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Optimizing Architecture Evolution – A critical addition to TOGAF ADM
Rajaram Venkataramani
Cognizant, UK
Rob Oddy
Barclays, UK
IT architecture in any large enterprise undergoes continual change due to new business requirements, regulatory laws and technology drivers. C-Level executives want this transformation to be optimized for cost while minimizing business and IT risks. EA practices in most enterprises, however, have not matured to a level where it is possible to truly understand the business impact of architecture decisions before, during or even after a transformation exercise. One reason is that enterprises do not adequately leverage industry frameworks such as TOGAF or Zachmann to model their current or future state, making any impact analysis effort highly subjective. A more critical reason is that existing frameworks do not provide the methodology to optimize architecture evolution.
Based on case studies, we recommend that "Optimize" should be added as a distinctinct phase in TOGAF ADM parallel to phases B to E. This has been found very useful in 100M Payments programme done for Barclays, which we will present in this session. In addition to large programmes, we believe that Optimize phase will help in defining departmental roadmaps. We will illustrate this using Finance and Risk roadmap case study. In addition to the methodology change, we also recommend adoption of formalisms to objectively analyze AS-IS and TO-BE architectures as well as transformation journey. In this session will cover a formalism based on graph theory that was used in the Payments programme. Mathematical graph is both an intuitive as well as a rigorous formalism to use. It also allows encoding from other formalisms such as pi-calculus, ambient calculus and petrinets. It allows upgrading from semi-formal approaches such as UML and informal representations. ATOM, Architecture Transformation Optimization Model, is a Cognizant IP for the purpose of modeling and analyzing, which may be refined and integrated to TOGAF ADM.
 Rajaram Venkataramani
I graduated in 1993 from National Institute of Technology, Trichy, one of the top 10 engineering institutes in India and hold a number of industry accreditations such as Fellow of British Computer Society. I have extensive experience in IT architecture planning, definition, assessment and governance through consultancy work done for leading banks and financial institutions as well as enterprises in other industries. This experience includes complete lifecycle of large and complex IT platforms as Chief Technology Officer and IT Architect. It is my specialization to collaborate with business and IT stakeholders at multiple levels to define transformative business IT strategies. I have led development of innovative assets for optimizing architecture evolution. I have presented papers in a number of industry and academic conferences and hold membership in Global Association of Risk Professionals, Engineering Council UK, International High IQ Society and British Computer Society. I work as IT Architect and Consultant at Cognizant, UK. Outside work, my activities include running, nunchako, philosophy and mathematics. I am married and have one daughter.
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|  Dr Rob Oddy
As a fully certified TOGAF architect, I have been working on large scale Financial Systems for over 15 years, with the past 3 ½ years specifically focused on Enterprise Architecture. I am a Computer Science graduate of the University of Leeds (the 2nd largest university in the UK) and hold a PhD in Mathematical Sciences of the University of Bath (a top 10 University in the UK). I have spent over 17 years working in various aspects of the IT industry, including spells at Ford Motor Company, ICL, Hitachi Advanced Software, HSBC James Capel and Standard Chartered Bank. I am currently a Technical Director at Barclays Bank, working in the Financial Payments domain, and currently engaged on a large scale global systems replacement project. Outside of work, I am married with two children, and when time permits I enjoy photography, travel, skiing, cycling and fine wines.
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