Browsing by Author "Proper, H.A. Erik"

Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Applying Soft Systems Methodology in Enterprise Architecture Creation Workshops
    (Enterprise modelling and information systems architectures, 2011) Nakakawa, Agnes; Bommel, Patrick van; Proper, H.A. Erik
    Lack of effective involvement of stakeholders is one of the main drawbacks of enterprise architecture initiatives. Ongoing attempts to overcome this involve using Collaboration Engineering to develop a collaboration process that enterprise architects can execute to facilitate collaborative sessions with stakeholders during architecture creation. However, a field study evaluation of this process revealed that it offered inadequate support for stirring vigorous and rigorous discussions during activities that required organizing and assessing problem or solution aspects that resulted from brainstorming activities. Since Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) helps to structure rational thinking about messy situations, its techniques can be adapted to supplement the design of the collaboration process with support for triggering discussions and creating a shared understanding and vision among stakeholders. This paper therefore presents a script that shows how this can be done, and discusses its evaluation in a real case.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Challenges of Involving Stakeholders When Creating Enterprise Architecture
    (SIKS/BENAIS Conference, 2010) Nakakawa, Agnes; Bommel, Patrick van; Proper, H.A. Erik
    Although researchers report challenges that occur during enterprise architecture development (in general), there is lack of an elaborate description of those that occur during enterprise architecture creation – particularly if organizational stakeholders are to be deeply involved. Yet understanding challenges of involving organizational stakeholders when creating enterprise architecture is a prerequisite for devising a relevant solution to enterprise architects. An exploratory survey was therefore conducted with the aim of investigating challenges that enterprise architects face when they involve organizational stakeholders during enterprise architecture creation. This paper presents and discusses findings from the survey. The survey results generally indicate why 90% of enterprise architects face challenges when delivering products of enterprise architecture creation, although 96% of architects closely collaborate with organizational stakeholders during enterprise architecture creation.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    On Supporting Collaborative Problem Solving in Enterprise Architecture Creation
    (Springer Berlin Heidelberg, 2010) Nakakawa, Agnes; Bommel, Patrick van; Proper, H.A. Erik
    Creating enterprise architecture can be perceived as a creative problem solving task, since it involves managing organizational complexity and inflexibility by devising a synergic solution from all organizational units. Creative (or collaborative) problem solving in several fields has been supported by supplementing domain specific techniques with functionalities of a Group Support System (GSS). This paper aims to demonstrate how GSSs can also be used to support collaborative problem solving in enterprise architecture creation. Using the Design Science research methodology, a method was designed to support collaborative problem solving during architecture creation. This method draws from enterprise architecture approaches that are used in practice, and collaborative problem solving theories in academia. It has been evaluated using an experiment and two real life cases. This paper presents findings from this evaluation. The findings were used to refine the method, and they indicate that the effectiveness of academia-based artifacts in addressing problems encountered in practice, can only be achieved through continuous and diverse evaluation of these artifacts in practice.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Repeatable Collaboration Processes for Mature Organizational Policy Making
    (Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg., 2008) Nabukenya, Josephine; Bommel, Patrick van; Proper, H.A. Erik
    Organizational policy making processes are complex processes in which many people are involved. Very often the results of these processes are not what the different stakeholders intended. Since policies play a major role in key decision making concerning the future of organizations, our research aims at improving the policies on the basis of collaboration.In order to achieve this goal, we apply the practice of collaboration engineering to the field of organizational policy making. We use the thinklet as a basic building block for facilitating intervention to create a repeatable pattern of collaboration among people working together towards achieving a goal. Our case studies show that policy making processes do need collaboration support indeed and that the resulting policies can be expected to improve.