Guiding for Principles for defining a XBR Blueprint

From MIKE2 Methodology

Some of the key Guiding Principles for IT Transformation using the XBR approach are as follows:

Contents 1 Principle #1: Don’t just engage the Business 2 Principle #2: Don’t just engage IT 3 Principle #3: Define an approach for Continuous Improvement and Communications 4 Principle #4: Keep the Vision at the “Vision Level” 5 Principle #5: Don’t start from scratch

Principle #1: Don’t just engage the Business

Senior IT staff can often be significant contributors in establishing the Business Vision. They typically have the best understanding of the business capabilities (and deficiencies) of systems. They understand the organisation’s information the best and can identify potential process improvements that business users may struggle too see. IT Architects will have the best vision of how to take cost out of the business through consolidation, automation, and decommissioning.

Senior Architects to involve in establishing the Business Vision would include the Chief Architect, Information Architect, Business Architect, and Technology Architect. Domain Architects would also be relevant for certain areas.

Principle #2: Don’t just engage IT

There is certainly a risk of being overly driven from IT. The obvious risk in this scenario is producing content that will fail to meet the business needs. This may not only result in failures in user acceptance, it will likely result in failure to even get buy-in on the programme.

The perceived (or real) lack of business value is a particular risk on IT Transformation projects focused on consolidation or de-commissioning. These programmes are often perceived by the business as being too infrastructure-focused; the business feels that they are not seeing work that will give them business benefits and it is difficult to keep build momentum and interest with the business community. To avoid these issues, a critical part of the strategy must be to deliver new business functionality early, often done through an information platform delivered as part of the data migration/transformation effort.

Improving the business is not all about technology – even in “IT” Transformation. Some of the most significant process and data improvements often don’t require any technology changes, only changes to the manner in which the technology is used. In establishing the Business and Technology Vision, the strategy should include identifying opportunities to improve how the existing technology is used through changes to new policies and procedures.

Principle #3: Define an approach for Continuous Improvement and Communications

Implementation of the transformation programme will take place over multiple years – it is a process that naturally includes discovery and strategy work. Although MIKE2.0 follows a well-defined set of activities, iteration can be beneficial, as long as it is controlled and kept time-conscious. Iterations to go over materials completed earlier in the process should be planned to occur throughout the project and Continuous Improvement should be explicitly planned for as part of the approach.

Continuous Communications should complement the improvement activities. One of the primary reasons for the Blueprint-approach is for easy organisational alignment and to help Avoid the Collaboration Maze.

Principle #4: Keep the Vision at the “Vision Level”

Particularly when establishing the current state, it is easy to get hung up in trying to go to too low a level of detail – the project becomes effectively more of an audit. This is a mistake. Not everything needs be known about the current-state to make some strategic decisions about moving forward. The Blueprint should be done at a level to facilitate key business, management and technology decisions. Going below this level does not contribute to the Blueprint and Roadmap process.

Principle #5: Don’t start from scratch

There are some things that will need to be discovered to provide the IT Strategy, but to a large degree we know what will be crucial in terms of the Technology Solution – increased flexibility, improved reusability, and reduced complexity. There is no need, therefore, to “start from scratch”. This is one of the key differentiators of the XBR, SAFE, and Information Development Solution Approach. It provides a strong solution basis with which to start the Transformation programme and simplifies the role of IT by providing a starting point for many of the technology decisions.