Evolving Architecture “ CASE STUDY: Architecture in Statistics NZ ”

1. Evolving Architecture“CASE STUDY: Architecture in Statistics NZ” Presented by: Rosemary McGrath Application Architecture Manager Statistics New Zealand

2. Agenda • Statistics NZ • Drivers for Change • Where Does Architecture Fit? • Architecture ‘A’ Definition • Architecture – the ‘tools’ of the trade • A History of Architecture at Statistics NZ • Conclusions - Everything Evolves • What is Shaping Where we Evolve to Next? • Questions

3. Statistics New Zealand • Government agency • New Zealand's national statistical office • Leads New Zealand’s Official Statistics System

4. Drivers for Change • Fiscal Sustainability • Reduce the risk, time and cost of new statistical developments • Maintain or reduce Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) • Increased Operational Efficiency • Strengthen the application of common classifications and standards across subject matter areas • Enables continuous improvement through the increased adoption of standards, improved methodologies and best practice • Enhancement of Statistical Effectiveness • Increased utilisation of administrative data • Expanded role in leadership of the Official Statistics System (OSS) • Increased demand for access to timely and relevant statistical data

5. And so, Where Does Architecture Fit? Identify a ‘Framework’ Solution Architect Design the Solution Define a Vision Architect <<include>> <<include>> <<include>> <<include>> <<include>> <<include>> Stakeholder Validate the Solution Implement the Solution <<include>> Document Requirements Develop an Architecture <<include>> Developer Test Analyst Business Analyst

6. Architecture – “A” Defintion • An often used/abused term • ANSI/IEEE Std 1471-2000 is: "the fundamental organization of a system, embodied in its components, their relationships to each other and the environment, and the principles governing its design and evolution." • This is a definition I like – and reflects the way I like to look at ‘what architecture is’ • “Architecture is the use of abstractions and models to simplify and communicate complex structures and processes to improve understanding and forecasting.” http://blogs.technet.com/michael_platt/archive/2006/03/27/423300.aspx

7. Architecture – “A” Definition • Architecture is the use of sets of abstractions and models of a environment, problem space or domain, either physical or logical, with a set of associated views into that domain to provide: • Simplification and management of complexity in all it's forms (structural, procedural or informational), in particular the management, understanding and integration of the business and technical domains. • Communication and common understanding of the problem space to multiple stakeholders from widely different environments by the use of multiple domain specific views of the architectural model. • Completeness and relationship analysis of proposed solutions in the problem space or domain by examining the models and architectures from multiple differing viewpoints for incompleteness and gaps. • Forecasting and predicting future architectures, strategies, structures, patterns, relationships and technologies in the business and technical space by extrapolation of present abstractions and models. http://blogs.technet.com/michael_platt/archive/2006/03/27/423300.aspx

8. Architecture – The tools of the trade • Architectural Frameworks • There are quite a few of them – Zachman, TOGAF, FEAF are probably the most well known • For one perspective on an assessment across the frameworks http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb466232.aspx • Architectural Principles • Each framework has a set of principles • The are very similar • They are not contentious • Architectural Models • Domain models – Static. • BPMN – Dynamic. • Enterprise models - Big picture • Deployment – Infrastructure/support • Models for technical audience may include Class, Component, ERD etc – all UML based

9. Architecture – The tools of the trade – a learned view • Guidelines • Help people • Clarify understanding • Support implementation • Direction • Options are key • Feedback • Roadmap • Let everyone understand • Have clear milestones and deliverables • Be attainable (believed to be attainable)

10. A History of Architecture at Statistics NZ Acknowledgement – Gartner Hype Cycle http://www.gartner.com 2006 2005 2009 2008 2007 2004

11. Some ‘hard’ lessons learned • Having artefacts does not equate to having an architecture. (wide criticism) • Do not take an extremely structured systematic top-down approach to establishing an EA. “This type of approach works well when applied to complex but fixed domains, such as building or aircraft construction, but is completely inappropriate when applied to emergent (dynamic) domains such as economies or enterprises.” (Gartner) • It is OK to have gaps • Accept that there are various levels of acceptance of change (any change) across the organisation, find those that will partner with you • Find some champions, champion architecture, market (not a common skill) • Always present options – everyone wants a choice • Architecture is a verb not a noun.

12. How has our approach changed? People People Process Methods Software Process Methods Software Time

13. Remember!!

15. Early Problem 1 ##$@@!! %%^&&& **&^% ##$%#@! Architecture, SOA, Web services, Reuse

16. Early Problem 2 • Challenges - Misalignment of strategies, plans, outputs and outcomes (impacts governance, funding, capability) – What is the ‘right’ architecture

17. What has helped us? – The ‘War’ room

18. What has helped us? – The generic Business Process Model • To define our business processes, we • identified the enterprise wide business processes • abstracted at the business level, NOT the data level or ‘system’ level, and • Stayed at the common level – generally activity, not task • used commonly understood terms to be inclusive

19. What has helped us? – The Domain Model

20. What is a Domain model ? • Conceptual model of a system which describes the various real world entities involved in that system and their relationships • Communication tool to validate and verify the understanding of the business domain between various groups. (Technical and non-technical) • Structural view of the system, complemented by the dynamic (process) views in Use Case models/ User stories • Domain models (partial) are an important decomposition tool, view the system in many contexts using entities and relationships • Domain model should apply to the industry – Common Taxonomy

21. Partial Domain model – Sample Survey (including weighting) Weighting is not part of Census as it surveys the whole population – Have we identified two different survey types with different associations and business rules ?

22. What are the linkages Identify a ‘Framework’ Solution Architect Design the Solution Define a Vision Architect <<include>> <<include>> <<include>> <<include>> <<include>> <<include>> Stakeholder Validate the Solution Implement the Solution <<include>> Document Requirements Develop an Architecture <<include>> Developer Test Analyst Business Analyst

23. Conclusions Everything Evolves There is a light at the end of the tunnel We’re doing what we can to ensure it’s not a train!!

24. What are we doing next?

25. Procurement Procurement Project Project Management Management Architecture Enterprise Architecture Enterprise Architecture Architecture Framework Framework Compliance Change/ Release Change/ Release Documentation Documentation Documentation Management Management Process Process Architecture Architecture Governance Governance Architecture Architecture Architecture Blueprint Blueprints Blueprints Process Architecture Architecture Communications Communications Business Business Architecture Architecture Plan Plan Strategic Strategic Framework Communication Elements Elements Process Process IT Strategic IT Strategic Elements Elements Architecture Architecture Review Process Review Process Re-Invigorating the Architecture Service Model 1. 2. Processes external to core IT architecture processes 3. 5.. 4.

26. The Relevant Views/Perspectives for ‘our’ Architecture Framework

27. Starting to complete the jigsaw

28. Agile with SCRUM • Agile with SCRUM “Scrum is an Agile process that can be used to manage and control complex software and product development using iterative, incremental practices. Scrum has been used from simple projects to changing the way entire enterprises do their business. Scrum significantly increases productivity and reduces time to benefits while facilitating adaptive, empirical systems development.” www.controlchaos.com

29. Agile with SCRUM • What we have noticed so far • Scrum is an implementation of agile methods and practices • ‘Agile Architecture’, ‘just enough architecture - allowing for the big, long-term picture as well as the fluid nature of implementation, within 2 week sprints • Makeup of the teams is important, cross functional and relevant to the current priorities • There is a shift to architecture becoming a stakeholder instead of a 'prescriber' allowing the focus to change from technology or techniques to working iteratively and incrementally within project teams.

30. Questions?