A Methodology for Operationalizing Enterprise IT Architecture and Evaluating its Modifiability
Recent contributions to information systems theory suggest that the primary role of a firm’s information technology (IT) architecture is to facilitate, and therefore ensure the continued alignment of a firm’s IT investments with a constantly changing business environment. Despite the advances we lac...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Riga Technical University Press
2019-07-01
|
| Series: | Complex Systems Informatics and Modeling Quarterly |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://csimq-journals.rtu.lv/article/view/2951 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850249376189906944 |
|---|---|
| author | Robert Lagerström Alan MacCormack David Dreyfus Carliss Baldwin |
| author_facet | Robert Lagerström Alan MacCormack David Dreyfus Carliss Baldwin |
| author_sort | Robert Lagerström |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Recent contributions to information systems theory suggest that the primary role of a firm’s information technology (IT) architecture is to facilitate, and therefore ensure the continued alignment of a firm’s IT investments with a constantly changing business environment. Despite the advances we lack robust methods with which to operationalize enterprise IT architecture, in a way that allows us to analyze performance, in terms of the ability to adapt and evolve over time. We develop a methodology for analyzing enterprise IT architecture based on “Design Structure Matrices” (DSMs), which capture the coupling between all components in the architecture. Our method addresses the limitations of prior work, in that it i) captures the architecture “in-use” as opposed to high level plans or conceptual models; ii) identifies discrete layers in the architecture associated with different technologies; iii) reveals the “flow of control” within the architecture; and iv) generates measures that can be used to analyze performance. We apply our methodology to a dataset from a large pharmaceutical firm. We show that measures of coupling derived from an IT architecture DSM predict IT modifiability – defined as the cost to change software applications. Specifically, applications that are tightly coupled cost significantly more to change. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-8d8cc2a3c4cf44f38b858a3f6d1d21bc |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2255-9922 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2019-07-01 |
| publisher | Riga Technical University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Complex Systems Informatics and Modeling Quarterly |
| spelling | doaj-art-8d8cc2a3c4cf44f38b858a3f6d1d21bc2025-08-20T01:58:30ZengRiga Technical University PressComplex Systems Informatics and Modeling Quarterly2255-99222019-07-01019759810.7250/csimq.2019-19.051637A Methodology for Operationalizing Enterprise IT Architecture and Evaluating its ModifiabilityRobert Lagerström0Alan MacCormack1David Dreyfus2Carliss Baldwin3Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, StockholmHarvard Business School, BostonNorthBay Solutions, BostonHarvard Business School, BostonRecent contributions to information systems theory suggest that the primary role of a firm’s information technology (IT) architecture is to facilitate, and therefore ensure the continued alignment of a firm’s IT investments with a constantly changing business environment. Despite the advances we lack robust methods with which to operationalize enterprise IT architecture, in a way that allows us to analyze performance, in terms of the ability to adapt and evolve over time. We develop a methodology for analyzing enterprise IT architecture based on “Design Structure Matrices” (DSMs), which capture the coupling between all components in the architecture. Our method addresses the limitations of prior work, in that it i) captures the architecture “in-use” as opposed to high level plans or conceptual models; ii) identifies discrete layers in the architecture associated with different technologies; iii) reveals the “flow of control” within the architecture; and iv) generates measures that can be used to analyze performance. We apply our methodology to a dataset from a large pharmaceutical firm. We show that measures of coupling derived from an IT architecture DSM predict IT modifiability – defined as the cost to change software applications. Specifically, applications that are tightly coupled cost significantly more to change.https://csimq-journals.rtu.lv/article/view/2951Enterprise ArchitectureModularityInformation SystemsModifiabilityDesign Structure Matrix |
| spellingShingle | Robert Lagerström Alan MacCormack David Dreyfus Carliss Baldwin A Methodology for Operationalizing Enterprise IT Architecture and Evaluating its Modifiability Complex Systems Informatics and Modeling Quarterly Enterprise Architecture Modularity Information Systems Modifiability Design Structure Matrix |
| title | A Methodology for Operationalizing Enterprise IT Architecture and Evaluating its Modifiability |
| title_full | A Methodology for Operationalizing Enterprise IT Architecture and Evaluating its Modifiability |
| title_fullStr | A Methodology for Operationalizing Enterprise IT Architecture and Evaluating its Modifiability |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Methodology for Operationalizing Enterprise IT Architecture and Evaluating its Modifiability |
| title_short | A Methodology for Operationalizing Enterprise IT Architecture and Evaluating its Modifiability |
| title_sort | methodology for operationalizing enterprise it architecture and evaluating its modifiability |
| topic | Enterprise Architecture Modularity Information Systems Modifiability Design Structure Matrix |
| url | https://csimq-journals.rtu.lv/article/view/2951 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT robertlagerstrom amethodologyforoperationalizingenterpriseitarchitectureandevaluatingitsmodifiability AT alanmaccormack amethodologyforoperationalizingenterpriseitarchitectureandevaluatingitsmodifiability AT daviddreyfus amethodologyforoperationalizingenterpriseitarchitectureandevaluatingitsmodifiability AT carlissbaldwin amethodologyforoperationalizingenterpriseitarchitectureandevaluatingitsmodifiability AT robertlagerstrom methodologyforoperationalizingenterpriseitarchitectureandevaluatingitsmodifiability AT alanmaccormack methodologyforoperationalizingenterpriseitarchitectureandevaluatingitsmodifiability AT daviddreyfus methodologyforoperationalizingenterpriseitarchitectureandevaluatingitsmodifiability AT carlissbaldwin methodologyforoperationalizingenterpriseitarchitectureandevaluatingitsmodifiability |