why to architecture information

Information Architecture:

An emerging 21st century profession

By :

Dr. A.K. Ramani

Head SCSIT,DAVV,Indore(M.P.)

head.scs@dauniv.ac.in

Preface

In every enterprise ,a sound architecture is the key to success. As we know that a fragile architecture converts everything into chaos. So, by considering the stability of an enterprise, we should concentrate on its architecture. TOGAF is a framework that enable us to design, evaluate and build the right architecture for an enterprise. ADM is the core part of TOGAF .ADM is iterative and consists of many phases.

Review of PresentationBusiness and IT evolution

Information Architecture

IA vs Design

Need of IA

Website Architecture

Enterprise Architecture and its benefits

Architecture team

Types of IA

Introduction to TOGAF

Related subjects

Wrap Up

System is complex

Different perceptions

Yesterday’s Scenario

Today’s Scenario

Business Evolution

Old System

• De-centralized

• Federation

• Retailer Push

• Large inventories

• Manual processes

• Buying/Selling

• Mass consumers

New System

• Group

• Cohesion

• Customer pull

• Just in time

• Automatic processes

• Category management

• Individual customers

IT Evolution

Old System

• Mainframes• Novell• DOS• Own development• SNA, IPX, Paper• Unmanaged• Unresponsive• Cost

New System

• Unix• Windows NT• Windows 95• Application Packages• TCP/IP• Managed• Enabling change• Benefit

Vertical Business Processes

Value Chains

Technology/Business cycle times

A rapidly changing technology and business landscape demands innovation and agility.

“Never innovate out of fear, but never fear to innovate”.

Innovation lifecycle

How to evolve new system from

old system??

Solution is…..

Architecture

1. Architecture -- (an architectural product or work)

2. Architecture -- (the discipline dealing with the principles of design and construction and ornamentation of fine buildings; ``architecture and eloquence are mixed arts whose end is sometimes beauty and sometimes use''

3.Architecture -- (the profession of designing buildings and environments with consideration for their esthetic effect)

4. Structure, Architecture -- (the manner of construction of something and the disposition of its parts; ``artists must study the structure of the human body"; "the architecture of a computer's system software'' )

Architecture

+

Information

=

Information Architecture

IA vs Design

• Two sides of the same coin?

• Each part of the other?• IA = one kind of design?• Design = one kind of IA?

Is IA omnipresent??

Yes, it is..

Spot the IA

Information Architecture

Waldo

Where’s the information architecture in this picture?

An enigma history of information architecture

• Information architecture is as old as human communication.

• Where there’s information, there’s architecture.

The most interesting architectures spring from problems of diversity:

o Diversity of informationo Diversity of audienceo Diversity of modes of accesso Diversity of use

But don’t overlook simple problems that have simple solutions

Need of Information Architecture

• To support the business by providing the fundamental technology and process structure for an IT strategy.

• To provide a strategic context for the evolution of the IT system in response to the constantly changing needs of the business environment.

• To achieve the right balance between IT efficiency and business innovation.

Website Information Architecture

• Information architecture is currently emerging as a discipline that concerns itself with the development of systematic approaches to the organization and presentation of online information.

• It is the combination of organization, labeling, search and navigation systems in websites, intranets, online communities and software

User Driven Design

Enterprise Architecture(EA)

Business StrategyIT Strategy

Enterprise Architecture

It is a “glue” that allows both Business and IT strategy enable and drive each other.

Enterprise Architecture

The Technical Architecture Inputs

Business benefits of EA

• Agility of enterprise

• Product time to market

• Flexible sourcing of value chain components

• Improved and consistent information exchange

• Risk reduction

Financial benefits of EA

• Reuse

• Time savings

• Lower support cost

• Lower acquisition cost

• Technical adaptability

The Architecture Team

Information Architects do:• Research & understand user

requirements

• Find the patterns inherent in data, making the complex clear

• An information architect uses tools and methods to

– Plan

– Analyze

– Design

– Construct

– Verify

– Maintain

• Apply Experience

• Manage the IA Process

Types of IA

• Top Down

• Bottom Up

“Top-down” IA

It involves developing a broad understanding

of the business strategies and user needs, before defining the high level structure of site, and finally the detailed relationships between content.

“Bottom-up” IA

It involves understanding the detailed relationships between content, creating walkthroughs (or storyboards) to show how the system could support specific user requirements and then considering the higher level structure that will be required to support these requirements.

Not mutually exclusive—every project includes both.

What does an architectureprocess give us?

A better understanding of the problems involved in creating an infrastructure for the public sector

– Common services

– Quality of service

– Vendor co-operation

– Centralisation of services vs flexibility in

choice of services

Approach to Information Architecture

Architecture design is a technically complex process, and the design of heterogeneous, multi-vendor architectures is particularly complex. So, there is a need to simplify such complexity.

But how???

TOGAF will help

What is TOGAF?

• TOGAF is an architecture framework - The Open Group Architecture Framework.

• It enables you to design, evaluate, and build the right architecture for your organization.

Real life definition of TOGAF

What TOGAF is What TOGAF is not

Generic Perspective about how to customize the framework.

Process driven Perspective, Artefact driven

“One size fits all organizations”. Specific to company size or to an industry

Flexible Ontology Driven

Set of conceptual tools Tool

Providing generic deliverables Prescribing a specific set of deliverables.

TOGAF:Developing an architecture

TOGAF: Information Architecture Process

TOGAF consists of three main parts:

• The TOGAF Architecture Development Method (ADM),

• The Enterprise Continuumo The TOGAF Foundation Architecture

The TOGAF Standards Information Base (SIB), The TOGAF Technical Reference Model (TRM)

o The Integrated Information Infrastructure Reference Model

• The TOGAF Resource Base

TOGAF Framework concepts

The TOGAF Architecture Development Method (ADM)

Figure : Architecture Development Cycle

Figure : Architecture Development Cycle - Expansion

The architecture development process needs to be linked into the organization

Information architecture’s impact on the business

1. Customers consistently request:

• Better retrievability

• Solution-oriented information

• A seamless information experience across products

2. Good information architecture can fulfill those requests and:

• Reduce total cost of ownership

• Reduce customer support calls

• Reduce number of non-defect customer support issues (NDOPs)

• Increase customer satisfaction

3. All information developers can work toward these goals in their information deliverables and contribute to the overall information architecture.

Use of Architecture Framework provides:

• speed

• simplify architecture development,

• ensure more complete coverage of the designed solution, and

• make certain that the architecture selected allows for future growth in response to the needs of the business.

Worth reading

Related Subjects

• Usability / User experience/Interaction design• Information design• Graphic design• Information technology / System Design

Questions

Wrap Up

Contact information:

Dr. A.K Ramani

Head SCSIT,DAVV(Indore)

email: head.scs@dauniv.ac.in

Thank you and Good Luck….