Criteria For EA Tool Selection

Criteria for Enterprise Architecture Tool “ When it comes to executing your strategy , your enterprise architecture may matter far more than your strategy itself ” Enterprise Architecture as Strategy

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EA Tool Features The ability to import business process and data structure information from packaged applications, as well as the ability to import current-state architecture information from IT management tools Support for and tracking of architecture standards Policies that operate on the architecture repository Support for ontology's Assistance in the application of business intelligence tools to repository information

Tool Capability: Imports from Packaged Applications Visibility of the business processes and the information that they manage. Assist in the development of future state architectures and the documentation of current-state architectures. Ability to import services offered by Packaged Applications

Tool Capability: Imports from IT Management Tools Ability to import from any IT Management Tool. very important to current-state architecture. Ability to import different data formats from these tools

Tool Capability: Tracking EA Standards The ability to track the adoption of future-state EA standards by project. Interoperability with EA Governance Where EA Governance Metrics can be applied Ability to detect the adherence of solutions to architecture road maps and tracking compliance to a catalogue of technology standards

Tool Capability: Repository Policy Management Ability to apply business rules to information in the repository, which, as a result, have the ability to initiate action. The ability for a policy to detect when a steward does not exist and initiate an alert. Alerts on Standards that needs to be reviewed periodically. Configurable Policies without the need for programming

Tool Capability: Extracted Repository Table and Table Views Ability to extract from EA repository in one of the following ways: Directly on the "live" repository information through simplified views of the data Extracted data that is stored in simplified structures Ability to draw reports about the state of the Architecture

Tool Capability: Support for Ontology's The ability to bring together disparate information – build-in meta model. Ability to categorise information Ontology support in providing the ability to classify objects in a non-hierarchical way (taxonomies are hierarchical ontology's).

List of available EA Tool Vendors IDS Scheer Qualiware Salamander Telelogic Troux Sybase Adaptive Alfabet ASG Agilense/Inspired Casewise Mega

EA Tools Review Framework Enterprise Architects Solution Architects Strategic Planners/ Management Enterprise Programme Managers Software Architects / Engineers External Partners Overall Requirement List Methodologies and Models Requirements Requirements Requirements Requirements Requirements Requirements = ... Model Development Interface Requirements Requirements Requirements Requirements Requirements Requirements = ... Tool Automation Requirements Requirements Requirements Requirements Requirements Requirements = ... Extendibility and Customisation Requirements Requirements Requirements Requirements Requirements Requirements = ... Analysis and Manipulation Requirements Requirements Requirements Requirements Requirements Requirements = ... Repository Requirements Requirements Requirements Requirements Requirements Requirements = ... Deployment Architecture Requirements Requirements Requirements Requirements Requirements Requirements = ... Costs and Vendor Support Requirements Requirements Requirements Requirements Requirements Requirements = ... Architecture Results Requirements Requirements Requirements Requirements Requirements Requirements = ... Weigh Factors

EA Tools Review Framework Basic Functionality of the Tool Utility of the Tool to different Professionals

Functionality Dimensions Methodologies and Models EA methodology and modelling approach Supported with Integration Model Development Interface The interface used to design, build, maintain and often manipulate, the models that make up the architecture Tool Automation Ability to generate enterprise architecture models as a result of data manipulation functions. Extendibility and Customisation Tools may be extendable by integrating them with other software products with customisation build in. Analysis and Manipulation Analysis support provided by a tool may simply examine how correct or complete the model is, relative to a particular modelling approach used. Repository A repository may provide support for collaboration by supporting multiple, concurrent, users on the one repository, or by providing the ability to combine models developed by different modellers into one model Deployment Architecture Deployment architecture describes the tool‘s software structure and software implementation Extendibility and Customisation The cost of the tool and after sales support provided by the vendor.

Professional Dimensions Enterprise Architects The over-arching requirement is flexibility in defining and adapting modelling approaches, investigate all aspects of enterprise architectural approaches and methodologies. Solution Architects Focuses on the Solution level in order to maintain consistency and interoperability across Business & IT. Strategic Planners / Managers Uses the enterprise architectures results for strategic decision making. The architectures need to be assembled and modified quickly, and should be based on current (or planned) future capability. Enterprise Programme Managers The tool should have a strong planning and analysis capability and allow reuse between enterprise architectures for different activities undertaken at different times. . Software Architects / Engineers Relates requirements to fixed system hardware and infrastructure (i.e., COTS) to software structures in order to demonstrate software effectiveness External Partners Sometimes these partners have different demands from results supported by tools. Therefore it is interesting to know their specific needs / demands.

CANDIDATE LIST OF EA TOOL REQUIREMENTS AND SPECIFICATIONS

Operational and Technical Fit Platform Environment What Desktop Operating System is catered for, list all? What Server Operating System is catered for, list all On what Database and version is the repository installed, list all? Is there a Web Client, and which browser is native, list all? What requirements are required for the Repository, list all? Performance and Availability Can additional licenses be added dynamically without the need to affect users PC's? Can the tool still operate for a period of time if the server holding the licenses crashes? What amount of records can be handled by the tool, list them? Does the performance of the tool degrade due to concurrent users accessing the repository? Explain? Is their native performance monitoring tools? Is remote access feasible and practical (e.g. via GPRS/notebook)? Security (User Admin) Is there clear roles and responsibilities that can be assigned to different levels of users? Does the tool have the ability to run reports based on the number of concurrent users logged in? Does the tool have version control as a native feature? Can new profiles be created and can certain models be locked for certain users?

Operational and Technical Fit Software Distribution Is a central shared installation possible, which allows users to access the tool without local installation procedures? Does the tool support shared initial installation? (I.e. can the tool be site-installed and the installation shared by users)? What is the upgrade process for the application, and how many releases per year? Release Management Does the tool support rollback? Does the tool support replication/synchronization mechanisms? Is it possible to replicate parts of the repository to local repositories? Tool Architecture What form of architecture is provided by the tool? Does the tool provide stand alone usage? Technical and Operational Requirements What are the minimum server requirements? What are the minimum CPU requirements? What are the minimum Memory requirements? What are the minimum storage requirements?

Vendor Support Help Desk Support Is a central shared installation possible, which allows users to access the tool without local installation procedures? Can help desk support be offered in English? What is the guarantee on mean time to repair, and do you provide standard escalation procedures for problem resolution? Is a log of all known bugs, including date of first occurrence, status and date of closure, available on-line for at least the last 6 months? Does the tool have an online tutorial with some additional help features with online documentation? Training Do you have dedicated in-house product trainers? Do you provide formal training of the product? Is courseware available for purchase? Do you provide web based training /e-learning? Professional Services (Migration) Do you provide consulting services? Do you offer tools for (assistance with) a one-off conversion of documents from Excel, Visio, Word or other format to your tool?

Vendor Support Documentation Will you provide us with a full comprehensive set of documentation covering all aspects of the tool? Are changes made available on the Web? Are all documents made available in both hard and soft format? Local Support Do you offer local support in South Africa? Do you offer guaranteed reaction times? Newsgroups Is there a user group for your product? Do you run a global newsgroup for discussion?

Functional Fit (Specific) Support Analysis Does the tool search enterprise architecture design patterns in order to suggest a possible solution? Does the tool support the process of enterprise architecture requirement analysis and the process of generating architecture design? Does the tool offer consistency checking and quality checks for designed architectures in accordance to architecture principles and rules? Does the tool support impact analysis at all levels? Does the tool support delta analysis at all levels? Are there syntax checks through the given data? Are there semantic checks through the given data? Can new consistency checks be defined at any time? Does the tool support bottleneck analysis? Does the tool offer a common meta-model? Does the tool offer mean to force mandatory inputs? Support of Enterprise Architecture Frameworks What Frameworks does the tool support? Delivers the tool Support for a custom or proprietary enterprise architecture framework? Can the tool handle references to an external custom enterprise architectural framework? Does the tool aid user with navigation in a custom enterprise architecture framework?

Functional Fit (Specific) Support of Enterprise Architecture Program Does the tool have a timeline marking of objects (e.g. objects valid from..to..)? Does the tool handle different stages of existence of objects (e.g. under discussion, valid, in operation, discarded)? Can the tool produce time-related output? (e.g. to show the enterprise architectural landscape at a specific date (to any freely chosen date)? Simulation Does the tool support simulation of alternative enterprise architecture scenarios? Can the tool generate landscapes of (selected) objects of one or more classes? Can the tool generate a landscape of objects which existed on a certain date or over a certain period if time in the past? Is it possible to generate a to-be landscape of objects planned for certain dates? Does the tool simulate impact of changes in a scenario? Does the tool support hierarchy? Has the tool the ability to support discrete simulation? Has the tool the ability to perform Monte Carlo simulation? Have the tool facilities to graphical simulation of processes to demonstrate bottlenecks?

Functional Fit (Specific) Repository Management Does the tool support Enterprise Architecture Diagrams? Does the tool have Domain Architecture Diagrams? Does the tool fully support Custom Type Diagrams (e. g. Management Dashboard View)? Does the tool support workflow? Does the tool have process modelling functionality i.e. process decomposition and process charts? Does the tool support enterprise architecture design diagrams as standard or can be customized to support this, with the ability to reuse applications and system interfaces from the application architecture diagrams? Can the tool generate diagrams using objects, their properties and relationships out of the repository? Has the tool the ability to create an enterprise meta data dictionary? Does the tool support the incorporation of service level agreements? Validation of Models Does the tool support versioning of requirements, history of requirement changes, log of modifications etc Does the tool ensure that involved responsible users for certain objects (e. g. systems) must agree when changes to interfaces between objects will be done? (workflow) Has the tool the ability to trace incompleteness?

Functional Fit (Specific) Support of Standard Modelling Languages and Techniques What notations does the tool support? Does the tool support modelling processes with a swim-lane diagramming approach? What methodologies does the tool support? Support of Enterprise Architecture Review Management Does the tool support identification of components where counter steering is required? Does the tool provide information objects to store, access review reports and results in a structured manner

Functional Fit (General) User Interface Can the user decide on what level to navigate through the tool Does the tool have a database of customizable examples / solutions? Does the tool have a framework of orientation within the whole projects? Can the system use graphical and non-graphical user interfaces Customisation Can the user create new diagram types Can the user create new properties for existing definitions? Is there no limit to the amount of diagrams, definitions, objects and matrices that can be created? Does the tool support aggregation of information in order to create one big picture (Overview)? Import / Integration Are there interfaces to other DB programs like, explain? What other tools does the tool integrate with, explain?

Functional Fit (General) Reporting Is it possible to generate, to save and to export user defined reports and graphics? To what applications and formats can the reports be exported to? Is it possible to publish defined information automatically based on predefined states, events or time? Version Management Is there a version mechanism within the tool? Can the tool provide several versions of one metadata object? Does the tool support comparisons between versions of objects? Does the tool support migration of individual objects/components through development phases? Does the tool support resolution of migration conflicts during the migration of multiple releases? Documentation Management Does the tool produce documents in industry standard formats (ISO, IEEE …)? Does the tool support generating of presentations? Does the tool support concurrent review, markup and comment of documents, designs, etc

Functional Fit (General) Help and Tutorials Installation: Can the tool be installed without vendor‘s assistance? Installation: Can the tool be installed without training? Does the tool have interactive help? Does the tool have online documentation? Libraries as in Customisation Can the user extend the supplied graphical library? Can the user extend the supplied graphical library with inheritance? Does the tool have a branch / market specific library? Code Generation Has the tool the ability to generate code in Java, J2EE? Has the tool the ability to generate code in C++? Has the tool the ability to generate code in C#? Has the tool the ability to generate other codes? Which

Commercial & Credibility Financial Status of Vendors Can you confirm that you are not aware of any attempts to acquire your company? Experiences (within Branches/Markets) Can you provide references in specific branch / market environments? Are these references available in South Africa? Can you provide contacts of references? Do you have a list of the number of licenses that are active? Sharing Risks and Revenues Are you willing to negotiate fixed prices for any customization/integration work? Are you prepared to undertake the proof of concept free of charge? Are you willing to incur missed target penalties? Do you actively participate in forums for defining industry standards? Do you conduct research for long term requirements? Are new releases backward compatible? Can you offer a warranty?

Commercial & Credibility Strategic Partnership Do you have any strategic alliances with other companies? Which? Capital Expenditure Is the software priced on an enterprise basis? Is the software priced on a registered user pricing model? Is the software priced on a concurrent user pricing model? Can you provide a standard price list? Can you provide a detailed cost breakdown? Operational Expenditure Do you have support packages available? Do you charge runtime fees? Are licenses based on user rather than on installation? (i.e. can I access from my PC or my notebook on one license?) Do you charge maintenance costs based on purchase price? Are there additional costs related to the use of your product (DB licenses...)? Would you support potential customers to calculate a detailed TCO scenario?

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Criteria For EA Tool Selection

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