rejuvenating architecture governance in a redesigned organization

© 2010 Standard Insurance Company

Rejuvenating Architecture Governance

In a Redesigned Organization

Iver Band and Graeme Queen

The Open Group Conference, Newport Beach, California

January 28, 2013


• Financial services company

• Founded in 1906

• Our purpose:

We help people achieve financial

well-being and peace of mind.

• Expertise:

• Group Life & Disability Insurance

• Individual Disability Insurance

• Retirement Plans

• Individual Annuities

• Commercial Mortgages

• Investment advice

• Headquarters in Portland, Ore.

• 3,100 Employees

2

The Standard

January 29, 2013


• Enterprise Architect based in Portland, Oregon • Infrastructure, application and

business architecture

• Architecture methods and

governance

• Previously at HP • Security and infrastructure

Architecture

• Security research

• IT and R&D management

• Middleware product

development

• Mainframe systems

programming

• Before that • Mainframe and midrange

application development

Speaker Profile: Iver Band

3 January 29, 2013

• Vice Chair, Open Group

ArchiMate Forum • TOGAF 9 Certified

• ArchiMate 2 Certified

• CISSP, CIP


• Director of Solution Delivery based

in Portland, Oregon • Asset Management

• Benefits and Onboarding

• CRM and Contact Center

• Ten years in IT management • Software engineering

• Systems analysis

• Architecture

• Middleware

• Applications

• Before that • CRM software engineering

Speaker Profile: Graeme Queen

4 January 29, 2013


• Demonstrate a pragmatic approach to architecture

governance focusing on solution architecture and technology

standardization

• Demonstrate the effectiveness of the ArchiMate language for

developing and communicating IT business architectures

Purpose

5 January 29, 2013


Our Focus: Architecture for the Business of IT

To Enable TOGAF ADM Phases C, D & E

6 January 29, 2013


• Organizational Change

• Architecture Governance

• Motivation

• Organization

• Process

• Information

• Results and Lessons Learned

• Open Discussion

Agenda

7 January 29, 2013


Architecture Within 2008 IT Organization

8 January 29, 2013


Motivation for Organizational Change

9 January 29, 2013


Architecture Within Current (Since Q4 2011)

IT Organization

10 January 29, 2013


Early 2012 Assessments by

Management and Senior Architects

11 January 29, 2013


Imperatives for Architecture Governance

12 January 29, 2013


Architecture Governance Principles

13 January 29, 2013


Architecture Governance is a Collaborative

Effort

14 January 29, 2013


Architecture Review Team and Board Work

Together to Review, Recommend and Ratify

15 January 29, 2013


Collaboration Early on Makes the

Architecture Review Process Go Smoothly

16 January 29, 2013


Project Architecture Reviews Foster

Transparency and Accountability

17 January 29, 2013


Technology Positioning is the Current

Priority for Formal Architecture Guidance

18 January 29, 2013


Technology Positions Guide Use of

Application, Data or Infrastructure

Components

19 January 29, 2013


Example Technology Position

20 January 29, 2013

Supplier [Major IT vendor]

Technology [Insurance data template]

Version [Version number]

Layer Infrastructure

Technology Domains Data, Integration

Business Domain Finance

Lifecycle State Emerging

Permitted Usage Data warehousing, staging,

marshalling

Prohibited Usage Projects unrelated to Finance


Lifecycle States

21 January 29, 2013


Architectural Exceptions Generated in Reviews

Manage Risk, Permit Tradeoffs, and Foster

Accountability

22 January 29, 2013


Project [Project Name]

Title Modification of [Line-of-Business

application] written in an [obsolete

language version] to support an additional

line of business

Focus Architecture

Category Non-Critical

Owner [Solutions Director B Name]

Review Date November 15, 2012

Approved Yes

Close Date January 31, 2014

Statement [Application to be modified] is an [obsolete

language] application in Contained status.

Further enhancement [increases risk and

technical debt]

Status Update [Solutions Director B Name] to see if

application replacement can be added to

2013 roadmap.

Example Exception

23 January 29, 2013


Project Architecture Ratings Determine Whether An

Architecture Is Ready for Implementation

24 January 29, 2013


• All new architectures go through the process

• The design community has adopted similar practices for

high-level design

• Directors own exceptions

• We have surfaced significant issues and resolved them

through collaboration prior to formal review

• Projects are not delayed by architectural issues

• The unhealthy tension around architecture review has

dissipated, and the organization uses the process more

broadly

Results of Rejuvenated Architecture

Governance

25 January 29, 2013


• Focus on making people and the business successful

• Resolve issues through ad hoc collaboration whenever possible

• However, formal collaboration sessions ensure all the right

people are involved

• Formal reviews should be like pre-flight checks

• Low stress

• Routine nearly all the time

• But with the responsibility to surface problems that must be fixed before

takeoff

• Focus standards efforts on business need and unresolved

questions

• Many organizations have extensive technology portfolios but have timely

questions only in limited areas

Lessons Learned

26 January 29, 2013


• ArchiMate 2.0

• http://theopengroup.org/archimate/downloads.htm

• TOGAF 9.1

• http://pubs.opengroup.org/architecture/togaf9-doc/arch/

• Related Presentations: http://slideshare.net/iverband

• Contact: [email protected]

References

27 January 29, 2013

http://theopengroup.org/archimate/downloads.htm

http://theopengroup.org/archimate/downloads.htm

http://pubs.opengroup.org/architecture/togaf9-doc/arch/




http://slideshare.net/iverband

mailto:[email protected]