Books

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The Practical Guide to Enterprise Architecture

The role of the enterprise architecture professional is one of the most challenging roles in information technology today. Many aspects of the role are technical, while much more of the job is becoming political. To say the least, it is a challenging position. Many enterprise architects have significant responsibility, but do not have the necessary authority to bring about success. The primary focus of this book is to be a guide and trusted advisor to those who want to be successful in this pursuit. Through real-world examples from experts who have filled the role of enterprise architect, the reader will learn how to solve complex problems, maintain technical competencies, and make a positive impact on the overall business. The most successful architecture will have an architect that can describe the motivation behind the technical choices; this book provides the background the practitioners will need to become the enterprise evangelist.

Enterprise Architecture at Work: Modelling, Communication and Analysis

An enterprise architecture tries to describe and control an organisation’s structure, processes, applications, systems and techniques in an integrated way. The unambiguous specification and description of components and their relationships in such an architecture requires a coherent architecture modelling language. Lankhorst and his co-authors present such an enterprise modelling language, ArchiMate, that captures the complexity of architectural domains and their relations and allows the construction of integrated enterprise architecture models. They provide architects with concrete instruments that improve their architectural practice. As this is not enough, they additionally present techniques and heuristics for communicating with all relevant stakeholders about these architectures. Since an architecture model is useful not only for providing insight into the current or future situation but can also be used to evaluate the transition from ‘as-is’ to ‘to-be’, the authors also describe analysis methods for assessing both the qualitative impact of changes to an architecture and the quantitative aspects of architectures, such as performance and cost issues. The modelling language and the other techniques presented have been proven in practice in many real-life case studies. So this book is an ideal companion for enterprise IT or business architects in industry as well as for computer or management science students studying the field of enterprise architecture.

Enterprise Architecture Planning: Developing a Blueprint for Data, Applications and Technology

More advanced than traditional system planning approaches, Enterprise Architecture Planning (EAP) outlines a stable business model independent of organizational boundaries, systems and procedures; defines data before applications; and allows data to determine the sequence for implementing application systems. This invaluable book offers a common-sense approach to EAP and includes numerous examples of architectures, procedures, checklists and useful guidelines. The book was described as a substantive contribution to the body of IS planning knowledge by John A. Zachman.

IT Architecture Toolkit

Enterprise IT architecture made practical — finally! There’s only one way to maximize legacy infrastructure while integrating new partners, technologies, applications, and data streams: begin with a coherent enterprise architecture. But most approaches to enterprise architecture have been far too complex and theoretical–until now. IT Architecture Toolkit is a breakthrough: a practical, simple, rapid, and complete approach to delivering on the promise of enterprise architecture. Jane Carbone’s approach has been proven in mid-market and Fortune 500 enterprises alike. Step by step, Carbone shows how to integrate business, architecture, implementation, and all key outputs: for data, applications, technology, and people. Whether you’re an IT leader, architect, planner, or analyst, you’ll learn how to create strong, auditable links with business drivers; model your architecture simply, easily, and quickly; translate your models to real, manageable projects; define the value proposition for architecture and establish realistic metrics; achieve buy-in throughout your organization; and manage the soft aspects of your architecture initiative, including processes, roles, responsibilities, and organizational structure. Carbone provides a soup to nuts collection of methods and examples. Using her exercises, you will construct a complete draft architecture for your own business: one that will handle change, opportunity, growth, mergers, downsizing, whatever comes your way.

The Laws of Simplicity

Finally, we are learning that simplicity equals sanity. We’re rebelling against technology that’s too complicated, DVD players with too many menus, and software accompanied by 75-megabyte “read me” manuals. The iPod’s clean gadgetry has made simplicity hip. But sometimes we find ourselves caught up in the simplicity paradox: we want something that’s simple and easy to use, but also does all the complex things we might ever want it to do. In The Laws of Simplicity, John Maeda offers ten laws for balancing simplicity and complexity in business, technology, and design–guidelines for needing less and actually getting more. Maeda–a professor in MIT’s Media Lab and a world-renowned graphic designer–explores the question of how we can redefine the notion of “improved” so that it doesn’t always mean something more, something added on. Maeda’s first law of simplicity is “Reduce.” It’s not necessarily beneficial to add technology features just because we can. And the features that we do have must be organized (Law 2) in a sensible hierarchy so users aren’t distracted by features and functions they don’t need. But simplicity is not less just for the sake of less. Skip ahead to Law 9: “Failure: Accept the fact that some things can never be made simple.” Maeda’s concise guide to simplicity in the digital age shows us how this idea can be a cornerstone of organizations and their products–how it can drive both business and technology. We can learn to simplify without sacrificing comfort and meaning, and we can achieve the balance described in Law 10. This law, which Maeda calls “The One,” tells us: “Simplicity is about subtracting the obvious, and adding the meaningful.”

Ryanair: How a Small Irish Airline Conquered Europe

The supercharged growth of this low-cost airline has actually changed the way countless people live their lives, whether it be Ireland’s new “Ryanair Generation” for whom its cheap flights to Dublin have eliminated much permanent emigration to the UK, or the thousands of Britons now enabled to buy holiday homes in rural France. This is the first book to tell the full story of the Ryanair phenomenon, from its inauspicious beginnings to its current dominance, from the secret of its business strategy to its cavalier stunts and practices. Siobhan Creaton has spoken to Ryanair employees past and present, as well as its top management and those at its major rivals like British Airways and easyJet, to produce an authoritative, objective and compulsive account of one of the most colorful companies in Europe. With Ryanair continuing to expand, the battle for the low-cost airline market in Europe becoming ever more cutthroat, and chief executive Michael O’Leary happy to do battle with everyone from airports (for their landing charges) to his own pilots (over pay and conditions)—and generate an endless stream of PR and news stories in the process—this edition of Siobhan Creaton’s book is fully updated to take account of all Ryanair’s most recent history.