Technology Intake Process: Conduct a Full Architectural Review

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This article is for faculty and staff.

A Full Architectural Review may be selected as the decision during the TIP Business Case Review meeting. The intent of this decision is to conduct a more detailed analysis of the request due to higher-than-normal technical complexity and/or risk of the request.  

Overview 

A Business Case Review includes a decision option of a Full Architectural Review for highly complex and/or risky solutions. Complexity and risk might involve concerns with one or many:

  • Large technology solutions
  • Wide ranging impacts
  • Data and security risks
  • New technology or data 
  • Integration within existing IT architecture
  • Heavy integrations
  • High cost of ownership
  • Redundancy of functionality
  • Scope of solution - buy vs build
  • Impacts to other projects

 

 

 

 

 

The Architectural Review Board (ARB) members will include representatives from key ITS teams that have subject matter expertise in areas that may include risk and/or complexity. Members of the Cloud and Applications, Infrastructure and Networking, Data and CRM, Information Security, ERP, and Support Services teams will review and recommend next steps for requests seeking ARB approval.

The ITS technology Intake & Solution Process title, with the tagline ???Engage the right experts, at the right time, to deliver the right solution??? appears above a process illustration. The illustration depicts the four progressive stages of the process, including 1) Technical solutions intake, 2) ITS & client review meeting, 3) Collaborative decision, and 4) Successful solution. The third of the four steps (???Collaborative decision???) is highlighted. A detailed description states ???Consider??? Need, value, fit, resources, scope, complexity Decide - buy, build, existing solution, other???

Image Description: An overview of the Technology Intake Process (TIP) workflow, with the tagline “Engage the right experts, at the right time, to deliver the right solution” appears above a process illustration. The four progressive stages of the process, including 1) Technical solutions intake, 2) ITS & client review meeting, 3) Collaborative decision, and 4) Successful solution, with the third stage highlighted.

Details

Below contains more information around the process and structure 

Meetings Structure:

  1. Monthly Decision-Making Meeting – 60 min
    1. Pre-Materials reviewed to come ready for discussion and vote.
    2. Prior to Portfolio Meeting
    3. If ARB member is unable to attend, they may send a proxy Director from an area they represent for equal representation.
  2. Monthly or Bi-Weekly Operations working session – 30 min
  3. Possible Emergency meeting if an emergency decision is requested by TIP.

Monthly Decision-Making Meeting Process:

When ITS Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) reach consensus during the TIP Business Case Review meeting that a Full Architectural Review should be initiated, the request status will be updated in Tommie Tech Services to Architecture Review Board. Then the following steps will occur each month:

  1. The ARB sponsor will post a list of TDX numbers from TIP requiring ARB decisions in the ARB teams site, triggering notifications. 
  2. Prior to this Decision-Making Meeting each ARB member will review the TIP requests in TDX, assemble questions and points of discussion for the meeting, plus consult any non-ARB member from an area they oversee who may impact the decision at hand. 
  3. Depending on the volume requests, each request will receive 10 minutes of open discussion, followed by a vote among the ARB members for the next steps. If there is a high volume of requests, the meeting time will be adjusted to ensure equitable discussion time. 
  4. The majority vote will win, with the ARB sponsor acting as the tie breaker when needed. 
  5. Notes on the discussion will be posted in the TDX request, and the TDX ticket-task will be updated with the ARB decision. 
  6. BRMs share the decision and timing with the Campus Partner, including any specific reasons cited in the decision to request an ARB discussion.

ARB Decision Outcome Options:

The ARB will use the same decision rubric as used in the TIP Business Case Review (minus status Full Architectural Review). The decision will be selected from the following options (more details available in the TIP Decision Rubric). 

  • Simple RFP – little ITS support or implementation needed, aligns with strategy, minimal risk, under 10K 
  • RFP / Buy Project – Initiate RFP process as ROI for buy is greater than ROI for build, there is technology or data opportunity, and proposed solutions align with architectural strategy/principles. 
  • Build Project - Create a new custom build project in-house or add-on/additional customization of existing system. The ROI for build was higher than ROI for buy. Eliminates redundancy for small customizations. 
  • Existing Solution - An existing solution meets most of the needs, and the ROI of the new solution does not outweigh the ROI of the existing solution. 
  • No or not yet - Recommend not moving forward or putting on hold for future FY. 

Previous and Next Steps

Previous Step – Technology Intake Process: Conduct a Business Case Review

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