Professional Services
Real IRM has an outstanding professional services team with a wide range of skills that are focused on establishing a sustainable, business-appropriate enterprise architecture capability.
We partner with our clients to create sustainable, business-appropriate enterprise architecture capabilities that provide immediate value. Our professional services are based on an industry-leading and proven enterprise architecture approach that is technology-independent.
The approach includes the global standard methodology, TOGAF™(The Open Group Architecture Framework), as the enterprise architecture process and the Zachman Framework as the enterprise architecture classification framework. It is complemented by other frameworks such as GERAM and ANSI/IEEE Std 1471-2000.
Enterprise Architecture Implementation Approach
Our approach to stabilising, standardising and optimising EA in an organisation is based on the following principles:
- Clearly defined EA products and services to be delivered to the EA customers.
- A meta-model defined and implemented on architectural principles enabling effective repository management and quality modelling.
- EA governance implemented by a central EA office.
During the Plan and Build phases, the products are delivered according to a defined and agreed project scope. The Run phase is usually delivered as an outsourced or co-sourced service to the organisation.
PLAN
EA Definition
Product Description
Establish an organisation specific definition of Enterprise Architecture and the domain architectures. These definitions would facilitate discussions with regards to EA and guide the EA initiatives in terms of scope and application.
Product Approach
The definitions will be developed in a workshop. The Real IRM consultant will provide definitions of EA and domain architectures for debate during the workshop.
EA Stakeholder Analysis
Product Description
Defining the stakeholders or customers (usually internal to the organisation) of EA, understanding their viewpoints or perspectives that would guide their use and application of EA and identifying the views or products that would satisfy these viewpoints.
Product Approach
The Real IRM consultants will facilitate a workshop with architects and potential stakeholders to identitfy the stakeholders, their viewpoints and views based on the existing EA practice within the organisation, as well as the future evolving EA practice.
EA Conceptual Framework
Product Description
Defining models that should be developed to generate the defined views that are related to the various identified stakeholders.
This framework will identify per domain architecture - business, information, data, application and technology:
- Types of models required per level - contextual, conceptual, logical, physical
- The interrelationships between the various model types
- Preferred modelling notation, e.g. UML, ERD, Functional Decomposition, etc.
- Audience / users of models
- Required outputs
Product Approach
The Real IRM consultants will prepare recommendations and alternatives per domain architecture based on views identified in the EA stakeholder Analysis as well as reference frameworks such as the Zachman, TOGAF, GERAM and BIDAT frameworks. In the workshop the various alternatives will be discussed and debated.
EA Assessment
Product Description
A high level assessment of the Enterprise Architecture maturity of the business and IT organisation. The assessment will focus on the following aspects:
- EA staffing and required competencies
- EA capability processes, including governance
- EA deliverables
- EA enabling infrastructure
The objectives of the EA Assessment are to:
- record the current state of EA to use as a benchmark to measure project benefit realisation,
- determine the level of understanding on EA as input to the other project deliverables,
- determine existing practices that might impact on the project deliverables, and
- determine initial tool implementation requirements.
Product Approach
The EA Assessment will be conducted online and the results will be discussed and validated in a workshop.
EA Guiding Principles
Product Description
Guiding principles are:
- those core values that should be incorporated into every major IT initiative that Client undertakes.
- complementary to the business strategies and are used to set and guide decision making, not to run the day-to-day IT business.
- general rules and guidelines, intended to be enduring and seldom amended, that inform and support the way in which Client sets about fulfilling its mission.
Guiding principles will be developed for Enterprise Architecture as a discipline, as well as for the five domain architectures - business, information, data, application and technology.
Product Approach
Three workshops will be conducted to formulate the guiding principles:
- EA Guiding Principles workshop
- Business (Business and Information domains) Guiding Principles workshop
- Solution (Data, Application and Technology domains) Guiding Principles workshop
The Real IRM consultants will prepare a collection of guiding principles from TOGAF and their own knowledgebase. For each principle there will be an opposing principle. The workshop participants will then vote on the principles and based on the results of the vote a decision will be made on the adoption of principles. Implications would then be identified for the selected principles.
This approach has been adopted successfully in the past at other clients and tend to accelerate the decision process substantially.
EA Roadmap
Product Description
Establish an organisation specific roadmap for Enterprise Architecture that will indicate the focus areas of EA and formulate a strategy to achieve the vision over time.
Product Approach
The roadmap will be developed based on the results of the EA Maturity Assessment and best practice for EA.
BUILD
EA Office
EA Roles and Responsibilities
Product Description
A definition of the required EA roles that are required to create a sustainable EA capability for Client. For each role the associated responsibilities will be defined as well as the requried skills to perform this role.
Product Approach
The Real IRM consultants will develop a proposed EA role model based on the TOGAF skills framework as well as other skills framework in their knowledge base. The recommended role model will be presented at a workshop where it will be agreed.
EA Operating Model
Product Description
Define the EA processes in EA Toolset that should be implemented to sustain the EA capability. The EA process definition will focus on:
- Change Leadership - growing and sustaining a business-relevant EA capability
- Running EA like a business - operating a cost effective and value adding EA (modelling) office
- EA Governance
Product Approach
The Real IRM consultants will develop the processes with references to best practices such as TOGAF and ITIL. These processes will then be presented in a workshop for approval.
EA Performance Management
Product Description
A definition of performance measurements for the EA processes that would assist with managing the EA capability.
Product Approach
The Real IRM consultants will identify performance measurements according to the Client defined information management process and requirements.
Meta-models
Business Meta-model
Product Description
The Business Meta-model defines the structure of the EA Toolset repository to model the business processes, organisation, products, locations, strategy and risks to the lowest level. It also defines the associated modelling standards. Example models ar edeveloped to guide the architect in developing models that are compliant to the meta-model.
The meta-model has the following components:
- Model type definitions - define the model purpose, objects, object purpose, attributes and connections per model type as well as naming standards
- Model type interdepemdencies - define the dependencies and/or relationships between the various model types
- Modelling standards
- Model type interdependencies between model types from different domain architectures
- Group naming standards and hierarchies
- Example models to provide guidance to architects
- Implemented EA Toolset filters, templates and groups
Product Approach
The Real IRM consultants develop an example EA Toolset database based on the requirements specified in the EA Conceptual Framework and interviews with the domain architects. These examples are presented at a workshop to the domain architects to confirm the design of the meta-model.
As a result of the workshop the Real IRM consultants will update the examples and develop the meta-model deliverables. This will again be reviews in a workshop and finalised for approval.
Information Meta-model
Product Description
The Information Meta-model defines the structure of the EA Toolset repository to model the business measures and information to the lowest level. It also defines the associated modelling standards. Example modles are developed to guide the architect in developing models that are compliant to the meta-model.
The meta-model has the following components:
- Model type definitions - define the model purpose, objects, object purpose, attributes and connections per model type as well as naming standards
- Model type interdependencies - define the dependencies and/or relationships between the various model types
- Modelling standards
- Model type interdependencies between model types from different domain architectures
- Group naming standards and hierarchies
- Example models to provide guidance to architects
- Implemented EA Toolset filters, templates and groups
Product Approach
The Real IRM consultants develop an example EA Toolset databse based on the requirements specified in the EA Conceptual Framework and interviews with the domain architects. These examples are presented at a workshop to the domain architects to confirm the design of the meta-model.
As a result of the workshop the Real IRM consultants will update the examples and develop the meta-model deliverables. This will then again be reviewed in a workshop and finalised for aproval.
Data Meta-model
Product Description
The Data Meta-model defines the structure of the EA Toolset repository to model the data design to the lowest level. It also defines the associated modelling standards. Example models are developed to guide the architect in developing models that are compliant to the meta-model.
The meta-model has the following components:
- Model type definitions - define the model purpose, objects, object purpose, attributes and connections per model type as well as naming standards
- Model type interdependencies - define the dependencies and/or relationships between the various model types
- Modelling standards
- Model type interdependencies between model types from the different domain architectures
- Group naming standards and hierarchies
- Example models to provide guidance to architects
- Implemented EA Toolset filters, templates and groups
Product Approach
The Real IRM consultants develop an example EA Toolset database based on the requirements specified in the EA Conceptual Framework and interviews with the domain architects. These examples are presented at a workshop to the domain architects to confirm the design of the meta-model.
As a result of the workshop the Real IRM consultants will update the examples and develop the meta-model deliverables. This will then again be reviewed in a workshop and finalised for approval.
Application Meta-model
Product Description
The Application Meta-model defines the structure of the EA Toolset repository to model the application design to the lowest level. It also defines the associated modelling standards. Example models are developed to guide the architect in developing models that are compliant to the meta-model.
The meta-model has the following components:
- Model type definitions - define the model purpose, objects, object purpose, attributes and connections per model type as well as naming standards
- Model type interdependencies - define the dependencies and/or relationships between the various model types
- Modelling standards
- Model type interdependencies between model types from the different domain architectures
- Group naming standards and hierarchies
- Example models to provide guidance to architects
- Implemented EA Toolset filters, templates and groups
Product Approach
The Real IRM consultants develop an example EA Toolset database based on the requirements specified in the EA Conceptual Framework and interviews with the domain architects. These examples are presented at a workshop to the domain architects to confirm the design of the meta-model.
As a result of the workshop the Real IRM consultants will update the examples and develop the meta-model deliverables. This will then again be reviewed in a workshop and finalised for approval.
Technology Meta-model
Product Description
The Technology Meta-model defines the structure of the EA Toolset repository to model the infrastructure to the lowest level. It also defines the associated modelling standards. Example models are developed to guide the architect in developing models that are compliant to the meta-model.
The meta-model has the following components:
- Model type definitions - define the model purpose, objects, object purpose, attributes and connections per model type as well as naming standards
- Model type interdependencies - define the dependencies and/or relationships between the various model types
- Modelling standards
- Model type interdependencies between model types from the different domain architectures
- Group naming standards and hierarchies
- Example models to provide guidance to architects
- Implemented EA Toolset filters, templates and groups
Product Approach
The Real IRM consultants develop an example EA Toolset database based on the requirements specified in the EA Conceptual Framework and interviews with the domain architects. These examples are presented at a workshop to the domain architects to confirm the design of the meta-model.
As a result of the workshop the Real IRM consultants will update the examples and develop the meta-model deliverables. This will then again be reviewed in a workshop and finalised for approval.
EA Toolset
Real IRM’s technical team has a minimal learning curve so that costs are reduced and project delivery is accelerated. The team is Microsoft-certified and can also program for other development environments according to the client's technical standards. In addition, the technical team has an in-depth understanding of enterprise architecture, and is able to build and design solutions that align IT with business strategy. Several members of the team have TOGAF™ 8 certifications.
Technical Services Transform Enterprise Architecture Products Into Business Tools
A Focus on the Delivery of Value
How Technical Services can help you
EA Toolset Selection
Product Decription
An objective selection of the most appropriate collection of EA tools required to implement the EA Conceptual Framework. The selection process can either be facilitated by a Real IRM consultant, or a recommendation can be made by Real IRM based on an understanding of the requirement.
Product Approach
Develop the functional requirements based on the EA Conceptual Framework and list the evaluation criteria and weightings. Request vendor responses against requriements and validate responses. Conduct a final assessment of the various responses and compile a recommendation.
EA Reporting & Automation
Product Description
A clear definition of the EA reporting requirements. This will be mapped to the available reporting provided by the EA Toolset. Requirements not met will be identified and a development plan will be developed to address these gaps.
Product Approach
Develop the reporting requirements based on the EA Conceptual Framework. Present the reporting requirements in a workshop to confirm the completeness and validity. Determine available EA Toolset reports that can satisfy requirements. Develop a development plan based on the requirements not met.
Implemented EA Environment
Product Description
Assist with the implementation of the EA Toolset by:
- Advising on the technical infrastructure required for the initial implementation
- Assisting with the installation of software
- Assisting with the installation of the EA Toolset database
Product Approach
A Real IRM EA Toolset specialist will assist with the installation of the software and database and the design of the technical infrastructure in a working session.
A Real IRM EA Toolset specialist will execute the test scripts to test the installation.
EA Training
Product Description
The following training courses can be presented:
- Introduction to Enterprise Architecture (1 day)
- Introduction to Process Modelling (1 day)
- Basic EA Toolset Functionality (focus on process) (1 day)
- Advanced EA Toolset Process Modelling (1 day)
- Information Modelling (1 day)
- Solution (Data, Application and Technology) Modelling (1 day)
- Management Overview (1 day)
Product Approach
The Real IRM trainer will have to customise the training material according to the Client meta-models and include Client templates in the material and excercises.
The training will be presented in a class room style.
Please visit our training section for more information.
RUN
Optimise The Delivery From Your Enterprise Architecture Practice
Real IRM's outsourcing service is based on a business-appropriate and sustainable enterprise architecture practice that is aligned to the business requirements of the client. The practice is set up in line with TOGAF™ and other enterprise architecture industry standards. The focus of the practice is to deliver high-quality enterprise architecture products appropriate to the identified clients.
Enterprise architecture can be a powerful business tool for supporting decision-making and enabling business leaders to manage change. It should, however, be available, accessible and intuitive to be effective in the hands of business leaders.
By adopting best practices in outsourcing, Real IRM enables companies to minimise the risks and maximise the benefits of implementing an enterprise architecture.
Outsourcing the management of your enterprise architecture practice to Real IRM will promote specialisation in your organisation, allowing your architects to focus on their core competencies while you farm out your needs to a team of dedicated, expert consultants. This increases a company's intellectual property and results in higher quality products and services all round.
Real IRM's outsourcing services
EA Change Management
Service Description
- Managing changes to the EA Conceptual Framework and Meta-model
- Managing changes to defined architectures
- Managing changes to the EA Office
EA Monitoring
Service Description
- Completeness
- Tracking actuals to plan (Scorecard)
- Quality
- Meta-model compliance
- Content quality
- Audit
- Usage
- Number of users
- Frequency of use - number of hits
EA Modelling
- Business Modelling
- Process Modelling - includes mapping to organisation, product, strategic objectives, information, documents, data, application and technology
- Organisation Modelling - includes organisational structure and physical locations
- Product Modelling
- Strategic Objective Modelling
- Risk and Control Modelling - includes mapping process
- Information Modelling
- Scorecard Modelling - includes mapping to organisation (ownership) and process
- Information Structure Modelling - includes mapping to organisation (ownership) and data
- Document Modelling
- Data Modelling
- Logical Data Modelling - includes mapping to organisation (ownership)
- Physical Data Modelling - includes mapping to technology (deployment)
- Application Modelling
- Application Modelling - includes mapping to organisation (ownership), data Deployment Modelling - mapping to technology
- Technology Modelling
- Infrastructure Application Modelling
- Infrastructure Modelling - includes mapping to organisation (ownership and location)
EA Content Management
Service Description
- Quality Assurance
- Synchronisation with master data sources
- Synchronisation to other data sources
EA Reporting
- Web Publishing
- EA Toolset Generated Reports
- Other Reporting
- Impact Analysis, e.g. mapping between process and applications
EA Environmental Administration
Service Description
- EA Toolset database re-organisation
- EA Toolset database backup
- EA Toolset databse security
- EA Toolset user administration
- EA Toolset user support
- EA Toolset product installation, maintenance and upgrade
- Utilities installation, maintenance and upgrade
- Liaise with outsource infrastructure provider
- Liaise with product providers
Change Leadership
Service Description
Change Leadership based on Kotter's approach to change:
- Prepare
- Establish a sense of urgency
- Create a guiding coalition
- Develop a vision and strategy
- Communicate the change vision
- Implement
- Empower broad-based action
- Generate short-term wins
- Consolidate gains and produce more change
- Anchor
- Anchor new approaches in the culture
Programme and Project Management using PRINCE2 methodolgy.