Dubai Ports World

In 2006, DP World UAE Region decided to set up its own IT Department to be responsible for all IT functions, so as to be independent of ITC, which is the IT Shared Services of Dubai World. In 2012 the need to standardize and systematically guide the Department’s growth and expansion into more intensive usage of IT in the future was identified.

Orbus Software’s iServer Enterprise Architect with the TOGAF® 9 ‘out-of-the-box’ accelerator and Application Portfolio Management (APM) extension was chosen as the ‘fit for purpose’ solution to be used by DP World.

“It is fundamental for DPW to realize sustainable value through global growth, service and excellence and as such a necessity to swiftly document the existing Enterprise Architecture blueprint that has empowered the delivery of IT services thus far. In parallel we also believe that it is opportune to take stock of areas of non-compliance to DP World Head Office Policies and Guidelines with respect to IT Enterprise Architecture. DP World requires a low learning-curve collaborative modeling tool to facilitate representation and communication of the existing Enterprise Architecture strategies, application portfolio, blueprints and reference architectures. We envisage the Architecture Repository will support our people with a central ‘source of truth’ aiding standardized delivery of solution architectures and design going forward.” Ahmad AlHaddad, Senior Manager.

DP World also acknowledged that establishing a trained and experienced EA workforce takes time. In parallel to arranging relevant training and certification courses for DP World staff, support and guidance to collate accurate information quickly was also necessary. Experienced consultants with a track record of undertaking assignments of similar magnitude were identified.

HTP Global Technologies is a strategic Orbus Software Partner in the Middle East and was considered as the ‘preferred services provider’ for this initiative at DP World due to its expertise, experience in the region and more importantly HTP has successfully delivered similar initiatives in the seaport industry. After an extensive EA tools evaluation and public tender, the contract was awarded jointly to Orbus Software and HTP Global Technologies.

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By using iServer and this deliverable-based approach, DP World has been able to capture, visualize, socialize and manage its Baseline EA information in a central Architecture Repository and collaborative environment in less than twelve weeks.

In addition to delivering substantial time savings, the approach has benefited DP World by facilitating the DP World EA team ‘hands-on’ experience with experts' shared experiences - and a fully implemented baseline that acts as a reference for best practices in future EA work.

Why iServer?

HTP Global Technologies: EA Consultancy Deliverables:

• Enterprise Architecture Scope – Established DP World specific definition of Enterprise Architecture and the domain architectures.
• Consolidated Enterprise Architecture Principles - Guiding principles were developed and documented for Enterprise Architecture as a discipline, as well as for the five domain architectures - business, information, data, application and technology.
• EA Organization Model - EA roles required creating a sustainable DP World EA capability; for each role the associated responsibilities were defined as well as the required skills to perform the role.
• Stakeholder Map Matrix – DP World stakeholders of EA, understanding their viewpoints or the perspectives that would guide their use and application of EA, and identifying the views that would satisfy these viewpoints.
• Accurately Collecting Existing Information - across DP World’s flagship Jebel Ali facility in Dubai, which has been voted “Best Seaport in the Middle East” for 18 consecutive years. This exercise was carried out using ‘standardized’ and consistent MS Visio + MS Office templates (Excel catalogs, MS Word definitions and PowerPoint presentations) provided by Orbus Software.

Orbus Software and HTP Global Technologies - Two weeks Tool Implementation and EA Consultancy deliverables.

Enterprise Architecture Repository (including tailored architecture framework and environment) – Installation and Implementation of Architecture Repository, (iServer tool and solutions) with ‘lighter’ TOGAF® meta-model and DP World specific viewpoints configured in the repository; along with onsite iServer User and Administrator training delivered.

DP World Architecture Process - EA processes in iServer that would be implemented to sustain the EA capability; with focus on:

• Standard templates for Architecture Development based on the TOGAF® ADM; also to be used by DP World vendors when responding to RFPs’ for solutions.
• Change Leadership -growing and sustaining a business-relevant EA capability.
• Running EA like a business -operating a cost effective and value adding EA (modeling) service for other ports.
• Recommendation for EA Governance around processes to be developed after an assessment of the existing IT processes that might be impacted by the EA processes.

Import of Existing Information – Bulk import and standardization of Baseline EA information (data, meta data and relationships) collected by HTP consultants previously.

DP World Stakeholder Specific ViewPoints and Views – generated DP World specific high-level views that were identified as of interest to the various DP World stakeholders. These were developed per domain architecture –business, information, data, application and technology (contextual, conceptual, logical, physical) with relevant interrelationships and using preferred notation.

Visibility and Access to EA Information – ‘Live’ browser access for senior management, stakeholders and wider business audience via iServer Portal; validation of Baseline content and collating improvement suggestions, change requests, and general feedback centrally.