Many policy makers spend their time in the strategic stratosphere, shaping policy, doctrine and initiatives with fellow policy makers. They dwell in the realm of politics and deliberate on concepts towards greater good of countries, regions and establishments together with think tanks, advisors and academic hubs. All important and highly valuable, however, there comes a point when questions need to be asked of these policies, how can they be evaluated and linked to actionable implementation.
Enterprise Architecture can provide a vehicle and a means to visualise the goals and objectives derived from these policies and when they are compared with capabilities of the existing initiatives that have been implemented it is possible to estimate costs and projected benefits.
One of the important questions that we pose to policy makers is for them to describe what they have in their mind in terms of ... what does "good" look like? How do they envisage their policies being implemented and start the journey of consideration of reality and implication.
From this analysis we look at the art of the possible. Everything has a cost, thus the question: what are the priorities? What are the timelines and what is the forecasted cash flow required to achieve these? Thus programme mandates are derived with traceability to required goals in fulfillment of policy. This is important evidence for helping to evaluate the effectiveness of a strategic business plan.
When we come across policy advisors who fail to make the connection to reality we have to ask where they are going and what, indeed are their own objectives and what is their agenda. It might be a good idea to do some background research into the goals and objectives of policy advisors to ensure that they align with those of the company.
We have come across advisors and researchers whose own business model lies on the basis of selling their own services, including PR exercises, Roadshows, Conferences and Conclaves and not necessarily on provision of advice that can be implemented in measurable, quantifiable programme initiatives. Enterprise Architecture and Analysis is therefore an important way to evaluate the coherence of these policies and a match with the enterprise resource capabilities and capacities.
2 Jul 2010
Programme Portfolio Optimisation
Enterprise Architecture provides an engine to identify where tweaks & amendments need to be made in order to provide valid and coherent IT systems, process and infrastructure that supports business operations.
One of the difficulties facing Programme Support staff in their daily work is to identify where in a Portfolio there are gaps and overlaps in systems. They need to identify the issues, risks, conflicts and bottlenecks that need to be resolved for assured business continuity. Enterprise Architecture is an investment in time in the initial stages, which pays back within 4 months by enabling savings in maintenance and IT projects. For example, if it can only identify one duplication in systems functionality, that can save the cost of purchasing a new system by adjusting the functional support in one and enabling the removal of a redundant duplicate system.
Thinking of the erstwhile O2 Netherlands, where new systems were procured in order to meet new functionality, the organisation ended up with an onion layer of systems that they dared not remove in case the system was providing critical functionality to support operations and deliver customer service. There was no business tolerance for the mobile phone network going down for more than a few seconds. Thus by using a logical enterprise architecture, they were able to profile the key business processes and understand which functions provided by systems were directly supporting operations. A further step in the investigation identified the infrastructure systems that were supporting these operational systems and identified where there was a functional overlap in order to identify candidates for removal.
The cost of creating the operational enterprise architecture was a fraction of the cost of lossed revenues if they had tried to manually, without any blueprints, tried to switch off systems in a trial-and-error high risk activity. To their credit, O2NL was not about to try a new unproven method. They had surveyed their industry and found that Sprint Telecoms in the US had engaged this approach and had reported great successes. In fact, they claimed that it enabled them to take control of the future of their own systems and as they built up a renewed enterprise framework they had the insight to make decisions on how they wanted to grow and change strategic direction. In a nutshell, this enabled them to claim that they had an agile infrastructure.
There are many organisations that wished that they had maintained their blueprints of enterprise and infrastructure frameworks. However, developing a blueprint is not a high risk exercise and once the models have been built in a coherent repository, the benefit of understanding interdependencies is invaluable for operations as well as the development of the infrastructures.
One of the difficulties facing Programme Support staff in their daily work is to identify where in a Portfolio there are gaps and overlaps in systems. They need to identify the issues, risks, conflicts and bottlenecks that need to be resolved for assured business continuity. Enterprise Architecture is an investment in time in the initial stages, which pays back within 4 months by enabling savings in maintenance and IT projects. For example, if it can only identify one duplication in systems functionality, that can save the cost of purchasing a new system by adjusting the functional support in one and enabling the removal of a redundant duplicate system.
Thinking of the erstwhile O2 Netherlands, where new systems were procured in order to meet new functionality, the organisation ended up with an onion layer of systems that they dared not remove in case the system was providing critical functionality to support operations and deliver customer service. There was no business tolerance for the mobile phone network going down for more than a few seconds. Thus by using a logical enterprise architecture, they were able to profile the key business processes and understand which functions provided by systems were directly supporting operations. A further step in the investigation identified the infrastructure systems that were supporting these operational systems and identified where there was a functional overlap in order to identify candidates for removal.
The cost of creating the operational enterprise architecture was a fraction of the cost of lossed revenues if they had tried to manually, without any blueprints, tried to switch off systems in a trial-and-error high risk activity. To their credit, O2NL was not about to try a new unproven method. They had surveyed their industry and found that Sprint Telecoms in the US had engaged this approach and had reported great successes. In fact, they claimed that it enabled them to take control of the future of their own systems and as they built up a renewed enterprise framework they had the insight to make decisions on how they wanted to grow and change strategic direction. In a nutshell, this enabled them to claim that they had an agile infrastructure.
There are many organisations that wished that they had maintained their blueprints of enterprise and infrastructure frameworks. However, developing a blueprint is not a high risk exercise and once the models have been built in a coherent repository, the benefit of understanding interdependencies is invaluable for operations as well as the development of the infrastructures.
2 May 2008
Wales - land of Great Food, Good Food
http://www.ypolynrestaurant.co.uk/
Y Polyn Capel Dewi, Nantgaredig, Carmarthenshire, SA32 7LH Tel 01267 290000 info@ypolyn.co.uk
Fabulous food, check out the website.
Y Polyn Capel Dewi, Nantgaredig, Carmarthenshire, SA32 7LH Tel 01267 290000 info@ypolyn.co.uk
Fabulous food, check out the website.
1 Mar 2008
St Davids Day
It seems fitting that my blog should start on St. David's Day - the beginning of Welsh pride as the year begins, flowing with Daffodils, Cawl Cennin (Leek and Lamb stew), all kinds of goodies for children and the flow of love and kindness towards all.
This morning, as the warmth started to flow and the day started to brighten with the lapping rays of the spring sun, I explained to my husband that Wales is in essence a culture of social networks rather than hierarchical institutions. This is the fabric of the nation. Traditional villages were dispersed, the cohesion actualised by the neighbourly care of one for another. The most important social values and realisation of status being driven by "who you knew and who you belonged to" as opposed to what kind of social status had been acquired. This is a totally alien, Anglo-Saxon phenomenon that plagues societies in many Commonwealth countries as well as those influenced by the Anglo Saxons at large.
So a little of the history of St. David - courtesy of Wikipedia...
St. David - Dewi Sant
St. David was born towards the end of the fifth century, less than a hundred years after the last Roman legions had marched out of Wales. He was the son of Sant a scion of the royal house of Ceredigion, his mother was Non, daughter of Cynyr of Caio, remembered by numerous churches and holy wells in Wales, Cornwall and Brittany. Educated at Henfynyw (Old Menevia) in Ceredigion, where he 'learned the alphabet, the psalms, the lessons for the whole year, the Masses and the Synaxis', he founded a Celtic monastic community at Glyn Rhosin (The Vale of Roses) on the western headland of Sir Benfro, at the spot where St. David's Cathedral stands today. The spot may well have been the site of a very early religious community, for it is also associated with St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, who was also born in Wales and is said to have spent time at Glyn Rhosyn before embarking again (this time voluntarily) for Ireland from Porth Mawr nearby.
David's fame as a teacher and ascetic spread throughout the Celtic world. He earned the curious nickname Dewi Ddyfrwr - David the Waterman - no doubt reflecting the harsh bread-and-water regime of Celtic monks. Many traditions and legends are associated with him. When he rose to address to a great crowd at a synod at Llanddewi Brefi in Ceredigion, the ground rose under his feet forming a little hill so that all could hear him speak. Again, a golden-beaked dove is said to have landed on his shoulder as a symbol of his holiness.
His foundation at Glyn Rhosin became one of the most important shrines of the Christian world, and the most important centre in Wales. Roads and tracks from all over the nation led to it and in the Middle Ages two pilgrimages to Menevia was equal to one to Rome (Dos i Rufain unwaith ac i Fynyw ddwywaith). Over fifty churches and innumerable holy wells were dedicated to him in Wales alone.
The religious centre of St David's thus became a focus for the religious aspirations of the Welsh nation and as Gerallt Cymro (Giraldus Cambrensis) relates: The Bishopric of St Davids became ... a symbol of the independence of Wales ... and that is why David himself was exalted into a Patron Saint of Wales.
The date of Dewi Sant's death is recorded as March 1st, but the year is uncertain - possibly 588. As his tearful monks prepared for his death St David uttered these words: 'Brothers be ye constant. The yoke which with single mind ye have taken, bear ye to the end; and whatsoever ye have seen with me and heard, keep and fulfil' and as he died 'Lords, brothers and sisters, be cheerful, keep the faith, and do those little things which ye have seen me do and heard me say.'
Dewi Sant, was incidentally, the only patron saint of the four chief nations of the British Isles to have been born in the land which adopted him.
This morning, as the warmth started to flow and the day started to brighten with the lapping rays of the spring sun, I explained to my husband that Wales is in essence a culture of social networks rather than hierarchical institutions. This is the fabric of the nation. Traditional villages were dispersed, the cohesion actualised by the neighbourly care of one for another. The most important social values and realisation of status being driven by "who you knew and who you belonged to" as opposed to what kind of social status had been acquired. This is a totally alien, Anglo-Saxon phenomenon that plagues societies in many Commonwealth countries as well as those influenced by the Anglo Saxons at large.
So a little of the history of St. David - courtesy of Wikipedia...
St. David - Dewi Sant
St. David was born towards the end of the fifth century, less than a hundred years after the last Roman legions had marched out of Wales. He was the son of Sant a scion of the royal house of Ceredigion, his mother was Non, daughter of Cynyr of Caio, remembered by numerous churches and holy wells in Wales, Cornwall and Brittany. Educated at Henfynyw (Old Menevia) in Ceredigion, where he 'learned the alphabet, the psalms, the lessons for the whole year, the Masses and the Synaxis', he founded a Celtic monastic community at Glyn Rhosin (The Vale of Roses) on the western headland of Sir Benfro, at the spot where St. David's Cathedral stands today. The spot may well have been the site of a very early religious community, for it is also associated with St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, who was also born in Wales and is said to have spent time at Glyn Rhosyn before embarking again (this time voluntarily) for Ireland from Porth Mawr nearby.
David's fame as a teacher and ascetic spread throughout the Celtic world. He earned the curious nickname Dewi Ddyfrwr - David the Waterman - no doubt reflecting the harsh bread-and-water regime of Celtic monks. Many traditions and legends are associated with him. When he rose to address to a great crowd at a synod at Llanddewi Brefi in Ceredigion, the ground rose under his feet forming a little hill so that all could hear him speak. Again, a golden-beaked dove is said to have landed on his shoulder as a symbol of his holiness.
His foundation at Glyn Rhosin became one of the most important shrines of the Christian world, and the most important centre in Wales. Roads and tracks from all over the nation led to it and in the Middle Ages two pilgrimages to Menevia was equal to one to Rome (Dos i Rufain unwaith ac i Fynyw ddwywaith). Over fifty churches and innumerable holy wells were dedicated to him in Wales alone.
The religious centre of St David's thus became a focus for the religious aspirations of the Welsh nation and as Gerallt Cymro (Giraldus Cambrensis) relates: The Bishopric of St Davids became ... a symbol of the independence of Wales ... and that is why David himself was exalted into a Patron Saint of Wales.
The date of Dewi Sant's death is recorded as March 1st, but the year is uncertain - possibly 588. As his tearful monks prepared for his death St David uttered these words: 'Brothers be ye constant. The yoke which with single mind ye have taken, bear ye to the end; and whatsoever ye have seen with me and heard, keep and fulfil' and as he died 'Lords, brothers and sisters, be cheerful, keep the faith, and do those little things which ye have seen me do and heard me say.'
Dewi Sant, was incidentally, the only patron saint of the four chief nations of the British Isles to have been born in the land which adopted him.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)