the required adjustments. Where possible, the identification of business improvement opportunities should also consider additional opportunities for cost savings and avoidance as well as other approaches to agency performance improvement as can be derived from greater precision and timeliness of specific investment proposals. For example, the cost performance metrics and benchmark data from the IT Infrastructure Line of Business (ITILoB) can be used to identify potential cost savings / cost avoidance opportunities associated with process efficiencies or operational improvements in providing IT infrastructure services. The impact of planned investments can be documented in the business and information to strategic opportunities alignment matrix. (3ZL9)
The architect should use the business and information architecture adjustment profile to document potential changes to the business environment that could help achieve the strategic improvement opportunities outlined in process step 2. The architect should use the business and information architecture adjustment profile to formally document the limitations of the current state, desired characteristics of the target state, how the target state will help achieve the strategic improvement opportunities from process step 2, and any risk and cost considerations. (3ZLA)
PGFSOA Touch Point: PGFSOA, Sec. 4.1.6: Many of the benefits of SOA are derived from sharing – sharing information, sharing business processes, sharing reference architectures, and sharing services. (3ZLB)
3.2.3 Align strategic improvement opportunities to the information architecture (3ZLC)
Through the process and activity analysis, the architect has become more familiar with the segment’s information environment. Although the architect has documented business modifications that can help achieve the strategic improvement opportunities, the architect should re-use the process and activity analysis to determine if there are information architecture deficiencies that should be adjusted. For example, the architect might have conducted process analysis and determined that the processes are sound but may also have noticed information-related deficiencies (e.g., insufficient data to make business decisions, redundant data entry between systems or manual routing of information that can be automated via information exchanges). In this case, the architect may observe that there is an information collection and/or sharing deficiency whose resolution might lead to the achievement of a strategic improvement opportunity from process step 2. (3ZLD)
The architect should amend the business and information to strategic improvement opportunities alignment matrix to capture the information-related elements that align to the strategic improvement opportunities. In other words, the business and information to strategic improvement opportunities alignment matrix will now include elements of the business and information architectures and how they map to the strategic improvement opportunities. (3ZLE)
PGFSOA Touch Point: PGFSOA, Sec. 4.1.7: Employ enterprise architecture tools and artifacts to identify significant information exchanges across domains of interest (3ZLF)
3.2.4 Determine the required adjustments to the information architecture (3ZLG)
Using the business and information to strategic improvement opportunities alignment matrix, the architect should determine which elements of the information architecture should be adjusted to achieve the strategic improvement opportunities from process step 2. For example, if the analysis of the current processes revealed information collection, storage, and sharing opportunities tied to strategic improvement opportunities, the architect needs to determine if the information architecture opportunities will help achieve those strategic improvement opportunities and should therefore be recommended. The intent of this analysis is not to re-design the full information architecture by making numerous information architecture recommendations, but to determine the key high-level adjustments necessary to achieving the strategic improvement opportunities articulated in process step 2. Creation of new ADS may be required to achieve identified strategic improvement opportunities. The architect should also do the research required to determine if there are business and IT initiatives currently planned that will address the changes in the information architecture and whether these initiatives would, when implemented, fully or partially address the required adjustments. Use the business and information architecture adjustment profile to document potential changes to the information environment that could help achieve the strategic improvement opportunities outlined in process step 2. Use the business and information architecture adjustment profile to formally document the limitations of the current state, desired characteristics of the target state, how the target state will help achieve the strategic improvement opportunities from process step 2, and any risk and cost considerations. (3ZLH)
Communications Considerations: (3ZLI)
Business experts should be consulted to ensure that the appropriate details of the business processes are adequately represented and that any available business performance data are incorporated into the analysis. (3ZLJ)
Activity Outputs: (3ZLK)
- Business and information architecture adjustment profiles (3ZLL)
Suggested Analytical Techniques: (3ZLM)
- Link to Business and Information Architecture Adjustment Profiles (MS Word Format) - Department of the Treasury (3ZLN)
