Issue #19 [June 26-June 30]
Enterprise Unified Process: Low Cholesterol, High Fiber Enterprise Diet
It is a universally accepted fact that a fundamental process is necessary for a stable foundation. Even nature follows a systematic algorithm, right from the genetic biorhythm to human evolution. The enterprise is not alien to this concept. In fact, the success of an enterprise is governed by a unified process. However, a common problem in industries is the absence of a process that is aligned with enterprise recommendations and has architecture-centric, technology-driven project delivery models. Most industries adopt an easy and fast Return on Investment (RoI) policy whose theoretical or conceptual foundations are infected and inadequate. This can be remedied with a refactoring of IT strategies, architectures and policies. In this issue, we will learn more about an enterprise process that aligns the enterprise with its architectural foundations. The Enterprise Unified Process (EUP) can reduce enterprise health hazards and help maintain a balance within the enterprise.
What is Enterprise Process?
Enterprise Process is a derivative of the Enterprise Reference Architecture Specifications that captures both the functional and behavioral aspects of an enterprise system. The Enterprise Architectural Principles cover enterprise aspects ranging from organizational structure, business processes, information systems, and infrastructure. They point out all essential steps (or phases) of the programs, identify all tasks involved, and highlight their interrelationship. Enterprise process deals with other human-oriented, process-oriented and technology-oriented enterprise activities as well.
An enterprise is influenced by its domains and environments. Each enterprise is an aggregation of multiple entities. On the other hand, enterprises have different sets of stakeholders and associated concerns. The enterprise process ensures a predictable behavior of enterprise activities that satisfies all the concerns of the identified stakeholders. Most organizations do not clearly understand enterprise concepts. They are, therefore, falsely lead to an unrealistic enterprise process. These processes usually carry interoperability problems because they are developed on stovepipe applications that are successful in a tactical sense but are nightmares from the strategic point of view.
The objective of an enterprise process is to unify all such enterprise activities within a guided environment.
Enterprise Unified Process: An Introduction
The Enterprise Unified Process (EUP) is extended from the concepts of RUP and best practices and absorbs enterprise essences. Thus, the EUP is best suited for enterprise organizations, as described in Figure 1:
EUP not only extends the disciplines of RUP, but it also helps with the recommended tools. EUP followers have the added advantage of receiving guidance for tools as an added advantage. It helps the user select the right tools from a wide range of options for the enterprise process.
EUP: How Much Enterprise?
In previous issues, we discussed the concepts of GERA and its ‘balanced diet’ formula aimed at creating a healthy enterprise. GERA’s recommendations as compared to the promises made by EUP are summarized in Table 2.
Conclusion
EUP carries within itself various disciplines such as enterprise business modeling, portfolio management, enterprise architecture, strategic reuse, people management, enterprise administration, software process improvement and operations and support. It also introduces the enterprise to a proper enterprise project lifecycle. In the next issue, we will review enterprise governance and EUP support that enables a smooth enterprise governance process.
References
- [GERAM] GERAM: Generalized Enterprise Reference Architecture and Methodology. Version 1.6.3 (http://www.cit.gu.edu.au/~bernus/taskforce/geram) also in P.Bernus, L.Nemes and G. Schmidt (Eds) Handbook on Enterprise Architecture, Berlin : Springer (2003) pp 22-64.
- [EUP concept] Scott Ambler
- [EUP 2005] Enterprise Unified Process: Extending the Rational Unified Process by Scott W. Ambler, John Nalbone, and Michael Vizdos, published Prentice Hall PTR, ISBN: 0-13-191451-0
- Examining enterprise unified process
- Handbook on Enterprise Architecture, by Bernus P, Nemes L, and G Schmidt (eds), Springer, (2003), ISBN: 3540003436
- An architecture for defining the processes of the software and systems life cycles by Terence P. Rout, Software Quality Institute and Peter Bernus, School of Computing and Information Technology, Griffith University Queensland, Australia.
- Examining Model Driven Architecture
- Enterprise Unified Process (EUP)
- Extending the RUP with the Zachman Framework
