AbstractâStrategic Information System Alignment is considered one of the main pillars of the information systems governance in the company. In this paper, we ...
Strategic Information System Alignment - Holistic Metamodeling Implementation Noureddine Falih, Azedine Boulmakoul FST Mohammedia, Computer Sciences Department, B.P. 146 Mohammedia, Morocco
Abstract—Strategic Information System Alignment is considered one of the main pillars of the information systems governance in the company. In this paper, we propose the deployment of an approach centred on the extended enterprise meta-model (ISO/DIS 19440 2007). This meta-model incorporates specific structures borrowed from the COBIT framework for IT processes. Such a structure can withstand systemic tools from the structural paradigm for a better assessment of the strategic Information System alignment. In this work we use in particular, the Galois lattice and Guttman scales for the process reengineering. Keywords Strategic alignment, Meta-modelling, structural paradigm, systemic, Galois Lattice
I. INTRODUCTION Since the work of Henderson and Venkatraman [6], a global consensus is emerging to treat the strategic alignment of information systems as a prerequisite to achieving organizational performance of the company [4]. This concept is widely discussed in theory but much more rarely on the conceptual and operational level. Although there is no standard method for deploying and executing the strategic alignment information systems, we propose in this work a practical approach based mainly on the extension of the Enterprise Meta-model ISO/DIS 19440 2007.This extension integrates the necessary structures for developing systemic tools, based on the structural paradigm in order to better lead the evolutions of the IS [2]. Then, we deploy this approach in a real context of a leading company in the field of telecommunications in Morocco. We are implementing structural matrices suitable for a particular area of the company to visualize Galois lattice providing an appropriate vision of the strategic IS alignment. The conclusion of this work defines the strengths that can be drawn from this technique and future prospects to develop. II. CONTEXT AND METHODOLOGY The enterprise modelling as complex sociotechnical dynamic system stands as an indispensable means of organizations research to extract useful knowledge for the various steps of the strategic IS alignment [9]. This raise produce a rational thought on the specific and necessary metaknowledge for any formal or informal representation of the system studied, in order to increasing the overall performance of the company. The research efforts of the 1990s in terms of enterprise modelling lead to a standardized framework to meet the needs of a systemic approach of the enterprise; it’s the ISO 19440 meta-model
Rabia Marghoubi INPT – 2, av Allal El Fassi - Madinat Al Irfane – Rabat – Morocco
oriented process models. It offers four views on these models: the organizational view, the informational view, the functional view and the view of resources [8]. Furthermore, one of the strengths of COBIT is based on the relationship between its various components of strategic, technological and Business Process to meet the specific needs of the company [7]. We use specifically constructs "process" and "objective" in the ISO 19440 meta-model, taking advantage of the abstract concept "Objective" described in its functional aspect, and remains the checkpoint in the area of enterprise operations. However, in systemic best practices, the functional structure is described by processes [3]. The structural matrices are used to derive the arrangements through an analysis made on trees, couplings, interactions etc. Structures that we suggest in this work are divided into two categories: structures that allow a single reading of the matrix structural analysis, namely the Galois lattice (order structure with closure concept) and the method Qanalysis (structure from algebraic topology) [1]. In this work, we limit ourselves to the structural analysis by the Galois lattice. Other tools will be considered in other future work.
Figure 1: Integration of structural analysis
In this semantics for the various problems of information system alignment, we propose the construction of structural matrices and through appropriate structures initiate consistent analysis of such structures to assess the strategic information system alignment.
III. PRACTICAL DEPLOYMENT A. Case study Our approach is implemented in a leading Moroccan company in the field of telecommunications. A projection of the Meta-model ISO / DIS 19440 in its functional area on the studied company can build a class diagram constructs appropriate housing giving birth to different structural matrices from the different possible couplings between these constructs. One process is driven by one or more drivers and contains other processes. A process uses one or more resources: IT resources, human resources, material etc. The goal of a process is focused on objectives that can be influenced by the customer. Achieving these objectives is broken down into activities through a performance measure by indicators (figure 2).
Figure2: Class diagrams (Functional view of the Meta-model)
We only consider the particular structural matrix (Process / Objectives): The elements of this matrix consists primarily of a set of processes aimed a set of objectives, and generating intersection points which may provide analysis allowed for the evaluation of the strategic IS alignment.
TABLE 2: SAMPLE MATRIX PROCESS / OBJECTIVES
B. Generation of Galois lattices To visualize the lattice of this context, we used the Galicia solution. This is an open platform built to create, view and save the concept lattice (Galois) through a multitude of algorithms to calculate, display data and extract the association rules of given context. Given the large volume of data annotated on our larger context we consider a sample of several elements including eight business processes and eight objectives for a simple and effective visualization of lattices generated (Table 2). All binary annotations are purely illustrative and not by projection of the reality, according to the information security policy adopted by the company studied. A concept combines a maximum set of objects to the set of attributes that these objects share. For example: The process "Offers Management", "Sales Management" and "Customer service" have the same objectives «Highlighting Ethics" and "Making debt financing". The objective "Manage Expenses" is a common objective to all business process listed except "Costumer service" and "Billing" objectives. The process "Sales Management" uses all other objectives except "Network management". C. Interpretation The visualization of the Galois lattice thus generated provides a hierarchical representation that may answer questions like "what processes have Oi objective" (figure 3).
TABLE 1: COUPLING MATRIX (PROCESS-OBJECTIVES)
Elements of our matrix are represented as follows: Process Management process : encoded from P1 to P14 Business process : encoded from M1 to M8 Support process : encoded from S1 to S19 Objectives Encoded from O1 to O48. Here are some labels: Highlighting Ethics, Manage Expenses, Making debt financing, Managing internal audits, Marketing, Develop customized offers, Network management, supply chain, etc.
Figure 3: Lattice illustrating the matrix (process / objectives)
Figure 4 reflects a more detailed view of the relationship between the process objects and their predicates, and the rules of association which result.
degree of use and all objectives by decreasing degree on the same oriented continuum is called a Guttman scale or scalogram (figure 6).
Figure 4: Detailed view of lattice (process / objectives)
The analysis of the closed generated in the concept lattice contribute to the process reengineering. Its challenges are to improve the quality of service to improve customer satisfaction and reduce business costs by improving productivity and profitability of the company. To meet these objectives, two approaches are proposed: the first (vertical) is characterized by improved performance of a process without concern for other business processes, which may be harmful. The second approach (transversal) is characterized by a service to a customer who is often the result of a cross circuit more or less complex and a client who is only concerned with the quality of the final product and not the company structure.
Figure 6 : Guttman scale from Galois lattices chain.
D. Process Re-engineering based on closed In this section we describe a method contributing to the process reengineering. This approach consists of identifying non-value added processes to streamline the process model Notation : Set of processes, : Set of objectives, application embodying the impact force of a process on a target (Table 1), : × R+, aggregate function, : R+× R+ × … ×R+ R+. For each process Pi we associate the aggregate measure, impact on the overall objectives. (Pi) = ((((Pi,O1), …, (Pi,Oj), …, ((Pi,ON)). The standard measure is given by: (Pi) = (Pi) / ((Pi)).
Analysis Methodology Figure5: Chain of Galois lattice (Process / objectives)
An overall understanding (holistic) of the company business model is a more rational approach. On the example of the structural matrix binding processes to objectives, the lattice has a canonical reading of this type of coupling. In a maximal di-click or closed (A, B), B is the set of all objectives referred to all processes of A, no other process using it all. The lattice contains all maximal di-cliques to find what processes are at the same time using the same objective R0, it must seek the minimum set of objectives containing R0. The Galois lattices arcs represent the possible shifts of a maximum di-click to another when the objective set R0 is reduced or increased. On a lattice, it is possible to rearrange the elements (objectives and processes) in the order given by a lattice chain. We obtain structural matrices in Guttman scale [5]. At this stage, it is important to note that the usage relationship between processes and objectives is observable. The ability to locate all the processes by increasing
Calculate (Pi) Pi Establish a descending sort of process, as the measure. is the list of processes impacting the goals according to the Pareto rules. = -, processes impacting low objectives. For each process Pi of follow the closed i,j containing Pi according to a Guttman scale. For each closed i,j, analyze expenditures related processes objectives. Audit responsibility centers that deploy i,j processes. IV. CONCLUSION
This work is part of process and IS reengineering. It is based on an original holistic meta-modelling that meets the needs of strategists and IT managers, which could assist in the evaluation of strategic Information System alignment. The approach has been accepted by various international conferences and is waiting to be validated by the leaders and managers of the organization studied. We have already started the implementation of an application to illustrate the added value of this approach. Study of other structural matrices will be proposed soon in other organizations to evaluate the contribution of this approach to the issue of strategic alignment of information systems.
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