Managing Information: Information Technology Architecture

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Managing InformationInformation Technology
Architecture

• Infsy 540
• Dr. R. Ocker

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Strategy

• What is a business strategy?

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Strategy

• What is the relationship between IT and the
  business strategy?

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managers dilemma

• managers dilemma
• cannot leave important IT decisions to computer
  professionals to make alone, but managers are not
  technically competent to make the right
  decisions without technologists

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managers dilemma

• dilemma resolved by developing an information
  technology architecture
• bridge between strategy and technology
• defines a companys IT infrastructure
• includes policies and guidelines that govern the
  IT resources
• computers, data, software, communications
  facilities

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Link IS plan to business plan

• Linkage achieved if
• corporate business plan states information needs
• IS plan refers to requirements of business plan
  is checked against plan
• non-IS managers participate in IS planning
  process and vice versa
• corporate IS planning calendars are in synch

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Strategy

• IT must support the business strategy
• 3 dimensions of support
• content
• timing
• people involved in planning process

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Information Technology Architecture

• provides a structure to facilitate decision
  making about technology investment and use

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Architecture is the metaphor

• Architecture is the metaphor - building IT
  infrastructure
• to build a skyscraper
• owner starts with vision of building
• works with architect who translates vision into a
  plan

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Architecture is the metaphor

• builders uses plan to construct building
• owner does not have expertise in structural
  engineering, but must have clear ideas of what
  and how the building will be used.
• Must understand some basics of design in order
  to communicate vision to the architect.

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Architecture is the metaphor

• to build an IT architecture
• executives start with a vision of doing
  business
• vision has certain implications for information
  requirements
• dont have technical computer expertise
• do have clear idea of business strategy
• must communicate this to IT architect/planner

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Architecture is the metaphor

• general managers must be able to effectively
  integrate IT into their vision for the
  organizations competitive strategy

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Components of an IT Architecture

• 1. Information technology inventory
• 2. Functional use of the IT
• 3. Strategic plan for the IT

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1. Information technology inventory

• answers the question what do we have?
• basic building blocks of an IT architecture
• hardware
• software
• data
• communications links

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1.Information technology inventory

• this level is the hard technology from which
  most general managers are far removed
• general manager should have a basic familiarity
  with computer systems to bridge the gap between
  his/her world and that of the IT architect
• IT architect must have a good understanding of
  the business and the organization

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2. Functional use of the IT

• answers the question how do we use it?
• baseline blueprint - IT components and functions
  already in place
• planned blueprint - prescription for future IT
  investments and designs
• general manager and IT architect communicate on
  this conceptual level
• 3 functional categories applications, data and
  communications

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3. Strategic plan for the IT

• past - general managers were unfamiliar with
  technology and delegated IT architecture
  decisions to gurus
• however, these experts in technology often had
  little knowledge of business strategies
• now - cant afford this approach technology too
  expensive and too important
• business strategy must drive IT architecture
  strategy

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Developing an IT Architecture

• designing and building an architecture is an
  ongoing business process
• goal - to reach consensus between the IS
  organization and the business leaders - not easy
  to do

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Developing an IT ArchitectureSteps

• 1. articulate business strategy and implications
  for IT architecture
• start from the top with the overall business
  strategy and its functional IT requirements
• 2. baseline the company architecture
• baseline blueprint - assess existing IT
• bottom-up approach

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Developing an IT ArchitectureSteps

• 3. determine key architecture questions
• outline set of questions to be answered, such as
• what technologies do we have?
• are these the right technologies?
• how does the current architecture support our
  business?
• are we getting a strategic advantage from our
  architecture?

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Developing an IT ArchitectureSteps

• then look into the future to the planned
  blueprint
• in what technologies should we invest?
• how should it be structured?
• how will it give us a competitive advantage?
• should we outsource any functions?
• etc.

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Developing an IT ArchitectureSteps

• 4. design a planned architecture blueprint
• decide what the architecture should be

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Developing an IT ArchitectureSteps

• 5. initiate the architecture plan
• two approaches - revolutionary vs. evolutionary
• revolution - radical replacement of old
  technology
• evolution - new technology layered on top of
  existing infrastructure old systems gradually
  replaced over time

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Understand?Questions?