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Issues and Concerns for an eBusiness Architect

Lesson 3Issues and concerns
ObjectiveOutline and prioritize key issues and concerns an eBusiness architect must address.

Issues and Concerns for an eBusiness Architect

As we have seen, there are numerous stakeholder interests to consider in designing an eBusiness solution. It is often helpful to think of these issues in terms of a list of key issues or questions that the architect must address.

Purpose of eBusiness Solution

These questions span multiple facets of the business, and should include the issues described in the table below.

If you would like to download and print out Key issues and design areas impacted by eBusiness, go to the Easy Reference folder on the Resources page where this table is listed along with other reference tables used in this course.
Note that of the issues listed, the purpose of the eBusiness solution is by far the most important, but quite often the most overlooked. If it is not clear what the design should achieve, then there is no way to measure its success.

E-business Purpose

Remember that the purpose, is the foundation for all other questions.
The relationship between eBusiness and eCommerce
The relationship between eBusiness and eCommerce

Addressing Stakeholders Concerns

How these issues interact

The role of the architect is made more complex by the fact that these issues interact with each other. In many ways, managing these multiple priorities is a balancing act. Let us look at a simple example. If the volume projections for the system indicate that a large system must be constructed to handle significant traffic, then a large portion of the allocated financial budget must be set aside for that development. This may reduce the amount of funds available elsewhere in the budget, for example, funds allocated for management information.

Of the issues discussed in this module, there are two key issues/questions are most likely to derail the eBusiness plan if you do not address them:
  1. Does the design achieve its purpose?
  2. Is the impact of its introduction understood and accepted by the enterprise as a whole?

Key Issues and Concerns

In considering key concerns and issues, those most likely to cause the success or failure of the project should be addressed first.
In the next lesson, we will define the quality factors that the architect must consider.
Click the Exercise link below to complete an exercise on the key issues and concerns of stakeholders.
Issues Concerns Exercise