Application Architecture

“Application architecture combines a core set of solution architecture design artifacts with architecture and design best practices to effectively guide application construction, deployment, ongoing performance and continued evolution of the application portfolio. A disciplined approach to application architecture enables real business value, enhances the organization’s leverage, facilitates user adoption, drives down the total cost of application ownership and minimizes the risk of failure” (Blechar and Robertson).

The goals of application architecture include:

• Creating greater business value through progression of applications
• Delivering applications in a cost effective manner
• Improving and increasing productivity by providing high quality applications and SOA services
• Application integration

The application architecture describes how specific applications are designed and how they interact with each other. Users manage how these applications work are positioned to work together. In order to do this the architects must ensure that the applications that are implemented align with the overall goals and strategies of the organization. The data stored and manipulated by these applications are also at a focus point. The applications are mapped to business functions.

Blechar, Mike, and Bruce Robertson. “Application Architecture Overview, Part 1: General Context and Scope.”Technology Research, Gartner, Inc., 8 Dec. 2010, www.gartner.com/doc/1487814/application-architecture-overview-general-context.

Business Intelligence

Another aspect of application architecture that was discussed in this week’s readings was business intelligence. In an article from CIO.com, “Business intelligence (BI) leverages software and services to transform data into actionable intelligence that informs an organization’s strategic and tactical business decisions. BI tools access and analyze data sets and present analytical findings in reports, summaries, dashboards, graphs, charts and maps to provide users with detailed intelligence about the state of the business” (Pratt, Mary). Business intelligence provides a way for people to analyze data and look for trends that will help make better informed business decisions. An example of business intelligence being used in an organization is Maidenform. Maidenform implemented business intelligence systems to enhance decision making. Maidenform CIO Bob Russo commented on BI, “Providing targeted information at the right place and time is central to improving the decision-making process. This would allow us to gain a competitive advantage in the marketplace as well as increase retail customer, shopper and shareholder value. We want to make sure that we are able to deliver ‘one version of the truth’ and deliver information that is actionable. We do not want to just deliver data.” Business intelligence systems provided insight to data and processing that the organization otherwise would not have had.

“6 Real Life Examples of Successful Business Intelligence Systems.” Cloud Data Integration Software | Matillion, 9 Oct. 2013, www.matillion.com/insights/6-real-life-examples-of-successful-business-intelligence-systems/.

Pratt, Mary K. “What Is BI? Business Intelligence Definition and Solutions.” CIO, CIO, 1 Sept. 2017, www.cio.com/article/2439504/business-intelligence/business-intelligence-definition-and-solutions.html.

Big Data Improves ERP

The collection of big data and interpreting the data has become a business process that many competitive organizations has taken on. The use of big data for ERP systems has proven to improve ERP capabilities. Big data can help information density and speeds up the decision making process. ERPNews outlines some of the advantages of big data integrating with ERP systems.

Quick Information Delivery

A big data system creates node-level operating transactions which touch all present ERP modules in real-time.

Improved Scheduling

Better forecasting; when you integrate big data into your ERP, you get a number of quickly leveraged opportunities for resolving the impossible need of having more data.

Better Customer profiling
By integrating big data with ERP using CRM modules it is now possible for CRM operators to not only track but also trap trend patterns of customers in real time and then promptly use the gathered information to create more and targeted sales offers.

“Big Data Will Improve Your ERP Software.” ERP News, 7 Sept. 2017, www.erpnews.com/big-data-will-improve-erp-software/.