In Topic 6.1, I tried to provide an introductory overview of BA, including its origin, framework, use cases, and deployment options. In this article, I drawed on a case study published by the BA guild to glimpse the application aspects. The focus here will be on the tasks and their order and connection to the framework, leaving the details for the reference section below. Before starting, here is a reminder of the BA framework and its core and extended perspectives (see Figure 1).
Figure 1 – Business Architecture Framework (Source: BIZBOK)
The case discusses a government agency facing disruptive challenges and decided to solve these problems through digitization and modernization of services and operations. They formulated a strategy where they defined the problems, goals, and solutions (initiatives). The BA team embarked on the strategy-to-execution journey to fulfill the three major deliverables: current state, future state, and roadmap.
The BA team reviewed the current problems and their causes following the cause-and-effect analysis technique. They also finalized the corresponding solutions and remedies for these problems. Figures 2, 3, and 4 show the outcomes of these efforts.
I have two comments to add; first, the above analysis manifests the application of the BA framework’s extended perspectives, i.e., strategies, initiatives, products, etc. Second, the depictions in Figures 2, 3, and 4 are shockingly informative despite their size and simplicity. They carry all the answers the stakeholders need along the transformation journey, which tells a lot about the value the BA practice can add to decision-making, planning, and execution processes.
Figure 2 – Current business problems/Challenges (Source: Business Architecture Guild)
Figure 3 – Current Information Technology Problems/Challenges (Source: Business Architecture Guild)
Figure 4 – Solutions and Remedies (Source: Business Architecture Guild)
The application of the BA framework’s core perspectives is represented in the following outcomes: strategy map, impacted capabilities identification, stakeholders and interactions identification, value-streams identification, capabilities to value streams cross-mapping, and the heat map. See Figures 5, 6, and 7.
Here, I would like to highlight a few points:
- The strategy map (Figure 5) involves the subset of the overall strategy elements relevant to the transformation.
- The purpose of mapping the strategy is to link strategy elements to identified capabilities.
- Identifying organization-stakeholder interactions (Figure 6) is necessary to recognize the value streams (Figure 7).
Figure 5 – Strategy map (Source: Business Architecture Guild)
Figure 6 – Value Network Diagram (Source: Business Architecture Guild)
Figure 7 – Capabilities and Value streams cross-mapping (Source: Business Architecture Guild)
Once business blueprints were completed, the BA team worked with other domain experts, such as enterprise solutions and data architects, to address and finalize the information, technologies, infrastructure, etc. See Figure 8.
Figure 8 – Transformation framework (Source: Business Architecture Guild)
References
A Guide to the Business Architecture Body of Knowledge BIZBOK (12th ed.). Business Architecture Guild.
Government Agency case study: Leveraging Business Architecture to Enable Transformation. (2016). Business Architecture Guild