Circle of Change

Information Technology has evolved considerably over past few decades, and has contributed significantly to the value chain of businesses. However, in spite of significant improvements in software project management processes over the past several years, the percentage of failed and delayed IT implementations remains staggeringly high (68% as per the Standish Chaos report 2009). On the other hand, the average shelf life of an IT solution is shrinking, due to rapid advances in technology and pressures in adopting them for competitive advantage. Consequently, applications are found to be churning more than optimum resources in the maintenance phase of their lifecycles. A significant percentage of these resources are spent on ensuring seamless upgrades.

 

IT advances feeding into complexity of business processes	Example of IT advances over a timeline

 

Figure-1 above depicts a continuous cycle of rapid advances in technology causing changes in business processes, and business processes in-turn fuelling IT changes. For example, Java and Internet brought about significant changes in the way business was conducted. The consequent needs of businesses triggered new technologies such as SAAS, Cloud computing and SOA.

It is therefore an imperative for organizations to not only design IT solutions to address current business needs, but also to architect them for continuity in a constantly changing landscape. A rigorous architectural practice, along with well defined implementation governance plays a crucial role in achieving this goal. There are tens and hundreds of design best practices, reference architectural patterns, and architectural frameworks to address these needs. A mature architectural practice identifies the best design and architectural solution patterns in addition to addressing the functional and TTM (time to market) priorities of a business.