Enterprise Architecture It Project

The development of an IT system can be carried out using an urbanisation approach i.e. building an IT system using the metaphor of a city. This concept is based on the fact that in constructing or reorganising information systems, the reconstruction and modernisation involves permanent elements, as are found in a city. Although relatively new, this approach has been successfully employed in a number of projects over the past few years.

The practical approach given in this book allows enterprises or organisations trying to safeguard the efficiency of their IT system, while minimising costs and risk, to implement the theory and put it into practice.

While talk of "architecture" of information systems is in common usage, the introduction of "urbanization" in this field is more recent, but is rapidly gaining general currency.The concept is based on the fact that in constructing or reconstructing an information system, the reorganization and modernization involve permanent elements, just as in a town, and thus the urbanization paradigm can be usefully transferred to the construction of IT systems. Although relatively new, this approach has been successfully employed in a number of projects over the past few years.
This book sets out in detail how to organize the information of an enterprise in a sufficiently modular fashion to be able to recover functions (eg stock management) without disturbing or indeed paralyzing the harmony of the enterprise, while defining the permanent principles which guarantee the coherence and functionality of the whole in the long term. This approach allows for the improvement of the efficiency of the IT system while safeguarding its coherence.
The fundamentals and rules of urbanization and the methodological implementation are illustrated using extensive case studies
This book is intended for information systems directors and designers, enterprise managers and consultants.

Christophe Longépé is Executive Business Consultant and Director of the IT strategy department at SchlumbergerSema Consulting. He is also in charge of the Enterprise Architecture programme at the IMI (Information Management Institute, University of Technology at Compiegne, France). His work now focuses on Enterprise Architecture design, where his activity objectives are to allow enterprises and major administration to focus their investments on the major stakes and thus preserve their previous investments while minimising risk with a controlled and gradual overhaul of existing systems.