Investigative Architecture: The Data Perspective
“Investigative Architecture” is a term we at Systems Flow coined a few years ago for a core, overarching discipline of ours. It describes – and prescribes – the sometimes tedious, but always challenging, process that a working architect employs to locate and absorb information about a problem space in order to create usable, professional visual work products that best communicate a solution. Read more
Open Group Austin – Final Roundup
Day three of the Open Group Austin conference rounded out an already great information-sharing week. While the heat continued outside, the hot topics and discussions continued inside!
Open Group Austin – Day 2 Roundup
It was another day of thought-provoking and instructive information exchange at the Open Group Austin conference day 1. Here are the highlights from our perspective:
Open Group Austin – Day 1 Roundup
There was great information & idea exchange at the Open Group Austin conference day 1 presentations. We also participated in lively twitter discussion – check the #ogaus stream for a running commentary from us and other conference participants.
Here are some highlights:
Conferences: Not Your Grandmother’s Boondoggle
This week some of us will be attending the Open Group Architecture Conference in Austin, Tx. We do so annually, and typically present. This year Ben Sommer is presenting the third in our series on Investigative Architecture – ”The Data Context Diagram.” Read more
Manage Expectations with a “Terms of Reference” Document
As consulting business analysts and architects, we at Systems Flow are constantly in the trenches with our clients, helping envision & manage the change to their technology and business processes they need to be competitive and succeed.
Although we have formal processes & deliverables we rely on to deliver on our commitments to clients, its not always obvious to a project manager, business change sponsor or technical executive what those deliverables are, and how we use them. That’s where a clear, concise Terms of Reference (ToR) document comes in handy.
Setting Expectations
When providing services, the golden rules of success are:
- Understand your consumer’s expectations
- Meet or exceed your consumer’s expectations
Document for Success, not Defense
A meeting recap is not a design document. Read more
Walk Softly and Carry a Proper Meeting Recap!
You know the drill:
It’s late Friday afternoon and someone tosses an email or instant message your way regarding what you thought was a resolved topic. Read more
Avoiding Accidental Choices
“If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice…”
Peart, Neil. “Freewill.”Permanent Waves. Mercury 1980.
With frightening frequency, we see technology projects become subject to “accidental choices“, when rigor is bypassed without a conscious choice having been made to do so. Read more