For many companies the incorporating of their business processes into the existing IT-Landscape becomes a great challenge. In the majority of cases the existing mod-els for business processes were developed by non-technical business analysts, who do not usually consider the limitations, concurrency, granularity or interaction models of the existing IT-Landscape.
In times of dynamically changing markets and the progressive motion towards glob-alization in companies, it is increasingly important for companies to adapt their IT-Landscape and business processes to changing conditions.
For this reason, this assignment will provide an overview of the importance the IT-Architecture, which enables and supports business processes. In addition it will give an insight to the service oriented architecture and it’s meaning in this context.
The main target of this assignment is to explain which technologies are available to adapt the IT-Landscape to dynamically changing requirements in companies and how IT-Architecture
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
2 Definitions
2.1 IT-Architecture
2.2 Business Process
2.3 Enterprise IT-Architecture
3 IT-Architecture
3.1 Influential factors to IT-Architecture
3.2 Structure of IT-Architecture
3.2.1 Application architecture
3.2.2 Information architecture
3.2.3 Business system architecture
3.2.4 Technical architecture
3.3 From IT-Architecture to Enterprise Architecture
4 IT-Architecture and business processes
4.1 Enterprise Application Integration
4.2 Service oriented Architecture
4.2.1 WebServices
5 Resume and perspective
Objectives and Topics
This assignment explores how IT-Architecture acts as a strategic enabler for business processes. It analyzes the necessity of aligning organizational goals with flexible technological frameworks to remain competitive in dynamically changing global markets.
- Theoretical foundations of IT and Enterprise Architecture.
- Key factors influencing architectural decisions in modern companies.
- Structural components of IT-Architecture and their interdependencies.
- The transition from traditional IT-Architecture to Service Oriented Architecture (SOA).
- Practical implementation of WebServices to support distributed business processes.
Excerpt from the Book
4.2 Service oriented Architecture
Nowadays, when anyone speaks about business processes and IT-Architecture, the buzzword is service-oriented architecture (SOA). The reason for this is that SOA gives the promise to minimize the IT costs and to fit to the business processes better. One definition would be that:
“A service-oriented Architecture is a framework for integrating business processes and supporting IT-Infrastructure as secure, standardized components – services – that can be reused and combined to address changing business priorities.”
The speciality of a service-oriented architecture is that all software components are realized in services. Any of these services can be replaced by each other. Consequently, companies with an SOA are very flexible in changing their business processes and reacting to the market requests. This is shown in figure 3.
Chapter Summaries
1 Introduction: This chapter introduces the challenge of integrating business processes into existing IT landscapes and outlines the assignment's goal to analyze the role of IT-Architecture as an enabler.
2 Definitions: This chapter provides essential terminology, defining core concepts such as IT-Architecture, Business Process, and Enterprise IT-Architecture.
3 IT-Architecture: This chapter details the influential factors, structural components, and the transition from technical IT-Architecture to organizational Enterprise Architecture.
4 IT-Architecture and business processes: This chapter examines the connection between integration models, such as Enterprise Application Integration and Service Oriented Architecture, and their role in enabling business workflows.
5 Resume and perspective: This chapter summarizes the importance of organizational flexibility and argues that SOA and WebServices represent the optimal path for future IT-Architecture development.
Keywords
IT-Architecture, Business Process, Enterprise Architecture, SOA, Service Oriented Architecture, WebServices, EAI, Business Support, IT-Alignment, Flexibility, IT-Landscape, Integration, Digital Infrastructure, Strategic Enabler, Competitive Advantage.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this paper?
The paper examines how IT-Architecture functions as a crucial enabler for business processes within modern, globally oriented organizations.
What are the primary thematic areas covered?
The core themes include architectural definitions, structural components of IT, the alignment of IT with business strategy, and modern integration approaches like SOA.
What is the main objective of this research?
The goal is to explain how available technologies, specifically SOA and WebServices, allow IT-Architecture to help business processes adapt to rapidly changing market requirements.
Which scientific methodology is applied?
The assignment uses a literature-based conceptual approach, synthesizing industry definitions and architectural frameworks to build a logical argument regarding IT-Business alignment.
What topics are discussed in the main section?
The main section covers the definition of IT and enterprise architectures, the factors influencing them, their internal structure, and practical integration techniques for business processes.
Which keywords best describe the work?
Key terms include IT-Architecture, Business Process, Service Oriented Architecture (SOA), WebServices, and IT-Alignment.
Why is IT-Alignment described as an operational process?
IT-Alignment is considered operational because it involves creating a practical link between business requirements and technical infrastructure, ensuring both domains conform to each other.
How do WebServices facilitate global business processes?
WebServices provide open, standardized ways to interact across corporate borders, allowing companies to outsource specific tasks and collaborate more efficiently over the internet.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Florian Kurtz (Autor:in), 2011, IT-Architecture as Enabler of Business Processes, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/183570
