WebSphere Enterprise Service Bus for z/OS, Version 6.2.0 Operating Systems: z/OS


Assessing your business requirements

Your current business requirements provide the baseline on which to formulate a plan for streamlining integration of your business components and thus improving functionality. Having a vision for the future of your business provides a guideline that can assist in making decisions that will work not only today but also as your business grows.

Before you begin

You need to know how your product or service is created and delivered.

About this task

As part of the planning process, you need to analyze how your business works. These steps provide a framework for this analysis.
Procedure
  1. Plot the course of your product or service from beginning to end.
    The process might be strictly linear, or might contain loops, detours and workarounds. Draw a rough diagram and indicate connections and interactions. For each section of your product life-cycle, analyze the procedures used to move the product forward.
    • Does the procedure use paper forms and notations, is it computerized or both?
    • If it is computerized, what software is used? What hardware?
    • Are there any logjams in the process? Is there any confusion? For example, handwriting may be difficult and time-consuming to decipher; staff may have difficulty in mastering required computer skills.
    • What areas in this process are running smoothly? What are the strengths?
  2. Determine how the sections of the diagram you created in step 1 perform their tasks.
    • Do any of the sections use the same software? Hardware? Forms?
    • If sections use different software, how well do the applications communicate with each other, if at all?
    • Does each section interact only with the sections immediately preceding and following it, or does it also detour to a section in a different stage of the cycle? If so, why? Does this cause confusion or delay?
    • If there is an existing intranet that sections use for communication, do some sections bypass this intranet? If so, why? Does the intranet have a history of delays or downtime that impacts other processes?
    • What areas of interaction are running smoothly? In which areas are the bottlenecks? How serious are they?
  3. Consider processes that interact with outside sources.
    • What comments do you get from customers, both positive and negative? Are there any patterns to complaints? Are particular areas consistently making customers happy?
    • How do other business entities interact with your company? With which departments do they communicate? How does this communication occur – in writing, or web-based? Add these sources to your diagram. Note areas that work smoothly, and areas that might be causing delays or errors.
  4. Plan for the future.
    • Where would you like to see your business in one year? In five years? Ten years?
    • Will you be opening new outlets? Increasing advertising? Increasing your customer base?
    • Is there a possibility of acquiring competitors and incorporating their products and services into your own? Is there a possibility of venturing into new avenues of products or services?

What to do next

Identify your available resources.


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Timestamp icon Last updated: 21 June 2010


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