Akash has over a decade of experience in IT ranging from software development to commercial software solutions customization to solution design and architecture. He is been working as Lead Consultant with Wipro's Talent Transformation team and is driving TOGAF certification across the organization. Prior to this he was involved in consultancy with many projects in analyzing and working on solution definition. Akash brings with him a rich domain experience from retail, BFSI and transportation industries. He is a practicing TOGAF 8 Certified professional and an avid technology enthusiast, holding prominent Microsoft certifications like MCSD, MCAD, and MCSD.NET.

Presentation

A Case for Architectural Assessment for a Large Financial Company

Enterprise architecture establishes the organization-wide roadmap to achieve an organization's mission through optimal performance of its core business processes within an efficient information technology environment. It is essential for evolving information systems and developing new systems that optimize their mission value. For EAs to be useful and provide business value, their development, maintenance, and implementation should be managed effectively and supported by tools. Normally enterprise architecture takes the form of a comprehensive set of cohesive models that describe the structure and the functions of an enterprise. Important uses of it are in systematic IT planning and architecting, and in enhanced decision making. In order to ensure that the EA initiatives are in line with the overall business strategy there is a constant need for assess architecture throughout its lifecycle, this is were architecture assessment comes into picture. The purpose of undertaking an enterprise architecture assessment is to understand how well the current architecture is aligned with the organizations needs and goals. Typically, EA assessment guides to:

• Optimal technology decisions
• Bridge the gap between business process requirements and enabling technologies
• Address key technical issues proactively, mitigating technical risks by identifying potential issues, associated tradeoffs and there by the decisions to be made

The case study based approach presented would follow a customer scenario as a reference point for establishing the EA assessment program. As a formal deliverable from this presentation includes an Architecture assessment report, which is a write-up of the assessment's findings, as well as recommendations. Undertaking an architecture assessment often proves valuable in other ways too. It allows for a fact-based understanding of the costs and benefits of the current IT infrastructure to the organization. It helps to clarify how the current architecture contributes to perceived business problems or positively supports goals. An assessment looks at both what is working and what is not. Because it surfaces problems with the current infrastructure, assessment helps to identify where re-architecting can improve business costs, improve business functionality or process, and improve IT efficiency. Also assessment often provides the business case data and the impetus to future funding requirements since an assessment provides a relatively objective look at what needs to be kept or changed and why.

An overview of the presentation agenda:

• Architecture assessment conceptual background
• Case study: customer scenario description
• Drivers for architecture assessment
• Architecture assessment approach
• Findings
• Recommendations

Audience:-

• Practicing architects

Key takeaways:-

1. Architecture assessment approach
2. Parameters to work with during architecture assessment
3. Documenting architecture assessment report.

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