Our Methods
A method should not be ‘cast in concrete’ but always adjusted to support your goal.
A method should not be ‘cast in concrete’ but always adjusted to support your goal.
A method is to
Methods can be theoretical, very pragmatic, and everything in between. There are standard methods, and methods that have ‘grown’ through experience. SolArch first listens to your goals, and than proposes the methods that will fit best to the task at hand. Integrating them in your own processes and way of working, or proposing an alternative way where needed. 20 years in project experience will help guide your way. Some examples of our methods are stated below, but this is not intended to be an exhaustive list. ‘Getting things done’ maybe might be our best method.
TOGAF/SAP EAF/DYA
The Open Group Architecture Framework (TOGAF) is an Enterprise Architecture framework that puts requirements management in the center of a continuous and iterative Architecture Development Method cycle.
SAP Enterprise Architecture Framework is an extension to TOGAF focussed on the Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) design paradigm, with a lot of standard content and templates to use in the process of defining your enterprise architecture, with more focus on application systems and –services
Sogeti developed the DYnamic Architecture (DYA) as an architecture approach for business, software, and infrastructure, as well as needed governance and principles. Closing the gap between an overall reference architecture and project (start) architecture.
Awareness Sessions
A good explanation of a new or complex matter helps to gain an broader understanding of a subject, so you can act on it. New technology developments, aligning business and ICT departments, new methods of working or simply how to do something is better understood when someone explains what it is, how it works, why you should use it, where it is applied, or not. In layman’s terms (“Jip en Janneke taal”). SolArch can tell a consistent story to all levels in your organization: from boardroom to operator, from policy to technical implementation and from strategy to activity process.
Business - ICT Benefit Logic
Technology implementation supports and in some cases even drives your business. SolArch believes that how this brings value can always be described, even in the most complex situations. Your organizational strategy, targets and goals are leading in all activities that are carried out. Business- and ICT principles drawn from these goals and targets form the basis of a value case for even the most hard-core technology implementations. Whether financial and/or non-financial arguments are applicable, SolArch helps your organization putting the rationale behind every project in your business-ICT roadmap.
Requirements engineering workshops
Gathering requirements can be a tedious process. A lot of methods are available to describe requirements, and various trainings and books too. In the end it comes down to: “Do(es) the developer(s) understand what I need?” and “Does the product that is implemented meet the expectations of the client?”. Thus: understanding expectations is the key. A picture and a text is interpreted by its reader with the knowledge and understanding of the subject he/she has. This goes for the vocabulary used as well: only in a workshop setting where all people that have a role in the requirements definition AND realization phase of a project are present, a common understanding can be reached on the solution that has to be realized. SolArch is specialized in facilitating workshops with a diverse group of people, who need to work together on a common goal: a happy customer, and satisfied end-user of a solution.
Multi-channel Use Case design
Behind every user demand, in most cases lay more requirements then can be foreseen. Solutions can turn out to be more complex than expected. Business doesn’t what to be bothered with too much technical detail, ICT needs as much details as possible to make the translation to bits and bytes. ICT is an absolute craft, business a continuously changing dynamic process. Both with its own characteristics and vocabulary to steer and control it in the needed direction. Finding the right tone of voice, balance between concept and detail, and a commonly understood vocabulary is key to successfully meet expectations of all people involved in the process and to avoid getting stuck in the maze of misinterpretation.
SolArch uses an own developed, pragmatic yet complete design method that keeps things simple and concise, though specific enough for everybody to agree on what has to be done, and what should be delivered. It consists of a more specifically defined Use Case definition from the Rational Unified Process, together with prototyping techniques to get end-user acceptance, and documentation formats that are needed to finally hand over to maintenance and support.
Multi-layered, multi-channel, multi-system and process oriented solutions benefit most from this method. It can be tailored to your enterprise architecture tooling (i.e. ARIS, Enterprise Architect, BizzDesign) standards, as well as a more pragmatic documentation format.