A Design Theory for Architectural Coordination of Enterprise Transformations (ACET)
Type
fundamental research project
Start Date
August 1, 2011
End Date
October 31, 2014
Acronym
ACET
Status
completed
Keywords
Enterprise Transformation
Enterprise Architecture
Coordination of Transformation
Design Theory
Description
Present day enterprises are confronted with a continuously changing environment. These changes are due to globalisation, new technologies, regulations, novel business models, etc. Enterprises therefore need to transform themselves regularly to meet these new challenges, while senior management of these enterprises needs to make conscious decisions about the future design of "their" enterprise and the path to "get there". Such transformations may range from changes in value propositions and business processes, via changes to the information systems used to support the business processes, to changes of the underlying IT infrastructures. Since most real world transformations are large, they need to be divided into smaller programs and projects. This raises the need for a coordination mechanism between smaller programs and projects to safeguard that all contribute towards the strategic goals set for the transformation as a whole.
Traditional project/programme management does not provide such coordination, as it focuses on typical project parameters such as budgets, resource use, deadlines, etc. As a result, projects are "invited" to conduct local, project specific optimizations. As a consequence, the results of these projects may actually not contribute to (or even hamper) the overall transformation goals. It has been the mission of the field of enterprise architecture to provide such coordination mechanisms. Ample research has been conducted on different elements of enterprise architecture, such as: frameworks, modelling languages, model analysis, etc. Each of these elements is a valuable component to set up an effective coordination mechanism for enterprise transformations. However, how to combine these elements into an effective method support for architectural coordination of transformations, has not received much research attention yet.
The challenge, which the ACET project aims to meet, is the development of a theoretically grounded methodology that is an effective means for architectural coordination of enterprise transformations. Due to the diversity of contexts and goals in enterprise transformation, this methodology needs to be systematically adaptable to the situation at hand, e.g. industry, size of the company, or dominant organizational culture. In doing so, the ACET project will primarily focus on the so-called Business-to-IT stack. In other words, the layered series of aspects: business strategy, business processes, information processing, and the underlying IT infrastructure.
Traditional project/programme management does not provide such coordination, as it focuses on typical project parameters such as budgets, resource use, deadlines, etc. As a result, projects are "invited" to conduct local, project specific optimizations. As a consequence, the results of these projects may actually not contribute to (or even hamper) the overall transformation goals. It has been the mission of the field of enterprise architecture to provide such coordination mechanisms. Ample research has been conducted on different elements of enterprise architecture, such as: frameworks, modelling languages, model analysis, etc. Each of these elements is a valuable component to set up an effective coordination mechanism for enterprise transformations. However, how to combine these elements into an effective method support for architectural coordination of transformations, has not received much research attention yet.
The challenge, which the ACET project aims to meet, is the development of a theoretically grounded methodology that is an effective means for architectural coordination of enterprise transformations. Due to the diversity of contexts and goals in enterprise transformation, this methodology needs to be systematically adaptable to the situation at hand, e.g. industry, size of the company, or dominant organizational culture. In doing so, the ACET project will primarily focus on the so-called Business-to-IT stack. In other words, the layered series of aspects: business strategy, business processes, information processing, and the underlying IT infrastructure.
Leader contributor(s)
Member contributor(s)
Partner(s)
CRP - Henri Tudor, Luxemburg
Funder
Topic(s)
Enterprise Transformation
Enterprise Architecture
Coordination of Transformation
Design Theory
Method(s)
Design Science Research
Range
HSG Internal
Range (De)
HSG Intern
Division(s)
Eprints ID
206444
Funding code
100014E-136104
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Item type:Publication, Beyond Enterprise Architecture Modeling - What are the Essentials to Support Enterprise Transformations?(Köllen, 2013-09-05); ; ; ; Reichert, ManfredIn recent years, many different modeling techniques and languages were developed in order to allow for an efficient and appropriate enterprise architecture management (EAM). Recently, EAM is no longer only seen as a means to ensure business/IT aligment but further as a means to support fundamental changes of the organization, often called enterprise transformation (ET). In a joint project with a group of practitioners we aim at developing a framework that provides guidance on how EAM can support such ETs and thus leverage the benefit of modeling. Our design results after more than one year of research reveal different types of EAM, areas of action in ETs and ET activities that can be supported by EAM. The findings show that modeling techniques or languages should focus on constructs like transitions, benefits or risks in order to increase their value for ET support.Type:conference paper - Some of the metrics are blocked by yourconsent settings
Item type:Publication, Enterprise Architecture Artifacts as Boundary Objects - A Framework of PropertiesThis paper uses the concept of boundary objects to derive hypotheses for the design of Enterprise Architecture (EA) artifacts. Boundary objects are a useful concept to understand the coordinative role of artifacts in practice, making them a proper vehicle to analyze how EA artifacts can be designed to support communication and coordination during enterprise transformation. Since enterprise transformation projects typically involve multiple communities of practice, communication and coordination are important success factors.The paper combines a theoretical with a practice-oriented perspective: In a first step, a set of 11 boundary object properties is identified via a structured literature review. In a second step, this set of properties is discussed and extended in a focus group of nine enterprise architects, leading to a final set of 12 properties. Finally, the set of boundary object properties is linked to three classes of EA artifacts (repositories, matrices, and diagrams) from the TOGAF framework, and hypotheses are derived for the design of EA artifacts in order to become boundary objects capable of crossing a given knowledge boundary (syntactic, semantic, pragmatic). These hypotheses argue for a common syntax, stability and the provision of community-specific views.Type:conference paper - Some of the metrics are blocked by yourconsent settings
Item type:Publication, Management Objectives and Design Principles for the Cost Allocation of Business IntelligenceToday business intelligence (BI) systems, which provide management with decision-supportive information, are considered to be a prerequisite for organizational success. In contrast to the operation of BI, BI system management is still an emerging topic in information systems (IS) research. Even though the cost management of BI systems is highly relevant for practice, the field is widely unexplored. Cost allocations for BI systems are supposed to enhance transparency, create cost awareness and support the management of resources of the BI system. In our research we have conducted two focus group studies to examine the basis for BI cost allocations. First, we derive management goals and design principles for a BI cost allocation from an exploratory focus group. In a second step, we evaluate the goals and the design principles in a confirmatory focus group. Our research provides valuable insights on the application of BI cost allocations from our focus groups and contributes a basis for the design of BI cost allocation methods.Type:conference paper - Some of the metrics are blocked by yourconsent settings
Item type:Publication, Keynote: Referenzarchitekturen - Brauchen wir sie, und wenn ja, wie viele?(2012-09-20)Type:presentation - Some of the metrics are blocked by yourconsent settings
Item type:Publication, Understanding Coordination Support of Enterprise Architecture Management - Empirical Analysis and Implications for Practice(Association for Information Systems, 2013-08-15); ; ; Enterprise architecture management (EAM) is a means to guide the consistent evolution of business and IT artifacts from an enterprise-wide perspective. This paper aims at understanding the means by which EAM supports this coordination task. Informed by theory of coordination and based on empirical data (n=95) we group participating enterprises in different clusters: (1) non-coordinators, (2) dominators and (3) negotiators. We find that a similar awareness of opportunities exists in all three clusters, yet there are gaps in the realization of EAM coordination support: non-coordinators show the lowest realization, negotiators the highest. Based on this clustering and two follow-up focus groups, we provide implications about the occurrence of the clusters in enterprises and on further EAM development options.Type:conference paper - Some of the metrics are blocked by yourconsent settings
Item type:Publication, Strategy does not matter? Informationsbedarfe bei UnternehmenstransformationenType:journal articleJournal:Organisationsentwicklung : Zeitschrift für Unternehmensentwicklung und Change ManagementIssue:2 - Some of the metrics are blocked by yourconsent settings
Item type:Publication, Extending Enterprise Architecture Management into an Enterprise-Wide Coordination Service(2012-05-30); In this paper, we lay the foundation towards extending Enterprise Architecture Management (EAM) into a support service for enterprise transformation. In a first step, we develop a theoretical framework consisting of three dimensions of transformation projects. From this framework, we deduct eight types of transformation projects. In a second step, we take a practitioner's perspective by conducting a focus group with EAM representatives from twelve companies. In this focus group, we identify three patterns of EAM in the course of enterprise transformation. We finally map these patterns to our theoretically derived classification of transformation projects and discuss, with respect to each project type, where EAM may assist and which requirements it must meet to coordinate enterprise transformation.Type:conference paper - Some of the metrics are blocked by yourconsent settings
Item type:Publication, - Some of the metrics are blocked by yourconsent settings
Item type:Publication, Can boundary objects mitigate communication defects in enterprise transformation? Findings from expert interviews(Köllen, 2013-09-05); ; Inappropriate communication is a major threat to enterprise transformations. While enterprise architecture (EA) models may be helpful to support communication, these models are often tailored to the needs of specialists like enterprise architects. Based on empirical data from 12 expert interviews, we analyze how EA models can become boundary objects that span knowledge boundaries and alleviate communication defects among heterogeneous stakeholder groups in enterprise transformations. We contribute a framework that maps six communication defects to three knowledge boundaries and to 12 boundary object properties as a foundation for future EA model design. Our findings also indicate that EA models alone are not sufficient for overcoming communication defects, but that facilitators like architects are needed in addition.Type:conference paper - Some of the metrics are blocked by yourconsent settings
Item type:Publication, Fail Early, Fail Often: Towards Coherent Feedback Loops in Design Science Research EvaluationWe propose feedback loops that increase the coherence between evaluation activities in a design science research (DSR) process. While several scholars have proposed DSR cycles with frequent evaluation activities to provide timely feedback on design activities, the question of how to ensure coherence between these activities has remained largely unaddressed. Yet, coherence is essential to claim validity not only for the DSR artifact, but also for the DSR process. Based on a review of existing DSR literature, we propose an approach that ensures coherence between initial problem definition and final evaluation activities by explicating the notion of relevance underlying the DSR project, and between design and construction activities by creating situational design specifications.We exemplarily apply our approach to an ongoing DSR project. We conclude with a research agenda, where we build on the recent debate on generalizability in information systems to identify six fruitful avenues for further research.Type:conference paper
