Enterprise patterns: Make Your Logic Obvious (MYLO)

This pattern is an underlining approach for several other enterprise patterns mentioned in the blog. It recommends making the decision logic as explicit as possible before approaching the decision itself. The logic must be understandable by all stakeholders of this decision. They should be able to execute this logic. So the logic will take the decision - not you. Thus explicit logic acts as a “lubricator”.

Different techniques may be used:

• decision tables (as in http://improving-bpm-systems.blogspot.com/2011/12/enterprise-pattern-cloud-ready.html) , 
• diagrams (as in http://improving-bpm-systems.blogspot.com/2012/06/writing-it-strategy-from-business.html),  
• rules (as in http://improving-bpm-systems.blogspot.com/2011/10/enterprise-pattern-structuring-it.html), 
• principles, 
• etc.

Thanks,

AS

#bpm for developers: improve #agility of implementations

A small presentation for developers about BPM with different tricks to improve the agility and robustness of implementations is available on SlideShare http://fr.slideshare.net/samarin/bpm-for-developers

BPM for developers from Alexander Samarin

and its extended version

BPM for developers, extended from Alexander Samarin

Thanks,
AS

Enterprise patterns: Strategy Implementation Chain (SIC)

The aim of this post is to synthesize some enterprise patterns recently published in this blog to address the practical enterprise need of “strategy implementation”. The arrangement achieved links different #entarch artefacts into some kind of chain of transformations, with its supervision and enabling:

1. from the business objectives to a portfolio of projects (or roadmap); 
2. from the brief initial project specs to a prototype; 
3. from a prototype to a deployable solution (processes and services); 
4. from a deployable solution to a deployed solution (by deciding where to deploy each service, e.g. in-house or in-cloud, IaaS, SaaS, PaaS, etc.); 
5. EA supervision of projects; 
6. platform-enabled agile solutions as an implementation enabler; 
7. melting pot of #entarch+#bizarch+#BPM+#SOA+#ECM+#ITIL+#governance+#strategy as a methodology enabler. 

And resources which describe the parts of the chain.

1. Enterprise pattern “Strategy TO Portfolio” (STOP)

• Writing IT strategy http://improving-bpm-systems.blogspot.com/2011/09/writing-it-strategy.html
• Writing IT strategy - From business priorities to the planning of IT actions http://improving-bpm-systems.blogspot.com/2012/06/writing-it-strategy-from-business.html
• Linking business strategy and IT strategy http://improving-bpm-systems.blogspot.com/2013/02/linking-business-strategy-and-it.html
• Enterprise patterns: Strategy TO Portfolio (STOP) http://improving-bpm-systems.blogspot.com/2013/04/enterprise-patterns-strategy-to.html

2. Modelling of explicit and executable business processes

• presentation http://fr.slideshare.net/samarin/how-to-use-bpmn-for-modelling-business-processes 
• presentation  "#BPM for business analysts: modelling procedure"

  http://www.slideshare.net/samarin/bpm-for-developers

• enterprise pattern “Cloud-Aware Processes and Services” (CAPS) http://improving-bpm-systems.blogspot.com/2011/07/enterprise-patterns-caps.html

3. Relationship between EA, PMO, an SDLC methodology and ITIL

•  http://improving-bpm-systems.blogspot.com/2011/01/relationship-between-ea-pmo-sdlc.html

4. Enterprise pattern “#Cloud-Ready Estimation and Evaluation Procedure” (CREEP)

• http://improving-bpm-systems.blogspot.com/2011/12/enterprise-pattern-cloud-ready.html

5. Relationships between EA and PMO

• http://improving-bpm-systems.blogspot.com/2011/01/relationships-between-ea-and-pmo.html

6. Enterprise pattern “Platform-Enabled Agile Solutions” (PEAS)

•  Enterprise patterns: PEAS http://improving-bpm-systems.blogspot.com/2011/04/enterprise-patterns-peas.html
•  Quick delivery of solutions via a PEAS-architected platform http://improving-bpm-systems.blogspot.com/2012/07/delivery-via-peas-architected-platform.html
•  Enterprise patterns: PEAS - example and technique http://improving-bpm-systems.blogspot.com/2013/02/enterprise-patterns-peas-example-and.html
•  Quick delivery of solutions via a PEAS-architected platform - mini-projects http://improving-bpm-systems.blogspot.com/2013/02/quick-delivery-of-solutions-via-peas.html

7. Melting pot

• the book “Improving enterprise business process management systems" http://www.samarin.biz/book
• the blog http://improving-bpm-systems.blogspot.com/

The use of SIC enterprise pattern can help to avoid some risks in EA practice. (The list below is taken from a recent LinkedIn discussion http://www.linkedin.com/groups/What-are-potential-risks-in-36781.S.232446262 )

• Incorrect understanding of business strategy
• Incorrect translating from strategy to architectural design
• Not Balance well on EA aspiration & EA Practicality
• "Waterfall" type of EA, lack of Agile practice - Incremental-ism, Improvement and Iteration.
• Framework or Frameless? How to leverage well?
• "We know what we are doing, even though we've never done it before"
• "We just need a tool"
• No focus on delivering quantifiable value
• Too focused on IT
• "Modeling the Universe"
• "Let’s collect data and see what we find"
• EA Dept hoarding information
• Unable to articulate the value proposition of EA
• Unable to communicate effectively with stakeholders
• Unable to execute in an appropriate risk management approach that matches effort (investment) with return

Thanks,
AS

Enterprise patterns: Strategy To Executable Portfolio (STEP)

This pattern is based on previous blog posts about linking business priorities and IT portfolio of projects - http://improving-bpm-systems.blogspot.com/search/label/IT%20strategy .

Considering that at present the intended strategy is only a part of the realised strategy, it is necessary to take into account emergent strategy as quick as possible.  Developing a strategy for 3 years and and reviewing it only once (mid-term review) is not sufficient. Strategy and related portfolio should be changed more often.

Another typical situation is "...strategy clarification, illumination ... " which is carried out after the approval of the strategy. So, such a strategy may be not "implemetable" at all.

The explicit linking between business priorities and IT projects (see illustration below from http://improving-bpm-systems.blogspot.com/2013/02/linking-business-strategy-and-it.html)

1. guarantees implementation of the strategy, 
2. simplifies the strategy review and 
3. changes such a review into routine activity. 

Thanks,
 AS

First #entarch works?

Mentioning of #entarch work (urbanisme in French) is found on a stone document from Punique Carthage dated at 3rd century (probably) BC.

A description in French is below.

Thanks,

AS

Addressing #security concerns through #BPM

A small presentation about potential linkage between security and BPM is available at
http://www.slideshare.net/samarin/addressing-security-concerns-through-bpm

Addressing security concerns through BPM from Alexander Samarin

This linkage is important because BPM should play the main role in the pan-African platform for e-governments and e-governance (see http://improving-bpm-systems.blogspot.com/2013/03/pan-african-platform-for-e-governments.html). Linking them will make the security more explicit.

This is concept note for a discussion.

Thanks,
AS