Figure 1 My Installed Archi Model 3
Figure 2: Enterprise Vision - Stakeholders Concerns 4
Figure 3 Enterprise Goals 5
Figure 4 Baseline organization structure 6
Figure 5 Baseline Business Functions 7
Figure 6 Handle Claims 8
Figure 7 Close Contract 8
Figure 8 Application Co-operative View 9
Figure 9 Business Application alignment 10
Figure 10 Logical Data view 10
Figure 11 Data Dissemination view for Auto Insurance application of ArchiSurance 11
Figure 12 Infrastructure View 12
Figure 13 Home and Away Car Insurance Decision .....……………………………………..13
Figure 14 Refined Business Goals and Principles 13
Figure 14 Target application Landscape 14
Week 4
What is Archi?
Archi is one of the modelling tool that covers/applies in all levels of Enterprise Architects. The advantage of using this modelling language is, it helps to reduce the cost for consumers, is a free tool which means no cost for using it for any Enterprise entry solution and also it is easy to use for beginners as well. Archi Version 4 is currently used and it has come with many additional new features, bug fixes and removed unrequired features.
There are many architectural field within organization such as business processes, services, products, application landscape, information and technical catalogue. All these domain carries own notion for systematic modelling and visualization of its internal process. Therefore, the relation between them in most of the cases are unclear and overlaps, tool such as ArchiMate are used to deals with these ambiguities and also for better assistance in information, analysis and visual of the architecture with and across business domains. In addition, it offers an integrated method of designing and presenting in a such a readable outlook of all types of business models and their relationship in EA.
This week - successfully installed, launched and created new model.
Figure 1 MY First New Archi Model
Week 5 ArchiSurance
ArchiSurance is formed by merging three different insurance companies i.e. Home & away Homeowner’s and Travel insurance, PRO-FIT Auto Insurance and Legally Yours Legal Expenses Insurance. Initially, they were set up in independent architype to get benefit from different combined effort. But in order to meet current new opportunities, business trends, minimize cost and offer better value to customer, ArchiSurance decide to integrate and merge these three companies through IT investment and that took 18 months negotiation and regulatory approval. However, this has caused many integration and alignment challenges for new company business processes and information system.
Therefore, this company has started to develop an EA based on TOGAF and ArchiMate with minimal cutting which is elaborated below:
⦁ Stakeholder concerns
This enterprise vision is concerned to the benefits of the proposed capabilities of stakeholders and decision makers within/outside enterprises. This diagram displays following stakeholders that are involve in this company.
⦁ Customer
⦁ Board Member
⦁ Government Authority
⦁ Sub-Agents
⦁ Shareholders
⦁ Human Resource
Figure 2 - Enterprise Vision Stakeholder Concern
⦁ Enterprise Goals
Below figure shows all the ArchiSurance business goals that are linked with the Driver profit. From these drivers, it is understood that the main objective of this organization is to build customer satisfaction through professional services and product, so as to increase sales, profit and market shares. In addition, it also can improve systematic human resource management of all three insurance branches, all with the help of new technology facilities and investment.
Figure 3 – Enterprise Goals
Week 6
⦁ Baseline Organization Structure (Archimate)
Below image shows the present architecture sketch which is a foundation for Baseline description. It is presented in a top-down, also called tree view model style. They have three main departments such as Home and Away travel insurance office, Auto-Profit insurance office and Legally Yours Legal Insurance office.
In addition, a main contact center is Home & Away travel Insurance which is also used by other department and Auto-Profit hold the SSC of the ArchiSurance business.
Figure 4 – Baseline Organisation Structure
⦁ Baseline Business Function
As shown in below figure, the main business purpose of ArchiSurance are:
⦁ Marketing deals with the strategic plans and advertisings campaign to create a branding of company, its product and services.
⦁ Actuarial can use statistical analysis to maintain prices and also team up with marketing team for advancement of product.
⦁ Underwriting benefits in creating the prices of the specific policy.
⦁ Finance helps in checking business commercial health..
⦁ Customer claims can be dealt on the basis of company policy.
⦁ Scanning and printing function can be maintained in Document processing.
Figure 5 – Baseline Business Functions
Week 7 Baseline Business Process
Q no 2) Below claim process start as customer commence their insurance claim. Then information is received and is transferred to head office for further process. Once it is found a claim related to ArchiSurance, it is assigned to case-officer and investigated. If approved, customer will be notified about excess amount to be paid (if any) or else remaining compensation amount is paid. Once payment is done or claim got rejected, cases are closed until further communication.
Figure 6 Handling Customer Claims
Q no 3) Below close contract process starts as customer begin to send agreement closing request. Next process is followed by collecting their information, transferring it to compliance department for a review. In case of early exit, customer will be notified for payment and once transaction is completed, contract is closed.
Figure 7 Close Contract
Week 8
⦁ TOGAF Phase C Information Systems Architectures (Applications)
After coming together of these three department, they have implemented use of common web portal, contact center software suite, and document management system. In addition, CRM solution has also applied for both Home & Away and PRO-FIT. But it still lacks core business application explanation. Other issue is both Home & Away and other two remaining department are still using their pre-merger policy separately.
(ii)TOGAF ADM Phase C: Baseline Information Systems Architectures (Data)
⦁ Application Co-Operation View (application)
In this given figure, application component with arrow shows the direction of realization services. This view displays number of application services, one of them is a document management from Share Service Centre system that supports other application of Back Offices and Front Office. Similar other application services are co-operted to produce end result for customer service, report output, data sharing, product and policy information.
Figure 8 Application Co-operation View
⦁ Application Alignment view(application)
From given figure, claim handling business process shows how customer claim information is received, actioned and completed for final payout. Other services such as scanning, customer service, admin, printing and payment service supports business process to manage claim procedure, aligning with other application.
Figure 9 Business Application Alignment
⦁ Baseline Information Systems Architectures (Data)
⦁ Logical Data View
In this view, it shows data flow process by business function such as data management, valid policy and data capture. From business perspective, Profit Auto Insurance use this function from application to provide customer their personal information, insurance policy or any claimed documents.
Figure 10 Logical Data View
⦁ Data Dissemination view for Auto Insurance Application
This figure shows the relationship between Auto-Insurance Police(business entities) , their insurance policy and claim services and insurance application component. Also, it includes Insurance Data that is a services for customer which exist in an application.
Figure 11 Data Dissemination view
Week 9 TOGAF ADM Phase D: Baseline Technology Architecture
⦁ Baseline Technology Architecture
Below figures shows the Infrastructure view of ArchiSurance three different departments and their location. Local Area Network and Wide Area Network can be maintained to connect all the servers and their artifacts throughout the company.
Figure 12 Base Line Technology Architecture- Infrastructure View
Week 10 TOGAF ADM Phase C: Baseline Information Systems Architectures (Applications)
⦁ Business-Application Alignment
This diagram displays the support relation among application and business layers of ArchiSurance. It also shows the number of application with subset of their services and sub-process of claim business process.
Figure 13 Home and Away Car Insurance Division
Week 11 Change Scenarios -ArchiSurance Change Scenarios
⦁ Activity 1: Goal Refinement View
This view displays all refine goals, principles and their supporting requirements to achieve that business objective. These important goals can help in reducing cost and data management which align business to success.
Figure 14 Refined Business Goals and Principles
⦁ Activity 2: Target Business Architecture and Gap Analysis
To control data redundancy, application integration and control function overlap , this application landscape diagram with assimilated back office suite can be the proposed target business structural design.
Figure 14 Target Application Landscape
Enterprise Architecture – Cost and Benefit Analysis
The way Enterprise Architecture is designed and implemented makes a difference in cost control and improvement in existing business products, application and services. The main benefits of Enterprise architecture from the most considerable to the best preferences are:
⦁ Financial benefit : With the development of one/centralized system, company can reduce cost. Information System improvement is a key stakeholders for financial improvement.
⦁ Redundancy control: It helps in reducing or removing avoidable system and process. With the use of application integration and system among departments, it will control this problem.
⦁ Helps in technology proper setting and strategic performance in business branding their product and services.
Challenges
Enterprise Architecture challenges are caused by different business complex nature. Some of common challenges are:
⦁ Lack of understanding of business domain, technology and other organizational expertise by architect.
⦁ EA need strong support and commitment from stakeholders, if this fails, the end result may not produce good value.
⦁ Lack of Enterprise Maturity
⦁ Hard to focus and balance stakeholder feedback
Conclusion
I found Enterprise Architecture is a well-define practice that involves designing, planning and integration of organizational platform such as application, data, technology and other domain for effective implementation of strategy. From research and ArchiSurance practical task, I found enterprise architect are the main stakeholders that can assimilate and present business essence model together with the use of modelling tools like ArchiMate. These tools are very simple to use and to understand its simplified notation.