PHASE 1

Develop a Data Architecture Vision

Modernize Data Architecture for Measurable Business Results

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 Phase 1: Develop a data architecture vision

Create an Assess Gaps &

Plan Project Assess Capabilities Develop a Roadmap
Architectural Vision Formulate Strategies

Create a Project Plan Assess “as is” Data

Including: Architecture Capabilities
Identify the Business’s Assess Gaps and
• Scope and objectives Evaluate the following: Develop
Data Requirements • Practice capabilities Formulate Strategies
• Resourcing Initiatives for Data
• Sponsorship Outputs • Data architecture Architecture
Outputs
• Oversight body and capabilities
reporting process • Data lineage capabilities Outputs
Data Prioritized Gap
Outputs Requirements • Data delivery capabilities Analysis Documented
Outputs Strategies Initiatives
Defined Terms of
Reference Documentation of
baseline capabilities
Assess Initiative
Feasibility
Create a Data Determine Target
Architecture Vision Capabilities

Outputs Outputs Create a

Data Architecture Target Capabilities Roadmap for Data
Vision (Specs) Architecture
Modernization
Outcome
Data
Architecture
Roadmap

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Navigate the 3 phases of the blueprint using this table of
contents

Phase 1: Phase 2: Assess Phase 3: Create a Data Architecture

Create a Data Architecture Vision Data Architecture Capabilities Roadmap
Step 1.1: Plan your data Tool: Data Architecture Assessment Step 3.1: Develop a data
architecture modernization project and Roadmap Tool architecture roadmap
Template: Modernize Data Step 2.1: Assess the capabilities of Template: Data Architecture
Architecture Project Charter the data architecture practice Roadmap Presentation Template
Step 1.2: Translate the business’s Step 2.2: Assess your enterprise
drivers and strategies into a data data model (EDM)
architecture strategy
Template: Data Architecture Strategic Step 2.3: Assess and plan the
Planning Workbook capabilities of each related
architecture
Step 2.4: Assess your
organization’s dynamic data
architecture models
Step 2.5: Assess performance gaps
Template: Initiative Definition Tool

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Phase 1: Create the vision for your data architecture practice
Call 1-888-670-8889 or email [email protected] for more information.

Complete these steps on your own, or call us to complete a guided implementation. A guided implementation is a series of 2-
3 advisory calls that help you execute each phase of a project. They are included in most advisory memberships.

Guided Implementation 1: Create the vision for your data architecture practice
Proposed Time to Completion (in weeks): 4-12 weeks

Step 1.1: Plan your modernize data architecture project Step 1.2: Create your data architecture vision
Start with an analyst kick-off call: Review findings with analyst:
• Discuss the plans for your data architecture project and • Discuss the organization’s strategic vision and the
determine the scope of your evaluation implications on the organization’s data architecture
• Discuss the individuals to engage on the team • Identify data strategies and discuss implications
• Discuss the placement of this project within the
organization’s enterprise architecture and EA practice

Then complete these activities… Then complete these activities…

• Complete the associated project charter • Evaluate the organization’s data strategies
• Identify and coordinate with the project’s identified • Develop the organization’s data architecture vision
oversight body

With these tools & templates: With these tools & templates:
Modernize Data Architecture Project Charter Data Architecture Strategic Planning Workbook

Phase 1 Results & Insights:

• Launch of the data architecture modernization project
• Development of your organization’s data architecture vision

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Step 1.1: Plan your data architecture modernization project

1 1 2 2 2 2 2 3
. . . . . . . .
1 2 1 2 3 4 5 1
Activities Outcomes
Launch of the data architecture project
1.1.1 Scope and plan your project

1.1.2 Identify project resources and responsibilities Research Support

1.1.3 Identify the oversight body for your project Modernize Data Architecture Project
Charter

Participants in this Step

Project Manager
Benefits
Project Sponsor Strong planning at the outset of your
project will ensure expectations,
Project Team resourcing, and oversight for the
project are clearly understood.
Oversight Body

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 1.1

Launch your data architecture modernization project

Modernize Data Architecture Project Charter

Building or refining a data architecture practice can be a large undertaking; make sure you are
prepared by scoping your project and including the necessary staff and resources.

Before launching your project, ensure you have

identified and documented the following:
 Scope of the project
 A project plan that outlines:
• Project steps
• Project deliverables and artifacts
 Expected outcomes from the project
 Resourcing plan
• Identified roles and responsibilities for members
Use the
of the team
Modernize Data Architecture Project Charter to
 Identification of the oversight body create a plan and define the expectations for
 Approval process for project findings and next steps your project.
 Expected outcomes from the project
 Plan for communicating changes and project findings to
relevant stakeholders

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 1.1.1

Identify the scope and steps of your data architecture project

Sections 1-3 of the Modernize Data Architecture Project Charter

Instructions Use the sample material in the

1. As a group, discuss and document the following: project charter to support you in
• Scope of the project
developing your project plans
o Identify both in scope and out of scope items
• Project plan
o Include project steps and milestones Activity
• Project expectations and outcomes
• Planning meeting
• Expected project deliverables and artifacts
2. Document the plans for your project in the associated sections of the
project charter. Output
• Project scope
Recommended project scope based on the blueprint content • Outcome expectations
and structure: • Project plan
• List of expected
Identify the organization’s data architecture vision deliverables and artifacts
1
Step: Create a high level data architecture vision that considers the
organization’s broader strategic vision Materials
Identify the current and target capabilities for each component of • Project charter
2 data architecture
Step: Perform a diagnostic that assesses current capabilities Participants
Step: Determine target capability levels
• Project Manager
Step: Build initiatives addressing performance gaps • Project Sponsor
3 Create a roadmap • Data Architecture Practice Lead
• Data Architect(s)
Step: Plot initiatives on a 3-5 year roadmap

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 1.1.1

Plan your project around the findings of Info-Tech’s data

architecture diagnostic assessment

At the center of this project is a diagnostic

assessment that analyzes your
organization’s current and desired data
architecture capabilities. Use the
assessment tool to drive your project’s
scope, phasing, activities, and resourcing. Resource: Data Architecture Assessment and Roadmap Tool

The diagnostic focuses on three different areas: Key Outcomes from the
Tool
• Current and target DA practices
• Gaps assessment
Enterprise Data Model • Roadmap for incremental data
architecture improvements

Data Architecture Practice

Related Architectures

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 1.1.2

Identify the resourcing requirements for your project

Activity: Project Planning Meeting

Project Management and

The members and size of your project team will Sponsorship
vary depending on the size of your IT
Ensure the proper individuals are responsible for
department and the maturity of your enterprise representing and managing your data
architecture team. architecture project.
Project Manager
The individual responsible for the organization’s
Roles to consider as part of your core current data architecture practice is the best
project team project manager candidate.
• Data Architect(s)
Project Sponsor
• Enterprise Architect
Depending on organizational size and structure,
• Any data management professionals who are involved in different individuals or steering committees
data modeling or creation of the artifacts for data architecture could serve as the project’s sponsor.
and data management
Candidates for Project Sponsor
• Data governance professionals who oversee data
Senior Management
architecture
• CIO
• Database administrators or data warehousing architects
with a deep knowledge of data operations • IT Executives

Document results of the brainstorming session in your charter

under section 4.1.

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 1.1.3

Identify and appoint an oversight body and establish

communication and reporting expectations

Does the organization

have a formal enterprise
architecture practice? As you determine project
expectations and coordinate
with your oversight body,
No identify the following:
Yes
• Expectations for reporting interim
and final findings
• Milestones and interaction points
Place the project under Include the project • Expectations of a multiple
Information under the portfolio of EA domain review of project findings
Management’s domain and have it report to the and initiative plans
and have it report to the Architecture Review • Approval steps for project
Data Governance Board findings and roadmap initiatives
Council or Steering
Committee

If your organization does not have either governance body, identify a senior IT leader in the architecture
or information management/applications domain to champion and oversee the project.

Identify your oversight body, and document your reporting process and
Performance Gauge
milestones from charter
in your tab. 5 –under
Scorecard and4.3.
section Roadmap

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 1.1.3

Create clarity around roles and responsibilities for your

project team
Activity: Project Planning Meeting

Instructions Info-Tech Recommends

1. Create a clear understanding of the tasks and expectations for each member of Create a RACI chart at the outset of
the project team. the project to ensure clear
2. Document how part-time and full-time project members will be involved in expectations for each member are
specific stages of the project and the expectations around their involvement explicitly documented.
and contributions.

Responsible Accountable Consulted Informed

Roles Identify architecture Assess current Identify target Plan Create a
vision capabilities capabilities initiatives roadmap
Project Manager R R R R R

Project Sponsor CI CI CI CI CI

Data Architects R R R R R

Enterprise Architect CI CI CI CI CI

Director, Enterprise A A A A A
Architecture
Note: This RACI is an example of how role expectations would be broken down across the different steps of the project; develop your
own RACI based on project scope and participants.
Document results of the brainstorming session in your charter
Performance Gauge 4.
under section from tab. 5 – Scorecard and Roadmap

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As you plan your project, understand how it fits with your
larger architecture and information management practices

Project Inputs Project Outputs

Enterprise Architecture
• Architecture standards
• Enterprise architecture vision
• Artifacts from additional
architecture domains
Modernize Data
Project Deliverable:
Architecture Roadmap
Project
Information Management The initiatives documented in the
• Data strategy roadmap will launch projects that
• Understanding of operational tie back to both EA and
Information Management. Ensure
and analytical data use cases your project’s results are aligned,
• Data governance policies and and you communicate results and
standards next steps to affected and relevant
• Data management standards parties.
• Data management artifacts

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Step 1.2: Translate the business’s drivers and strategy into a
data architecture vision
1 1 2 2 2 2 2 3
. . . . . . . .
1 2 1 2 3 4 5 1
Activities Outcomes
1.2.1 Review the organization’s strategic mission • Documented data strategies
• Creation of a data architecture vision
1.2.2 Identify the business’s data strategies
Research Support
1.2.3 Discuss disruptors and trends in the information
management space Data Architecture Strategic Planning
Workbook
1.2.4 Build a vision for the organization’s data architecture
practice
Benefits
Participants in this Step
Business Alignment
Project Manager The organization’s data architecture
practice is being evaluated and
developed from a strong understanding
Project Team of the business.

Business Leaders

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 1.2

Build your data architecture vision using a deep understanding

of the business’s strategic plans and capability needs

In this section, conduct the following steps in order to create a vision for your data
architecture plan that aligns with the business.

Activity Objective Inputs Outputs

• Business strategy Clarified business goals to refer to
Team reviews the organization’s
1.2.1 strategic mission
Identify business goals documents when prioritizing initiatives and
• 5-10 year business roadmap identifying target capabilities
Identify the business’s • Business strategy artifacts Data strategies
Identify the business’s data data strategies and the • IT strategy artifacts
1.2.2 strategies implications for data
architecture

Identify trends in the • Review of initiatives Identification of trends and

Team discussions about disruptors space that will affect the undertaken by competitors opportunities to consider as the
and trends in the information organization’s data • Review of key trends in the team identifies target capabilities
1.2.3 architecture IM space that creates the
management space
needs for ‘modern data
architectures’
Create a data • Business capability needs Data architecture vision
Build a vision for the organization’s architecture vision • Project scoping of key data
1.2.4 data architecture practice architecture requirements
from the business

For your data architecture • Align its capabilities with the organization’s current needs.
practice to be valuable, it • Develop and implement improvement plans that support the
must: business’s evolving data needs.

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 1.2.1

Understand what is driving change at your organization

To remain competitive, organizations are constantly evolving their operations,

whether it be by investing in or evolving current operations, expanding the size of the
organization, or creating new products/services.

Consider what changes and drivers are influencing your

organization

Business Direction Regulations Operations Business Innovation

Are regulations causing your Is the business growing
Is the organization’s Are business operations through new lines of
organization to re-evaluate
business model evolving and changing? business, products, or
how data is used and
changing? services?
managed by the business?

These key drivers have data architecture implications that require alignment and data enablement.

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 1.2.1

Review the organization’s business vision, goals, and

strategies to identify key drivers that impact data
Variable Time Comment

Begin your project by ensuring your team

The success of this project and your
understands the business’s:
data architecture practice require a
• Vision, goals, objectives, KPIs, and
strong alignment with the business and
strategies
a deep understanding of their data
• Priorities
requirements.
• Key drivers

Don’t assume you understand the business – go to the source

to make sure you do.
Review key Skip this step if:
business artifacts Interview business leaders Your organization has
already evaluated its
Use business documentation to Discuss organizational plans and key business strategy and
support your review. drivers with department leaders and used it to create clear
business management to equip your team
Typical Review Inputs: data strategies.
with an accurate understanding of business
• Strategic and operational operations and strategic direction.
plans
• Business strategy
• 3-5 year roadmaps
• Department business plans Document results of the brainstorming session in your
• Business vision and mandate Performance Gauge from
Data Architecture tab. 5 –Planning
Strategic Scorecard and Roadmap
Workbook.

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 1.2.2

Understand the business’s overall data strategies before

diving into your evaluation

Organizations are becoming more data reliant, rather than less; as a result, architectural blueprinting,
governance practices, and data operations must become more planned and mature.

Info-Tech Insight
Don’t have a data strategy? Bi-directional mapping between data
Build one from an understanding of the business’s operations strategies and business objectives/KPIs will
and strategic plans and the role of data in them. ensure alignment, facilitate transparency,
and enable demonstration of business
benefits.

Start with the business Related Research

Develop and Implement an Ef
(Use findings from 1.2.1 as an input) fective Data Management Str
ategy and Roadmap

What is driving What is the What is the Really immature in understanding

the strategic positioning of data?
change for the business’s organization’s Use this research to support your
organization? strategy? data strategy? alignment and planning steps for
information management.

Business Business Goals

Data Strategy
drivers Business Plans

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 1.2.2

Discuss the implications of data strategies on data architecture

Variable Time Commitment

Instructions Prerequisites
1. As a group, review the data strategies identified by earlier planning activities. As you review
• Business strategy
data strategies (enterprise or department-based) brainstorm and identify data architecture
analysis
implications.
• Data strategy
2. Document implications and use them as a critical reference as you build your data identification
architecture vision.

Participants
Data Strategy Data Architecture Implication
• Project Manager
Shift from account to customer-centric view of Need to refocus EDM and EDW • Project Team
information. Be able to answer/address: Need to align Metadata / Data Definition
- How many customers do we have? Need to align master data priorities
- What are the trends in customer Next Steps
preferences? DA practice level implications: need to
- What products do we sell and to whom? revitalize EDM, EDW, Metadata, MDM, BI/ Use these
- etc. Analytics capabilities, services and tools considerations to help
you shape and build
your data architecture
vision (1.2.4)

Document results of the brainstorming session in your Data

Architecture Strategic Planning Workbook.

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 1.2.3

Consider these disruptors and trends in the information

management space

Advanced Analytics
• Organizations place greater emphasis on
Big Data analytical data use cases (vs. more traditional
The discussion about big data is no
operational data usage).
longer about what it is - but how do
businesses of all types operationalize it. • Recent research by the International Institute for
Analytics indicates that “71% of firms actively
Is your organization currently use analytics in everyday decision making or
capturing and leveraging big data? [are] planning to do so in the near future.”
Are they looking to do so in the near
future? Do you have capabilities to deliver advanced
analytics? Do you understand advanced
analytics opportunities in the context of your
business?

Unstructured Data
Current By 2022

70-80% of an 93% of the digital universe and

organization’s total amount in an organization’s Consider the internal and external
data environment catalysts that might fuel your
organization’s need to formalize and
Source: Baseline Magazine, 2015, and IDG, 2014 modernize its data architecture.

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 1.2.3

Identify trends in the data ecosystem that cause organizations

to modernize their data architectures
Brainstorming Discussion and Planning Meeting

Input
INSTRUCTIONS
Instructions • Market trends and
competitor analysis
1. As a group, discuss how trends and changes in the data
ecosystem are impacting the DA practice. How are they planning
Output
on leveraging these trends in the near future?
2. Discuss the implications for data architecture. • Implications for data
architecture (in the
3. Identify how the organization’s current data architecture practice Strategic Planning
must modernize to support more mature and forward-looking data Workbook)
operations. • Observations (to inform
selection of target
capabilities at later stage)

Competitive Positioning Materials

Evaluate the competitive landscape. What are • Data Architecture Strategic

Planning Workbook
your competitors doing in the information
management space? Should you capitalize on
these opportunities? Participants
• Project Manager
• Project Team

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The Mayo Clinic’s EIM initiative used the business vision
to develop a focused data initiative
Industry Healthcare
CASE STUDY Source
Journal of American Medical
Informatics Association

Overview
The Enterprise Information Management
The Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota is a world renowned research initiative included the following
and academic hospital that stands out as a leader, not only in research
and medical services, but also in hospital operations and technological Enterprise Data Trust
innovation. (EDT)
Understanding the Business’s Vision
As a premier research hospital and leader in leveraging analytics, Mayo Data Governance
Clinic sought to expand their analytical capabilities by centralizing data
collected across business units and improving the ability for different
arms of the organization to have access to trustworthy data. This Enterprise Data Modeling
improved access to and trust of data were intended to improve the
organization’s ability to leverage data-driven insights in order to improve
patient care and facilitate breakthroughs in medical research. Enterprise Vocabulary

Results
Based on the organization’s vision for its data, the Enterprise Information Metadata Management
Management (EIM) initiative was created. Its governance, architecture,
and operations plans helped Mayo Clinic develop a mature and optimized
Data architecture played a huge role in this
information management practice. Leveraging the benefits from a well- initiative, specifically as they built an enterprise
managed and forward-looking information management practice has data warehouse, improved their data modeling,
helped Mayo Clinic be recognized as a leader in healthcare analytics and and refined their integration capabilities.
be named as the top hospital in the US. Legend
Component falls into the scope of data architecture

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 1.2.4

Align your data architecture vision and practice with core

data principles
Use these principles to support you in constructing a data architecture that
enables your department to best support and enhance the business’s ability
to access and leverage insightful data and information.

TOGAF’s Data Principles

Data is an asset that has value to the enterprise and is managed
accordingly.
Users have access to the data necessary to perform their duties;
therefore, data is shared across enterprise functions and
organizations.
Data is accessible for users to perform their functions.
Universal Architecture
Each data element has a trustee accountable for data quality. Principles to Consider
Data is defined consistently throughout the enterprise, and the  Service Above Self: Provide maximum
definitions are understandable and available to all users. benefit to the enterprise as a whole
(TOGAF, Section 23.6.1).
Data is protected from unauthorized use and disclosure. In
 Fit for Purpose: Maintain capability
addition to the traditional aspects of national security classification,
this includes but is not limited to protection of pre-decisional, levels and solutions that meet business
sensitive, source selection-sensitive, and proprietary information. requirements without over-engineering.
 Reuse > Buy > Build: Maximize reuse
Source: TOGAF, Section 23.6.2 to save time and increase consistency.

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 1.2.4

Develop a data architecture vision

INSTRUCTIONS
As a group, discuss and agree upon the purpose and
position of data architecture in the organization.

Next Steps
Document your plans in your workbook and use it as a
reference as you plan your target capabilities and build
your data architecture practice.

Create a:
Prerequisites Participants Materials
• Data Architecture Mission
Statement • Assessment of data • Project Manager • Data Architecture
strategies • Project Team Strategic Planning
• High level overview of “to • Review of trends Workbook
be” architecture capabilities and competitors’
activities in the data
space

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If you want additional support, have our analysts guide
you through this phase as part of an Info-Tech workshop
Book a workshop with our Info-Tech analysts:

• To accelerate this project, engage your IT team in an Info-Tech workshop with an Info-Tech analyst team.
• Info-Tech analysts will join you and your team onsite at your location or welcome you to Info-Tech’s
historic Toronto office to participate in an innovative onsite workshop.
• Contact your account manager (www.infotech.com/account), or email [email protected] for
more information.

The following are sample activities that will be conducted by Info-Tech analysts with your team:

Intro Discuss the value and position of data architecture within

information management
At the beginning of this workshop, the Info-Tech facilitator will start by discussing the
role and value of data architecture for both information management and enterprise
architecture. As a part of this open exercise, the facilitator will also identify participant
expectations and outline the flow of the workshop.

1.2.1
Identify what is driving change for the business
Understanding the business and maintaining business alignment is critical for the
team to build a data architecture practice that provides the strongest business value.
To create this alignment, the facilitator will start the workshop by discussing business
trends, changes, and key drivers. These will later be used to build the organization’s
data requirements and develop its data architecture vision.

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If you want additional support, have our analysts guide
you through this phase as part of an Info-Tech workshop
Book a workshop with our Info-Tech analysts:

1.2.2
Identify the data strategies of the business
By looking at business operations and strategic drivers, the facilitator will guide the
group in uncovering the key data strategies of the organization. From these data
strategies, the facilitator will guide participants in discussing the data architecture
implications.

1.2.3
Determine the guiding principles for the future data architecture
Guiding principles allow your organization to design a fit-for-purpose data
architecture practice that best informs the organization’s information management
program. In this exercise, the facilitator will present common guiding principles and
support the team in identifying the principles unique to their organization.

1.2.4
Develop a data architecture vision
Building from the data requirements identified in earlier activities, and considering the
assessment and “to be” capability planning that will be included later in the
workshop, the facilitator will guide the team in building a vision for the data
architecture practice it is developing.

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