Fast Tracking ICT Infrastructure Requirements and Design, Based on Enterprise Reference Architecture and Matching Reference Models
P. Bernus, J. Vesterager, M. Tolle, R. Baltrusch
Abstract
The Globeman Consortium has developed the VERAM reference architecture and methodology, based on GERAM (and its specific implementations in PERA, CIMOSA and GRAI-GIM) as well as reference models for virtual enterprise management and joint mission delivery in the areas of sales and marketing, global engineering, and customer relationship management.
The architecture and associated reference models divide the concerns between 1) what management transactions are necessary between partner companies on the strategic and tactical levels to form a network of companies (to build all necessary competencies needed to be able to act jointly when the need arises), 2) what management activities and transactions are necessary to be performed by the network itself, and 3) what activities are relegated to the day-to-day operational levels when companies undertake joint action either for joint bidding, or for delivering one-of-a-kind products or services, or for prolonged joint operation in a co-ordinated supply chain.
The reference model is the basis for the development of ICT infrastructure requirements. These in turn can be used for ICT infrastructure specification (sometimes referred to as 'ICT architecture'). Part of the ICT architecture is industry-wide, part of it is insdurty specific and part is specific to the domains of joint activity characterising the given Virtual Enterprise Network at hand.
Introduction
In the creation of Virtual enterprises a first question faced by prospective partners is how to adopt and implement an ICT infrastructure that will support business transactions with a multitude of future partners. A wide selection of available tools and applications is not making this task easier, because a fundamental requirement is to remain interoperable with a heterogenous set of businesses and to be able to expand the participation into new areas of activity even if they are not necessarily pursued at present.
The adoption of ERP systems, as a solution across all business domains (with B2B solutions incorporated) is a large effort that not all companies can afford, and usually involves a long and difficult change process to individual company practices. For this reason there needs to be furter development in the way that such changes are undertaken. Thus this article, instead of offering an alternative to implementing ERP system modules, attempts to help make such a progression a gradual development. At the same time, since ERP systems are still evolving in the area of Virtual Enterprise support, the refernce models presented are expected to exert influence on the developments in the ERP sysyem area, both methodologically and in content.
The second question is not less important: even if a suitable ICT infrastructure is in place, how is it possible to define the content and format of the all those transactions that take place among businesses to allow them to take co-ordinted action both on the strategic, tactical and day-to-day operational levels? What is the necessary scope and detail of these definitions and what effort I snecessary to achive practical results? These definitions, after all, must be done quickly and precisely due to obvious business pressures. Once the strategic decision is taken to pursue a new type of business if it can not be done quickly, it will not be done at all.
The third question is about the road to take from the present situation to the envisioned one, in which small and large businesses alike are capable of using the full potential of electronic transactions in an environment, where fast action with predictable cost and time parameters is necessary for survival. Most businesses are incapable of radical transformation in one step, thus many businesses will be left behind, while a small selection of businesses will gain enormously.
Therefore, a step-by-step introduction of vital transaction forms, together with their ICT support that allows companies to gradually move into a new form of doing business, is very desirable. In the approach proposed, ICT infrastructure layers are build from the bottom up, with industry-wide generic services at the bottom, industry-specific layers of services in the middle layer, and domain- or activity specific applications on the top. It is these top layer applications where companies may use a gradual step-by-step approach. In the middle layer some alternatives exist allowing for the use of differently implemented services with interoperable interfaces, and standard operating environments on the bottom layer (again with some alternatives, but standard functionality).
This article, using the GERAM (Generalised Enterprise Reference Architecture) and its specialised form for virtual enterprise, VERAM, or Virtual Enterprise Reference Architecture and Methodology (developed in the Globemen consortium), demonstrates an approach that links the business drivers of potential VE partners with action that allows these companies to develop a Master Plan which then can be implemented gradually, according to the needs at hand and means available. The Master Plan development can be done relatively quickly on the basis of reference models presented in this article.
Important elements of the proposed solution are: a) the development of a common reference model of certain management (or mission delivery) activities that participate in the interaction among partners, thus localising the need for agreements on specific types of co-ordinated action (rather then requiring an overall detailed design of all aspects of company management or mission delivery, b) the definition of a modular ICT infrastructure, that can be gradually built up, and c) development of pre-agreements between companies to become part of a type of network characterised by the inclusion of some management and misison delivery activities (and by the exclusion of all other activities) from the competency of the network in which the partners intend to participate. Methodologically, the progression of the solution is similar to the STEP methodology, in which common overall activity models are used only for the specification of the context in which common detailed standards need to be developed.
While not a central point of this article, it is noted that such a gradual approach may also be desirable a) for companies that need a cultural change and maturing in order to be able to use the potential of forming VEs, b) for companies, which need to build up trust in partners in before an expansion of co-ordinated action can take place c) for companies whose bottom layer of ICT infrastructure needs to be improved and introduced before any further action can be taken.
The Globeman Consortium has developed the VERAM reference architecture and methodology, based on GERAM (and its specific implementation in PERA, CIMOSA and GRAI-GIM), that divides the concerns of 1) what management transactions are necessary between partner companies on the strategic and tactical levels to form a network of companies (to build all necessary competency to act jointly when the need arises), 2) what management activities and transactions are necessary to be performed by the network itself, and 3) what activities are relegated to the day-to-day operational levels when companies undertake joint action either for joint bidding, or for delivering one-of-a-kind products or services, or for prolonged joint operation in a co-ordinated supply chain.
The Reference Architecture identifies the need for a number of reference models of co-operative management on the industry-wide level (especially aimed at one-of-a-kind production and closely formed networks). These needs are then satisfied by developing activity models of each area (for partners, networks and virtual project enterprises). The activity models in turn are used to define the necessary ICT infrastructure support for each of the co-ordinated activities. Finally, the activity models are used as a context definition for the detailed enough specification of interfaces (data definitions and transactions) between companies who may wish to implement a subset of the potentially wide variety of interactions that such a reference model allows.
As of today the Globemen project did not yet progress to the level where a broad set of application modules would have been specified in the ICT infrastructure, so as to be able to configure, rather then design a comlete ICT infrastructure for a business purpose. However, the aim of further work is to develop such a catalogue of ICT modules and their functional and data specifications, which - similarly to the design practices of complex electronic systems - would allow company management to specify on the functional level a particular type of network for a particular type of co-operative action. Based on this speficication companies could configure / select the necessary infrastructure from these modules, rahter then undertake lengthy development projects. Of course, such a catalogue would be open-ended (just as electronic catalogues are), and would contain multiple aternative solutions, and some parts of the catalogue would be fully developed for atypical type of Network and Virtual Enterprise, while some other parts would only be scarcely populated.
VERAM - a specialisation of GERAM for Virtual Enterprise Networks
Identification of VE Stakeholders and the development of the Network Concept
· Description of VERAM, including the life-cycle and life history of VE entities (DIISM, e2001)
VE Partner, Network and Project Policies and Design Principles
Some important common policies and design principles are
· Pre-agreements will be developed regulating the specific rules and interfaces of management (and mission delivery) processes, including some jointly adopted rules of future resource and capability development.
· Performance indicators will be used (preferably not limited to joint co-ordinated activities) [references]
· Layered ICT infrastructure shall use industry wide common operating environment standards shared acrosss all domains of activity (preferably in all domains of activity, not limited to joint co-ordinated activities) [examples] VE entities, and domains of activity of these entities, will be based on the same basic ICT modules (both common operating environment and data definition - see below).
· Industry-wide standards shall be used as data definition languages in the specification of transactional information exchange [examples]
· Industry-specific standards will be considered for adoption (if such data definition and transaction definition standards exist), or network partners will endeavour to support industry specific standards development (if such standards do not exist). [examples]
· Industry specific interoperability standards shall be enforced in areas of common concern, and background development of other domains of activity should move the rest of the company to this direction to prepare for the future) [examples]
· Development of company culture for new technology adoption shall be in parallell with technology development, including changing people's behaviour now to allow efficient action in the future.
· etc.
Requirements Specification: Reference Models for Partners, Networks and Virtual Project Enterprises
Functional and Information Requirements Specification of VE Entities
Decisional models as top level models of Partner, Network and VE interaction
· (Olegario GRAI-Grids)
Activity models of Partner, Network and VE interaction
· Baltrusch IDEF0 models (plus example for textual description of human tasks, including non-procedural ones)
· Refer to process models (if applicable, such as for human or automated procedural activities) (CIMOSA, IDEF3, or UML Collaboration Diagrams or Sequence Diagrams)
Information models of Partner, Network and VE interaction
· Refer to Rosettanet (IDEF1X/UML Class Diagrams) and STEP standards (IDEF1X/XML) and their (esp STEP) context specific nature
Preliminary Design: Mapping the Reference Models to ICT Intfrastructure Requirements
ICT Infrastructure Architectural Design
· Present GMN ICT architectural design
· Selection / or clustering of software modules implementing functional and information requirements [Business objects, applications]
Conclusion
References
ISO IS 15704 GERAM Requirements
GERAM 1.6.3
VERAM e2001
J. Vesterager, P. Bernus, L.B. Larsen, J.D. Pedersen, M. Tølle, "Use of GERAM as Basis for a Virtual Enterprise Framework Model", in "Global Engineering, Manufacturing and Enterprise Networks", Proc DIISM2000, ed. J. Mo, L. Nemes, Kluwer, 2001, pp.75-82
Globeman 21 Final Report
Olegario Thesis
Baltrusch Thesis
Bernus, P., Some thoughts on Enterprise Modelling, Int J. Prod.Plan.&Ctrl, 12(2), pp110-118 (2001) also asWhy And How To Model In The Enterprise? (keynote) Preprints of IEMC99, Verdal (1999), Trondheim: SINTEF, pp 1-12
Camarinha-Matos, Afsarmadesh
Bernus,P., Busines Evolution and Enterprise Integration, Proc ICEIMT97, K.Kosanke, J.Nell (Eds) Springer Verlag, Berlin, pp. 140-151.
Zhou, M., Nemes, L., Mo, J., Shinonome, M., Hasimoto, H., Fuse, A, Bernus, P., Uppington, G., "Requirement Analysis for Virtual Manufacturing Enterprise", Proc. DIISM98
Bernus,P., Nemes.L., Organisational Design: Dynamically Creating and Sustaining Integrated Virtual Enterprises, Proc IFAC World Congress, Han-Fu Chen, Dia-Zhan Cheng and Ji-Feng Zhang (Eds) Vol-A, London: Elsevier (1999) pp189-194 (Also available on CDROM)