Dr Ashley Aitken
Dr Ashley Aitken is an experienced business analyst, enterprise architect, software engineer, entrepreneur, and trainer with over 25 years of experience. He has a PhD in Computer Science and Software Engineering (in Artificial Intelligence) and specialises in Business Information Systems, Enterprise Software Development, Startups, Corporate Innovation, and AI. Ashley has two consulting businesses: Running Code Productions, which assists organisations with business software, systems and technology; and Innovately.com.au, which assists organisations in using Lean Startup and Customer Development to identify new business opportunities. He has worked internationally and received recognition and numerous awards for his teaching and training.
Presentation (Perth): Modular Mastery: Enhancing Business Agility and Robustness through Hybrid Systems with Clear and Well-defined Interfaces
What can business learn from software systems?
How can business analysts build better integrated business and software systems?
Problem: When businesses get large and complex it becomes difficult to change the way things operate, e.g. business processes. Businesses become less agile and more fragile, i.e., many parts are interconnected and if something needs to change in one part of the business some (or even many) other parts of the business will often be affected. This problem is a common problem in software systems as well.
Solution: The solution in software is to compartmentalise parts of the software into modules and have clear and well-defined interfaces between them that don’t change as much and use these for interactions. The solution for businesses is very similar, to compartmentalise parts of the business and have clear and well-defined interfaces between them that don’t change as much and use these for interactions.
Key Concepts: Hybrid Systems – considering business areas and business systems as hybrid information systems consisting of human and software information processing systems; Hybrid Interfaces – considering the human as well as the software interfaces between these business areas and systems; Choreography and Orchestration – the different ways to define business processes between areas and systems.
Takeaways: If we arrange business areas and systems together as hybrid systems with clear and well-defined interfaces, and prefer choreographed business processes, unless central control and tracking is required, we can have business area and systems that are easier to develop and change independently, enhancing both agility and robustness, crucial for thriving in a dynamic world.
Presentation (Online): Not So Risky Business Information Flows and Applications
Conducting business in today’s interconnected world is risky and involves managing complex information flows through a myriad of applications, both automated and manual. This complexity presents significant risks, including potential leaks of sensitive data and compromises to data integrity and availability.
Problem: Many organisations lack a clear understanding of their internal information flows and the various applications involved in processing, storing, and transmitting data. This gap in knowledge often results in vulnerabilities that can lead to the unintended exposure of critical information and impairments to operational continuity.
Solution: Perform an information flow risk assessment performed by building a model of all the information flows within an organisation, and the standard and ad-hoc, manual and automated applications that process, store and transmit the information. This enables organisations to identify and mitigate these risks as needed.
Key Concepts:
- Business Information Model (BIM): A holistic representation of all information flows and related applications.
- Information Flow Attributes: Critical aspects such as frequency, integration methods, and the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data.
- Application Attributes: Includes the criticality of applications, their lifecycle stages, and strategic importance.
Process:
- Build the Business Information Model
- Assign the required attribute values to the information flows
- Assign attributes to the applications, and
- Analyse the information flows and applications attributes to identify risks and mitigation strategies
Key Takeaway: By developing and continuously updating a BIM, organisations can proactively manage and secure their information. This approach not only safeguards confidential and critical information but also enhances their overall integrity and availability, thus fortifying organisational resilience against information-related risks.