Solutions Design and Architecture

Computer systems, just like buildings, require professional design before implementation. FFF specialises in the provision of professional solutions design and architecture services, including the following:

Requirements Definition

Time and time again we observe projects that are doomed to failure for one simple reason – the business requirements behind the project not being properly understood and agreed before the project begins. Problems that we regularly observe with the definition of business requirements include the following:

• Inadequate or inaccurate definition of the business problems to be addressed by the project.
• Confusion between business requirements and technology preference.
• Lack of consistency between project deliverables and organisational strategy.
• Lack of communication and/or misunderstanding between business units regarding the objectives and deliverables of a project – often even after the project has begun.
• Inadequate scope definition and/or lack of prioritisation of business requirements to be addressed.

At FFF our consultants understand technology, but we also understand business and business process. We are able to help you gather and articulate the business requirements behind any technology project and to communicate and agree those requirements with the stakeholders within your organisation.

Because of our impartiality from your business stakeholders and our experience in formulating business requirements for a wide range of customers (and business problems), you can be assured that the defined requirements will be complete, accurate and as free from political influence as possible.

Business Case Formulation

We are able to assist your organisation in deciding whether or not to proceed with a given initiative through the formulation of a business case (for the proposed solution) before the implementation of the solution begins.

During the formulation of the business case we will gather all relevant information (such as business requirements (see above), cost information, business benefit information, etc.) and will use this to construct a business case for the implementation of the proposed solution.

This business case can also be used as part of your internal governance procedures (i.e. for funding justification, etc.) and can be created using your standard templates or ours.

Infrastructure Solutions Design

Of obvious importance to any successful technology implementation is a sound, professionally developed Solutions Design.

At FFF we are able to provide expert Infrastructure Solutions Design services for almost every type of business problem and are able to architect innovative technical solutions accordingly. Our experience in Solutions Design includes:

• Client server environments based on Windows, NetWare, Linux and Unix.
• Mobile solutions.
• Server consolidation using VMware or a range of other consolidation platforms.
• Enterprise Linux solutions based on a variety of platforms (Intel, RISC, IBM zSeries mainframe).
• Small and large desktop deployments/desktop automation projects.
• Complex networking environments, including network addressing and services (DNS, DHCP, LDAP, etc.)
• Email infrastructure.
• Security infrastructure.
• Large-scale ecommerce environments.
• Bespoke application infrastructure: designing the optimum IT infrastructure to support custom-developed business applications.
• Disaster recovery solutions.
• Capacity and performance modelling and forecasting.

Because we choose to remain independent from hardware and software vendors we are able to create vendor agnostic solutions that are designed for optimum fit to your business requirements – not to an ulterior agenda to sell you a certain brand of hardware or software.

Our pedigree as a technology service provider also gives us the ability to design the most cost effective solution possible – not just the cheapest solution to implement. We will analyse the expected Total Cost of Ownership of the proposed solution for its expected useful lifetime, thus providing you with an accurate estimate of how much the solution will actually cost you once it is implemented.

We take a highly structured and consultative approach to solutions design and provide your business stakeholders with ample opportunities to review and influence the evolution of the design as it is taking place. The deliverables from each solutions design engagement are yours to keep (royalty free), leaving you with the option of implementing the solution yourself or having a vendor install the solution for you.

Solutions Architecture

Whereas Solutions Design services involve the design of an infrastructure solution to meet a given business requirement, Solutions Architecture services involve designing new or improved application environments to support your business processes.

Many customers who have been involved with application implementation projects will be familiar with the complex set of requirements and dependencies that must be addressed for most applications, including:

• The implementation of server and application server platforms. For example, what operating system do I use (Linux, Solaris, Windows, z/OS, etc.) and what hardware will I require? Should I be implementing the application on an application server platform (such as Tomcat, WebSphere or WebLogic) or for a proprietary operating system?
• What about the database?
• What are the interfaces between the new application and those that already exist (both within my organisation and those belonging to business partners)? What middleware should I use to connect them together?
• What about security? Can I make the application available to users on the Internet and/or Intranet?
• What will the client application look like? Will it suit my existing infrastructure?

All too often important questions like this are answered too late in the application development lifecycle – often when an application has already been chosen or developed and sometimes even after the implementation of the application has begun. Because it is typically outside of their core competency, application vendors are often ill-equipped to fully consider architecture requirements of their products (once installed within your environment) or to make meaningful, reasoned recommendations to you about how best to support their products within your IT infrastructure.

FFF is able to provide you with expert Solutions Architecture services to help you identify the correct architecture for your application – even before the development/selection process (for the given application) has begun.

Because of our close relationship with a variety of application development houses in New Zealand, we are also able to provide single-vendor application development solutions that include the application as well as the infrastructure on which it will be run.