BUSN320 Wk 5 Assignment

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American Military University *

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BUSN320 -

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Information Systems

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Oct 30, 2023

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docx

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Running Head: POSITIONING ARCHITECTURE 1 Positioning Architecture Name American Public University COURSE BUSN320: Principles of E-Business Instructor Date

Running Head: POSITIONING ARCHITECTURE 2 Positioning Architecture Online businesses create their automated systems using the BOAT framework. This framework is the base for all the technology that helps the business functions (Grefen, 2016). It includes the non-tech business, how it is organized, and the technology aspect, like the computers and software. All of this is connected by "architecture," which is the aspect that keeps everything working smoothly, even as technology changes. This aspect has two levels: one that looks at the high and low-level details. Moreover, within each level, there are two more things to think about how different pieces come together (aggregation) and how we simplify things to make them easier to understand (abstraction). Aggregation Where the architecture falls on the "aggregation dimension" decides how detailed or significant the architecture is. In other words, it determines how closely we look at the individual parts that make up the architecture (Grefen, 2016). If the architecture is very detailed (granular), it means the system or services it covers are significant and have many functions. Describing an e-business architecture generally yields high-level, broad descriptions of the systems, like Order Management System (OMS) (Grefen, 2016). When architecture is discussed in specific terms, it brings out the finer technical details, like the exact version of hardware or software used in a system within the architecture. Adjusting the aggregation levels along the "aggregation dimension" either adds more or reduces the depth of technical information in the BOAT framework's architectural aspect. The e-business architecture can be categorized into three aggregation levels: the high-level market level, the intermediate party level, and the detailed system level.

Running Head: POSITIONING ARCHITECTURE 3 Market-level architectures outline the systems that e-businesses use to connect with other participants in a marketplace. These types of architectures, being inter-organizational in nature, also encompass the systems employed by other parties that engage with the e-business (Grefen, 2016). Within market-level architectures, there may be top-level interfaces and functional components designed for interactions involving multiple parties. The party-level architecture centers on the systems and their organizational structures utilized by each specific e-business participant (Grefen, 2016). While the market-level architecture deals with interactions between organizations, the party-level architecture concerns interactions within a single organization. It describes how the organization interfaces with external entities. In cases where an e-business engages in various scenarios involving multiple parties, there may be some shared systems within the architecture that are common to these different scenarios (Grefen, 2016). The system-level architecture delves even deeper than the party-level architecture and provides detailed information about the individual system structures within a single e-business participant. This architecture level includes specifications for front-end and back-end systems, which are part of the party-level architecture. The complexity of the system-level architecture can vary, being relatively straightforward for smaller organizations and more intricate for larger ones (Grefen, 2016). Abstraction The abstraction dimension decides how specific or detailed an information system's architecture is in a networked e-business. If the architecture is very specific (concrete), it means there are many details about the information system. Some businesses might prefer to create their

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Running Head: POSITIONING ARCHITECTURE 4 systems with a moderate level of detail, while others might keep things more abstract, meaning they provide fewer specific details about the architecture. There are three levels of abstraction, each characterized by a distinct degree of specificity and the corresponding level of detail (Pourmirza et al., 2017). The first level encompasses broad overviews of the information system in a networked e-business and does not delve into specific software or hardware details. For instance, recognizing the need to communicate with customers regarding a transaction would fall within this initial level without including any additional specifics. The second level of abstraction includes some particulars about the processes or components of the system. For instance, it might outline features like shopping carts and email systems, but it would not specify brands or versions. The third level is the most detailed and can involve specific information about the hardware or software used for the system components. For instance, pinpointing the use of Microsoft messaging products would be within this third level of abstraction, providing the most concrete level of detail among all three levels. Conclusion The BOAT framework's architecture aspect acts as a link connecting business functions with technical aspects. To efficiently create complex e-business solutions, it is crucial to break down the architecture into the right level of detail. The architecture's position on the aggregation dimension indicates how detailed it is, while its position on the abstraction dimension reflects how specific the systems are (Grefen, 2016). Three abstraction levels correspond to the number of architectural details in the system components (Pourmirza et al., 2017). Level one outlines functional needs without specific details, while level three delves into hardware or software

Running Head: POSITIONING ARCHITECTURE 5 specifics. A well-designed e-business architecture is crucial for achieving smooth interoperability between internal units and external parties.

Running Head: POSITIONING ARCHITECTURE 6 References Grefen, P. (2016). Beyond E-Business: Towards networked structures (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315754697 Pourmirza, S., Peters, S., Dijkman, R., & Grefen, P. (2017). A systematic literature review on the architecture of business process management systems. Information Systems , 66 , 43–58. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.is.2017.01.007 Spijkman, T., Molenaar, S., Dalpiaz, F., & Brinkkemper, S. (2021). Alignment and granularity of requirements and architecture in Agile Development: A functional perspective. Information and Software Technology , 133. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.infsof.2021.106535 Dierichs, K., & Menges, A. (2016, April 6). Towards an aggregate architecture: Designed granular systems as programmable matter in architecture - granular matter . SpringerLink. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10035-016-0631-3

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