Reusable Enterprise Architecture Approach Supports Gap Analysis, Shortens Startup Time
SEATTLE,WA (PRWEB) October 27, 2004 — Computas NA, Inc. today announced an advanced planning system for quickly building Enterprise Architecture (EA) models that enable corporate and government organizations to significantly reduce risk in their decision-making. The new Metis® Planning System, a value-added offering of Computas Professional Consulting Services (PCS), leverages the company’s Metis Enterprise visual modeling toolset to create comprehensive portfolio management baseline EA models and definitive ‘next step’ advisories for consultative use between Computas PCS and its customers.
“The Metis Planning System is a tried-and-proven approach to EA model planning refined over the last year with a number of our leading customers,” said William R. Wright, president and CEO of Computas NA. “It is an important capability that provides a standardized, reusable planning system for launching an Enterprise Architecture development effort — including often-daunting startup tasks such as identifying all data sources, gathering information from business users, and creating data maps that link business questions with EA objects. As a result, our consultants can effectively build a robust first-iteration EA while also making precise, practical recommendations for moving the customer’s EA up to a higher level of maturity.”
Computas PCS chief consultant Michael Carter noted that the Metis® Planning System is itself a Metis model, one that comprises a model template optimized for EA planning and a standard Metis object repository, along with a complete project plan for implementing an EA. “All of the mechanisms and processes in our new metamodel are geared to speed the creation of an EA that supports business-critical gap analyses for identifying disconnects between top-level corporate strategies and lower-level business unit strategies, and for discovering any misalignment of applications with business processes and goals,” Carter said. “As such, the Metis Planning System strongly promotes the goal of every Enterprise Architecture — to deliver concrete business value and reduce risk.
Metis Planning System is flexible enough to utilize all EA methodologies and Frameworks
The Metis Planning System comes compete with a plug in EA methodology to allow for faster implementation right from the start. For customers who prefer a specific EA methodology such as TOGAF, Spewak or others, they can easily incorporate that methodology into the planning system as a plug in module.
In addition to being methodology-independent, the Metis Planning System is also designed to utilize many of the industry standard frameworks such as Zachman, TOGAF (The Open Group Architectural Framework), FEAF (Federal Enterprise Architecture Framework), etc. The planning system comes standard with the Metis seven-layer EA Framework which allows for a complete EA implementation from the highest-level business objectives to the lowest level supporting artifacts such as products, vendors and personnel.
The Metis Planning System was designed from the ground up to support not only EA modeling projects, but also additional Metis product implementations such as its CAPBC (Capital Asset Planning and Business Case) solution and its DoD AF (Department of Defense Architecture Framework) template.
Computas PCS fields concrete planning system to ensure the success of customers’ EA initiatives
The Metis Planning System is a core offering, available immediately, of Computas Professional Consulting Services. Computas PCS helps customers quickly implement a mature EA that provides the deep visibility into their enterprise that stakeholders throughout the organization need to make better decisions. Computas PCS flexibly provides the exact complement of expertise — including Computas engineers, business technologists and consulting partners — to ensure the success of customers’ EA initiatives. Short-term or long-term engagements are available, depending on the complexity of the customer’s IT and business operations, the self-sufficiency of in-house IT resources, and the customer’s cost-of-ownership and return-on-investment objectives. The scope of engagements include:
• Core Services for EA Planning and Repository Development. All Computas Professional Services engagements begin with a focus on high-level EA assessment and planning, and result in the near-term deliverable of a populated Metis repository for storing and managing the customer’s EA models, both published and in-progress.
• Comprehensive Services for ongoing EA implementation and operations. If a customer’s EA requirements go beyond setting up an EA infrastructure and training modelers and users, Computas PCS can configure the right team embodying all of the conceptual knowledge, managerial experience, and practical know-how needed to optimize and maintain the EA.
• Targeted EA Services for Critical Business Processes. Where an EA initiative is driven by the need to improve decision-making in specific areas of the customer’s business, Computas PCS can work to create an EA that provides major business value in a wide range of business activities. These include: Business Process Management, IT portfolio management, IT operations management (such as change control, product standardization, continuity of operations planning), Capital Asset Planning, visual project management, and compliance with governance requirements and legal guidelines such as the Clinger Cohen Act.
Computas is also designing a training program for third-party partners who have requested to be certified in the Metis Planning System. The training course is slated for roll-out in mid-2005.
About Computas and Metis®
Founded in 1985, Computas has company representation in multiple countries and a global network of partners. Computas NA, founded in 2000 and headquartered in Sammamish, Washington, is a subsidiary of Computas. For more information please visit www.computas.com.
The Metis® Enterprise visual modeling toolset from Computas enables companies to extract more value from enterprise investments in IT technology and personnel by offering visual modeling of complex interrelationships for use in decision support. Metis integrates with legacy applications and can be used by stakeholders in any functional domain, including enterprise architecture, business process modeling, and database, project, portfolio, and business process management.
By showing users the ‘what if’ analysis of any proposed decision from the enterprise perspective down to the project level, Metis enables an organization to effectively adapt to the need for continuous change, and promotes consensus and governance by breaking down traditional organizational barriers.
Worldwide corporate customers using Metis include Boeing, NCR, Nextel, T-Mobile, Rolls Royce, EDS, GlaxoSmithKline, and BNSF. US federal government customers include organizations in the Departments of Treasury, Commerce, Health and Human Services, and Defense, as well as the Environmental Protection Agency, Food and Drug Administration, and Social Security Administration.
Visit Computas’ DCI/Meta Group EA Exhibit – Booth #110
Loews Coronado Bay Resort, 4000 Coronado Bay Road
Coronado, CA 92118, October 26th to 29th
