Enterprise Architecture Essay Example for Free

Enterprise Architecture Essay 1) The three key disciplines used to effectively construct a Foundation of Execution are: Operating Model This dictates the level of business process integration and standardization for delivering goods and services to customers. Process Integration depicts the extent to which business units share data and enables end-to-end and a single interface for the customer The Operating Model involves a commitment to how the company will operate Enterprise Architecture This is the organizing logic for business processes and IT infrastructure which reflects the integration and standardization requirements of the company’s operating model. The Enterprise Architecture provides a long term view of a company’s process, systems, and technologies in order to build long term sustainable capabilities. IT Engagement Model The IT Engagement Model is the governance mechanism that ensures business and IT projects achieve both local and companywide objectives. This Model influences projects decisions ensuring that individual solutions are designed according to the enterprise architecture. The IT Engagement Model provides alignment between IT and the business objectives of projects. 2) The Enterprise Architecture communicates the high-level business process and IT requirements of a company’s operating model. This differs from IT Architecture to the degree of granularity that is presented. Enterprise Architecture does not provide the necessary details to map out technical or process design requirements. The IT Architecture developed by the IT unit is a more detailed architecture of applications, data and information, and technology. IT Architecture when developed with a clear understanding of the Enterprise Architecture provides long-term value because they provide the long-term vision for immediate solutions. 3) The current market trends and speed at which technology and the competitive landscape is constantly changes make it difficult for companies  to be able to adapt and survive. Complex Information systems restrain companies from being able to adapt in order to compete or leverage new technology and concepts. Companies without a solid foundation face the following risks: The effects of growing complexity on business operations The pressure that agility places the foundation of execution Role of business discipline in current national and political environments Role of costs in absence of foundation of execution Business agility increasingly depends on a Foundation of Execution. Implementing standardize, digitized processes results in simpler technology environments, lower cost operations and greater agility. 4) An operating model has two dimensions: business process standardization and integration. Companies are characterized into the following Operating Models: Diversification: Low Standardization, Low Integration Coordination: Low Standardization, High Integration Replication: High Standardization, Low Integration Unification: High Standardization, High Integration Examples: a. Unification Model – Delta Airlines Consisted of many IT platforms unable to communicate with each other Management and IT staff reached a common understanding of what capabilities the company would develop to support future strategies. In order to create a clear vision management defined four core processes. b. Diversification Model – Carlson Companies Each of Carlson’s portfolio of companies run more or less independently of each other. Carlson’s enterprise architecture core diagram shares technical infrastructure services while the business units retain control over local business processes and IT applications c. Coordination Model – MetLife MetLife’s strategy and operating model focused on providing integrated customer service across products. This required extraction of customer information and making it centrally available d. Replication Model – ING DIRECT ING DIRECT’s service modules digitize standardized processes across its business units. The identification of major service categories helps management understand existing capabilities and target new opportunities. 5) The four stages of Architecture Maturity are: Business Silo Architecture: where companies look to maximize individual business unit needs or functional needs Standardized Technology Architecture: providing IT efficiencies through technology standardization and, in most cases, increased centralization of technology management Optimized core architecture: provides companywide data and process standardization as appropriate for the operating model Business Modularity Architecture: where companies manage and reuse loosely coupled IT-enabled business process components to preserve global standards while enabling local differences 6) The strategic implications of the four architecture stages are as follows: Business Silos – Local / Functional optimization Standardized Technology / IT efficiency Optimized core / Business Operational efficiency Business Modularity / Strategic Agility 7) The three main ingredients 0f the IT Engagement Model: Companywide IT governance: decision rights and accountability framework to encourage desirable behavior in the use of IT Project management: formalized  project methodology, with clear deliverables and regular checkpoints Linking mechanisms: processes and decision-making bodies that align incentives and connect the project-level activities to the overall IT governance. 8) IT governance is the decision rights and accountability framework for encouraging desirable behaviors in the use of IT. IT governance reflects broader corporate governance principles while focusing on the management and use of IT to achieve corporate performance goals. IT governance encompasses five major decision areas related to the management and use of IT in a firm, all of which should be driven by the operating model: I. IT principles: high level decisions about the strategic role of IT in the business II. Enterprise architecture: the organizing logic for business processes and IT infrastructure III. IT infrastructure: centrally coordinated, shared IT services providing part of the foundation of execution IV. Business application needs: business requirements for purchased or internally developed IT applications that both use and build the foundation for execution V. Prioritization and investment: decisions about how much and where to invest in IT, including project approval and justification techniques. 9) Linking mechanisms is the third essential ingredient of the IT engagement model. Linking mechanisms connect companywide governance and projects. Good IT governance ensures that there’s clear direction on how to evolve the company’s foundation. Good project management ensures that projects are implemented effectively, efficiently, and in a consistent manner to maximize learning. Good linking mechanisms ensure that projects incrementally build the company’s foundation and that the design of the company’s foundation is informed by projects. There are three types of linking mechanisms (architecture linkage, business linkage, and alignment linkage) that address the key alignment and coordination concerns of the company. Architecture Linkage establishes and updates standards, reviews projects for compliance, and approves exceptions. Architecture linkage connects the IT governance decisions about architecture with project design decisions. Business linkage ensures that business goals are translated effectively into project  goals. Business linkage coordinates projects, connects them to larger transformation efforts, and focuses projects on attacking specific problems in the best possible way. Alignment linkage mechanisms ensure ongoing communication and negotiation between IT and business concerns. Business IT relationship mangers and Business unit CIOs are typically a critical linkage fro translating back and forth between business goals and IT constraints. 10) The three ingredients of engagement that create business value are IT governance, Project management and Linking mechanisms. Clear, specific, and actionable objectives: In order to be effective, IT engagement models clarify strategic objectives so standardization and integration requirements are clear. Motivation to meet company goals: Formal incentives such as bonus plans, annual reviews, etc help ensure focus from business unit leaders and project managers on company, business unit and project goals Enforcement authority: Formal enforcements such as complementary to formal incentives help build an effort’s credibility. Enforcement provides a process for changing, discontinuing, or granting an exception to a project that is not compliant with the target enterprise architecture. Early Intervention and prevention: In order to prevent bad solutions form being deigned, IT groups engage with business projects during the earliest stages of development to prevent bad solutions from being designed in the first place and also to learn how to improve target architecture. Transparent, regular, two-way communication: Good engagement ensures that everyone is clear on how the model works. Alignment and coordination are achieved and maintained through regular dialogue between business and IT and across business units.

Jane Austins Pride and Prejudice Essay -- Jane Austin Pride Prejudice

Jane Austin's Pride and Prejudice Attitudes to love and marriage in the nineteenth century was very different from the comparatively liberal approach of today, and strict codes of etiquette were applied to Courtship for all but the lower classes of society. At the time of Pride and Prejudice, women's role was firmly in the home and the young ladies portrayed in this middle and upper class, occupied themselves with singing, playing the piano, sewing and other such accomplishments that would enhance their prospects of suitable marriage. Courtship was almost a formal procedure, and often engineered by parents, wishing a suitable match. Jane Austin demonstrates this when Bingley, a rich bachelor, is quickly drawn into the Bennett family on his arrival at Netherfield Park. The book also shows the intricacies of meeting and socialising the Bennett sisters with prospective suitors and the restraints of withholding any affection's until after an engagement. If a couple were to exchange gift, escort one another in carriages or touch intimately they were assumed, engaged. However, in Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austin also wishes to illustrate the desire of young woman to choice lifelong partners for love and compatibility, rather than arranged marriages which are set up for considerations of wealth and social standing. A lot of woman in these days were classed in gentry and were almost entirely dependant on men. However if a woman did not marry she relied financially on her male relatives. They were allowed, employment as a governess but this was viewed as an unsatisfactory way of life. If a woman was proposed to and rejected marriage she would keep the man's failure to herself. She might tell her ... ...d management"(Ch.19 p.319). Mary became more sociable "Mary was obliged to mix with the world" (Ch.19 p.319). Jane Austen has used humour to show us how silly some of the people were in Pride and Prejudice like Mrs Bennets obsession with marriage of her daughters, Mr Collins Pompous character and how Lady Catherine De Bough is so snobbish and nosy. Then she uses Views Of society and rituals of courtship to show the way people lived and to compare it to our lifestyles today. Finally she used Omniscient narrator to show us what the characters are really like and to express her views through them. Love and marriage was very tangled in those days because of strict rules. In the book however they overcame the obstacles of marriage, which changed all of them making them happy or unhappy, but Lizzy and Darcy were happy, as they loved each other very much.

Reading Important Essay

1. Reading is fundamental to function in today’s society. There are many adults who cannot read well enough to understand the instructions on a medicine bottle. That is a scary thought especially for their children. Filling out applications becomes impossible without help. Reading road or warning signs is difficult. Even following a map becomes a chore. 2. Reading is a vital skill in finding a good job. 3. Reading develops the mind. 4. Reading is how we discover new things. 5. Reading develops the imagination. 6. Reading develops the creative side of people. 7. Reading is key in developing a good self image. Non-readers or poor readers often have low opinions of themselves and their abilities. 8. Good reading skills improve spelling. 9. Ideas written down have changed the destiny of men and nations. 10. The power of written ideas communicated through reading is a foundational reason why some governments oppose free and honest communication. Illiterate people are easier to control and manipulate. They cannot do their own research and thinking. They must rely on what they are told. Words are the building blocks of life. You are, right now, the result of words that you have heard or read and believed. What you become in the future will depend on the words you believe about yourself now. People, families, relationships, and even nations are built from words. Think about it. Why is Writing Important? It seems like a silly question, but it is very important to be able to express yourself well. Our writings precede us, or introduce us. For example, when we apply for a job or to enroll in a school, we need to submit a resume and sometimes a cover letter, or when sending e-mails to someone we don’t actually know well or haven’t met yet (work partners, customers, or even responding on behalf of the company you work for). If we make a bad (or illegible) impression, the outcome for us may not be favorable. Poor writing may cost a lot; it may lead to misunderstanding and misconstruing due to sentence structure, grammar, punctuation, and spelling problems. We need to write well for the following reasons: To translate, communicate, and materialize our ideas and thoughts into accessible documents that are useful to ourselves and others – To report our work in informative, concise, and professional formats Another important reason is that when writing, we are sending a message to our readers about who we are. Therefore, we need to be clear, focused, and accurate so as not to be misunderstood, underestimated, or ignored.

Two Way Communication Prevails over One Way Communication

QUESTION With reference to organization of your choice,discuss the view that two –way communication should prevail over one-way communication. Communication plays a very important role in an organisation. In fact, it is said to be the lifeline of the organisation. In totality, communication in an organisation is very complex and needs to be correctly managed, handled and monitored to avert chaos, crisis or conflict. The success and downfall of an organization has a significant link and attachment to communication as the strength, base and foundation between employees and employers such that through communication models that act as vehicles, the corporate sphere is fully equipped by way of addressing crisis management, organizational†¦show more content†¦Dialog and the existence of feedback is also shown through the facilitation of trade unions, works councils and workers committees in settling and exercising a collective bargaining approach on issues of any nature as seen between and its employees hence feedback is the main component of communication process at the above mentioned organization as it permits the sen der to analyze the efficacy of the information or issues which may have arose. One-way process is influenced by the Linear model which does not recognize the importance of feedback as an aspect of paramount importance in the scenario of an organisation that advocates for mutuality and of a sound relationship (Wood, 2009). The Mathematical or Linear Model of Communication is a model that suggests communication moves only in one direction. The operation of a one-way process in an organization results in reduced employee morale. This dissatisfaction can translate into higher employee turnover and recruiting and training costs, as well as a higher likelihood of strikes (Brown, 1965). Two-way communication to a certain extent helps the smooth running of industrial affairs between the management and employees. Terry (1974) states that Communication serves as the lubricant, posturing for the smooth operations of the management process.In managerial terms, the process of communication is espoused to the concept that of conception,Show MoreRelatedKfc Kentucky Fried Ch icken932 Words   |  4 Pagesnot conducting business in two countries of South America such as Paraguay and Uruguay. Currently, KFC is under massive attacks from animal organizations, questioning the way KFC’s suppliers are threatening the chicken, before they got slaughtered. Anti-KFC campaigns are affecting KFC’s brand image in a negative way and result in direct dollar losses, as less people are consuming KFC chicken. Address the potential issues / major barriers to effective communications and negotiations between theRead MoreCulture And The 21st Century937 Words   |  4 Pageshas its own beliefs, ways of life, and art.† Culture is everything that an individual stands for and has lived through. 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