Displaying items by tag: enterprise architect

A “Business Analysis Survey “was conducted by Sparx Systems (India), in collaboration  with BA Convention and IIBA™  at Bangalore , India.

The outcome of the survey revealed some interesting insights about the Business Analysis in India, which is garnering increasing importance in the realms of the Indian IT industry.

Though it was an elaborate survey which covered various aspects of business analysis in India, the below responses are more relevant to this EA user community

  • Requirements gathering and Use Cases writing are still the primary tasks assigned to Business Analysts


           

  • 75 % of the participants agree that one third of the project efforts are spent on corrections or repetitions

 


 

  • 80 % of the participants advocated the usage of Requirements Management and Business Modelling tools improve the quality of projects

 

 

  • 62 % of the respondents felt that initial upfront cost involved in procuring and training of modelling tools act as a deterrent


This is a strong indicator that the Business Analysts and organizations are looking for a Cost effective , Easy to Learn and Comprehensive tool to address their needs.

Enterprise Architect is the potential tool to address the above demands with

Rich Feature Set

Enterprise Architect’s Requirements Management, Use Case Modelling, Business Process Modelling, End to End Traceability and Project Management capabilities helps organizations to eliminate usage of multiple tools.

Enterprise Architect 11 provides a number of features including the Specification Manager, Charts and Dashboards, Enhanced Docx documentation, OSLC support and much, much more.  Each of these features will address the needs of the Business Analysts.

Easy to use:

The intuitive IDE of Enterprise Architect enables ease of Use and quick learning, even for the non-technical associates.

Cost Effective:

Compared to other traditional Business Modelling tools, Enterprise Architect is less expensive and can address the cost concerns of Business Analysts.

 

With its rich feature set, ease of use and cost effective advantage, Enterprise Architect is the right choice for the Global Organizations who have their extended presence in India through outsourcing or subsidiaries.

 

Please click here for the details of the survey.

Published in News

APG is offering their Sparx Systems Engineering Course via web-based delivery on January 29th. Course will have live instructor with maximum of 8 students. Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for details and pricing.

Topics Covered:

·     Build Domain Model

·     Model System Design

·     EA workspace configuration

·     Parts and values

·     Domains and blocks

·     Value types, units, and dimensions

·     Diagrams and elements

·     SysML block definition diagrams

·     Relationships and properties

·     Model Constraints

·     Capture System Requirements

·     Constraint blocks and binding connectors

·     Importing requirements from documents

·     Parametric simulation

·     SysML requirements diagrams

·     SysML parametric diagrams

·     Traceability matrices

·     Model System Interaction

·     Searching and navigating model

·     Ports, interfaces, and signals

·     Build Use Case Model

·     Flow properties and flow items

·     Use cases, actors, and packages

·     SysML internal block diagrams

·     Use case interactions and fragments

·     Model System Behavior

·     SysML use case and sequence diagrams

·     Activities, flows, synchronization bars

·     Model System State

·     Partitions, pins, decisions, guards

·     States, transitions, events

·     SysML activity diagrams

·     Guards, actions, activities

·     Allocations

·     SysML state machine diagrams

 
Published in News
Friday, 10 January 2014 02:16

Order from Chaos - Developing Use Cases

Using the metaphor of a jigsaw puzzle from the previous blog, we inferred the necessity of technology to tame the complexity of a system that is in a state of constant change but which nevertheless must be managed and guided such that it meets key objectives at the individual and enterprise level. The major problem is that jigsaws never come with instructions on how to build order out of chaos – and the individual approach is usually random, based on trial and error!

 

With any project, be it building a house or fixing a washing machine, a manual is essential. To have any chance of arriving at a destination when setting out into unknown territory, it is wise to have a plan or a map. Without these instructions one can lose track or get completely lost. In the enterprise, when teams lose the focus of project objectives, this translates as financial loss or project failure.

 

Similarly, a Use Case is a documented record that describes a procedure for interaction with a system and when these records are collectively available they stimulate discussion, which generates ideas for improvements and efficiencies. A Use Case approach forces the consideration of users and customers, which can help elicit feedback and create a dialog to help build better systems. The interaction or cooperation generated creates added value. These records provide transparency, agreement and shared awareness, acting as way markers in a broad landscape of procedures that are foreign to many, as individual knowledge is often siloed.

 

Although Use Cases are valuable and provide a positive return on investment in time and resources, their development is also takes time. For many different teams however, they lay a foundation for future reference. Enterprise Architect is an indispensable, time saving tool in the Use Case development process.

 

In mid 2013 Sparx Systems conducted a webinar showcasing model driven development of Use Cases. This informative session reviewed the rich features of Enterprise Architect that can assist in the key processes of analysis, development and testing, saving time while replacing random processes with best practice and creating consensus and clarity between stakeholders.

 

The webinar can be viewed at:

http://www.sparxsystems.com.au/resources/demos/use-case-analysis/model-driven-use-case-analysis-with-structured-scenarios.html

 

 

 

Published in White Papers
Thursday, 19 December 2013 22:49

Enterprise Jigsaw Puzzle

 

Imagine that a group of people are putting together a jigsaw puzzle whose pieces continually change shape as do the spaces that they must eventually fill. Each group has responsibilities to the completion of the overall puzzle but more importantly must develop their own respective piece of this puzzle and ensure that ultimately, that piece seamlessly complements those shared boundaries created by the relationships of others. This scenario of mutual dependencies and volatility could be analogous of any organisation in the current hyper-competitive business environment.

 

 

 

Of course each team can communicate with others throughout the project, but without a fully shared vision, collaboration will be sub-optimal. Ideas and innovations will remain siloed within each group and should the puzzle ever be completed on time and to budget, it will have many disconnects, repetitions, gaps, and missing pieces. Some groups will produce excellence, but no group can fully share its value with the others.

 

 

 

Ultimately, someone must have overall responsibility for coordination of the effort and more importantly management of inherent risk, resources and timelines, all of which demands access to technology solutions. Each piece, complementary space and multi-shared relationship in the puzzle requires collaboration between many different stakeholders.

 

The plan and co-ordinated approach shared by each team responsible for each piece must be captured at the beginning and the ability to communicate and share progress at the individual, team and organisational level must be made transparent, simplified, and accessible to everyone.

 

 

 

The responsibility for Enterprise Architecture falls to the Chief Enterprise Architect. However, the creation of the architecture is a shared task. Stakeholder equity of access to enabling technology is imperative - and it must be affordable. Every role, including managers, analysts, systems architects, and engineers must have sufficient understanding of the strategy detail, allowing them to make informed decisions and to execute the plan that leads to realization of the shared vision.

 

 

 

Enterprise Architect provides the ultimate collaboration solution, transparently interlinking all of the individuals and groups in a shared vision, while enabling an inclusive and contextual decision history across the local and global locality of the project teams. Enterprise Architect is an enterprise requirements definition and management platform, with full support for collaboration including authoring, validating, and managing requirements, and communicating those requirements to the broader team through seamless integration.At any future time, and as the delivered solution evolves to meet changing business objectives, the thread of those original decisions can be continually reviewed, tracked and monitored to ensure complete traceability.

 

 

 

For more information on requirements management in Enterprise Architect, please visit: http://www.sparxsystems.com/resources/demos/requirements-management.html

 

 

 

To learn more about tools for traceability in Enterprise Architect, please refer to the following webinar:

 

http://www.sparxsystems.com/resources/demos/traceabilitytools/webinar-tools-for-traceability.html

 

 

 

Published in White Papers

 

Hippo Software introduces a new 2-day ‘EA Scripting Workshop’ that teaches delegates how to write scripts to control and update models in Enterprise Architect. Delegates use VBScript to automate repetitive tasks such as updating tagged values, to manipulate diagrams, to perform a complex search and to transfer data to/from MS Excel.

 

Visit the Hippo Software website for details of our full range of training courses and workshops.

Hippo Software provides competitive prices for on-site or webinar training, for small or larger groups of delegates.

Published in News

See demos of Sparx System Enterprise Architect by APG at the Building Business Capability (BBC) Conference on November 11-15, Mandalay Bay Resort, Las Vegas.

Published in News

Trac-Car Recognised for Technology Innovation at UNFCCC

Sparx Systems Partner, Trac-Car, has been recognised as the Response to Climate Change (RTCC), Sustainable Technology Company of the Year 2013-Australasia, for their greenhouse gas reporting system.

 

The Trac-Car system is accessible to carbon emitters or companies seeking to understand and reduce their own emissions. The core of the reporting has been generated from an Enterprise Architect UML model, and the cloud platform is designed to connect to existing meters, spreadsheets, databases etc and capture accurate, geospatially referenced global emissions data, accessible to all interested parties. With an accurate measure of their own carbon footprint organisations can respond with optimised energy efficiency measures.

 

Trac-Car and Sparx Systems will attend the November 2013 meeting of UNFCCC COP19 in Warsaw where this prestigious award will be presented.

For more information about the awards, please visit:

http://www.rtcc.org/2013/10/02/rtcc-2013-awards-sustainable-technology-firm/

 

The models can be viewed via:

http://community.sparxsystems.com/news/742-energy-greenhouse-gas-reporting-in-the-cloud

 

Official observers to the UN Framework Climate Change Convention (UNFCCC) - See more at:

http://www.rtcc.org/about-us/#sthash.Lhxth6PQ.dpuf

 

 

 

 

 

Published in News

Catch Software are delighted to be welcoming special guests Ian and Jackie Mitchell, founders of UK company Ability Engineering and developers of eaDocX, to the next Enterprise Architect User Group (EAUG).  Ian and Jackie are making the journey from the UK to New Zealand where they will present at the Auckland event on the 19th of November and in Wellington on the 20th of November.  eaDocX is the Microsoft Word and Excel document generator add-in for Enterprise Architect which allows ready-to-publish, high-quality documents to be produced in a couple of clicks.

Catch are a value-added reseller and training partner for Sparx Systems and run Sparx Systems New Zealand. They hold Enterprise Architect User Groups throughout the year across Auckland, Wellington and Canberra, with the aim of bringing Enterprise Architect users together to share ideas, best practice and experience. User Groups are a way to meet and interact with other Enterprise Architect users on all levels and abilities. At this, specially extended, event there will be a demo and Q&A session, as well as plenty of time for networking.

"We are pleased to be hosting Ian and Jackie here in Auckland and it's a real privilege that they are taking the time to present at the EA User Groups," says Stacy Busek, Communications Manager at Catch.  "The buzz around eaDocX has definitely reached our shores, so it'll be interesting to hear about the software from the team that developed it. Ian and Jackie both have a wealth of experience and I think the user group attendees will be in for a great, interactive session."

"It’s great to have the opportunity to meet EA and eaDocX users in New Zealand. We see the NZ market leading the way in using integrated BA and software development tools, so we’re looking forward to sharing ideas with you. (And talking rugby too). " - Jackie Mitchell

For more information on the event, please go to http://catchsoftware.com/news/category/shows-events/

About Ability Engineering

eaDocX is sold by Ability Engineering, a UK based company providing Training, Mentoring and Talent for Business Analysis and Management to the IT, mobile telecoms, finance and aerospace industries.  eaDocX has been developed and used in these environments over many years, so has been proved to cope with changing requirements, multiple releases, complex international environments and demanding stakeholders.

About Catch Software

Catch Software develops test management software for the global market and counts Fortune 500 and Global 2000 organizations among its customers. Their flagship product, Enterprise Tester, is award-winning test management software which offers great features, open architecture, and integration into Enterprise Architect, Rally, Atlassian's JIRA and Microsoft TFS - all backed by responsive support and a dedicated solutions team.

Leading the way in the test management space with over 60,000 users, Enterprise Tester is used by teams across 40 countries including those at Intel, Cox Communications, eBay, Bayer Healthcare, NCS, LG Electronics, PayPal, the US Navy and the US Air Force.

For more information about Catch, please go to catchsoftware.com

Contact Information

Catch Software
Kevin Kuck
Sales Manager
NZ: +64 9 303 2023 or US: +1 419 404 7432
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
catchsoftware.com

Published in News
Thursday, 26 September 2013 05:25

Enterprise Architect Community

Catch Software is a proud partner of Sparx Systems and is pleased to sell and support their industry-leading UML CASE tool, Enterprise Architect. We love engaging with the Sparx Community, and as part of this, we host User Groups in New Zealand and Australia every two months.

If you’ve not attended a User Group before you may not be sure what to expect.  User Groups are gatherings held for Enterprise Architect users and enthusiasts. A presentation is given by one or more speakers, followed by group discussions on common interests, challenges and best practice. Here is an overview of the User Group we hosted in Auckland this September.

Why Auckland Council chose Enterprise Architect

Janet Wilkinson from Auckland Council presented to a diverse range of Enterprise Architect users. Auckland Council has been using Enterprise Architect for about a year and Janet talked to the group about the thought process behind them choosing Sparx Systems' Enterprise Architect and outlined the challenges the Council faced.  She went on to cover their requirements, which included architectural modelling to facilitate strategic decision making, project solution modelling and design at all levels for projects. Summing up, Janet shared examples of the types of results they are starting to see.

The attendees at the User Group were very interested in this presentation, with several questions asked and everyone engaging in conversation.

There was a real sense of collaboration at the event and it was fantastic to see the Sparx community working through common issues together and offering solutions.

If you would like to find out more about this presentation, check out the slide deck: Enterprise Architecture Repository

SOA Modelling using Enterprise Architect

At September's Wellington User Group, Rajat Goyal from Certus Solutions walked us through a scenario covering key concepts of service architecture and modelling an SOA Solution using Enterprise Architect. Rajat discussed Enterprise Architect in comparison with other modelling tools, including IBM Rational Software Architecture and Visio.

Check out the slide deck for more information: SOA Modelling using Enterprise Architect

Want to get involved?

The dates for our next User Groups are as follows:

Auckland - Tuesday 19th November
Wellington - Wednesday 20th November
Canberra - 
Tuesday 10th December

If you have not decided to come along yet, read on to find out why you should get involved.

  • User Groups give you access to experts. Catch Software have been using Sparx Systems for years and are happy to answer any questions.
  • Gain support from real users. User Group speakers are not paid – they are honest and will tell you what works and what doesn’t.
  • Meet friends, enjoy beer and nibbles, ask questions and join discussions with people in your community.
  • It’s free to attend and open to everybody!

If you would like to find out more about our User Groups, check out our blogs and our events page.

As with everything we do, we would love to hear what you think. If there is a particular speaker you would like to see at an upcoming user group, or if you have a story to tell, let us know. We are always interested to hear about what is happening in the Sparx Systems Community!

Interested in finding out what Enterprise Architect services Catch offers? Sparx Systems Solutions >>

Published in Community Resources

In this article I will show you how to estimate a software project using Sparx Enterprise
Architect (EA)which is a famous CASEtool. (I used EA 7.5 in this article)
Based on Rational Unified Process (RUP), In order to estimate software projects duration, you
need to recognize the project features and requirements first. This leads you to Use Cases that are
cores of a software project analysis model and you cannot estimate any software project without
recognizing its Use Cases. Requirements, Features and Use Cases recognition are usually done in
the first phase of RUP, Inception.

Published in Tutorials
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