From Enterprise Architecture to Cloud Computing: A
Decision-Support Model for Functional Block Outsourcing
M'barek El Haloui and Abdelaziz Kriouile
IMS Team, SIME Laboratory, ENSIAS, Mohammed V University in Rabat, Rabat, Morocco
Keywords: Cloud Computing Adoption, Information System Outsourcing, Maturity, Enterprise Architecture,
Assessment Model.
Abstract: The Information Systems opening to the cloud computing has become a strategic choice for enterprises. In
fact, the rapid evolution of competitiveness and innovation and the diversity of technologic offers incite IT
decision makers to look for decision support tools helping them for the adoption of new solutions and
services such as Cloud Computing. This article introduces a maturity assessment model of an information
system architecture functional block that can be outsourced to the Cloud. Based on the best practices of
enterprise architecture and information systems governance, the basic criteria of activities outsourcing, and
the cloud computing adoption requirements, this model is built around four modules: the block scope
identification, the outsourcing opportunity, the cloud computing architectural requirements, and governance
and control. Thus, this model will provides new benefits for opened Enterprise Architectures to new
technologies.
1 INTRODUCTION
The Business-IT alignment is a key success for
companies seeking continuous improvement of
competitive advantage and service quality,
optimizing costs, and increasing productivity. In this
sense, organizations are looking to focus on their
business core and adopt task-shifting approaches
savings efforts or expense.
Outsourcing is the practice of buying a product
or a service that was produced or made internally by
a provider, or an external source (Ordoobadi, 2003).
IT outsourcing is an act of delegation or transfer of
part or all IT power as well as decision-making
related to, business processes, internal activities, and
services to external providers which develop,
manage, and administer these activities in
accordance with agreed deliverables, performances,
standards, and results (Dhar, 2012).
Considering technological market supply
multitude, core skill activities mastery concerns, and
new solutions evaluating expertise lack, enterprises
have a major challenge deciding on outsourcing a
component of their Information Systems (IS) to new
solutions such as Cloud Computing.
Constituting a new service model, cloud
computing is characterized by three service models:
SaaS (Software as a Service), PaaS (Platform as a
Service), and IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service); and
four deployment models: private cloud, community
cloud, public cloud, and hybrid cloud (El Haloui et
al., 2015; NIST, 2011). The cloud computing option
enables to take advantage of its benefits such as
reducing capital expenditures, efficiency of internal
processes, employees productivity increase,
customer service improvement, lower inventory
costs, and better coordination with trade partner
(Andrikopoulos et al., 2013; Gangwar et al., 2015).
That is why IT teams quickly reacted to develop
strategies that align and support the use of cloud in
the company (RightScale, 2014). The Cloud is not a
solution for everything, we need to identify the
strategic sourcing methodology according to our
maturity and our needs (Goel and Singh, 2015). We
also need to understand the compatibility level of
cloud technology with the existing architecture
(Gangwar et al., 2015).
The literature study shows that there is a lack of
support tools for the decision making about a
functional component to cloud computing
outsourcing based on the assessment of its maturity.
This article introduce a transformation model
based on the maturity of the functional block
(elementary functional component) of an IS
630
Haloui, M. and Kriouile, A.
From Enterprise Architecture to Cloud Computing: A Decision-Support Model for Functional Block Outsourcing.
In Proceedings of the 18th International Conference on Enterprise Information Systems (ICEIS 2016) - Volume 2, pages 630-635
ISBN: 978-989-758-187-8
Copyright
c
2016 by SCITEPRESS Science and Technology Publications, Lda. All rights reserved
architecture. The remainder of this article is
organized into five sections. Section 2 presents an
overview of Information Systems Urbanization and
its connection with the maturity framework. Section
3 presents a macro classification of outsourcing
criteria identified from the literature review. Section
4 deals with the transformation concept and the
Enterprise Architecture layers impacted by the
transformation of a functional block. Section 5
presents our model. Section 6 summarizes related
works. Finally, Section 7 concludes the article and
provides some indications on future work.
2 ENTERPRISE ARCHITECTURE
AND CMMI
Information Systems Urbanization (ISU) or
Enterprise Architecture (EA) is a concept inspired
by town planning and used in IS (El Haloui et al.,
2015; Common framework, 2012; Longépé, 2009).
It refers to a meta-model allowing describing all the
knowledge of an IS. It allows a company to develop
an evolution plan of its IS in short, medium or long
terms. ISU approach defines five views to the IS:
A Strategy View, describing strategic missions
and objectives of the IS;
A Business View, describing processes,
activities, and organization penetrated;
A Functional View, describing IS use cases
and information manipulated independently of
technological choices;
An Applicative View, describing software
components (e.g., applications) kept as well as
their interdependencies (flux, software
architecture, etc.);
An Infrastructure View, describing the
physical resources and the deployment.
As an aerial city view, the functional layer of this
framework is structured into zones (Domains) which
are subdivided into neighborhoods (Functional
areas) that are composed by blocks. A block is a
uniform and consistent set of business objects and
features. The block is a functional element whose
granularity is the thinnest of the IS. It corresponds to
a functional entity replaceable, modular information
system (Common framework, 2012; Longépé,
2009). The Block is the basic functional component
of a functional IS architecture.
The Capability Maturity Model Integration
(CMMI) models are collections of best practices that
help organizations improve their processes. These
models are developed by a group of experts from
industry, the US government, and the Software
Engineering Institute (SEI) (CMMI, 2010). The
CMMI model is presented in staged or continuous
representations. Continuous representation use
allows to reach "capacity levels" while staged
representation use allows to reach "maturity levels"
(Basque, 2010). CMMI enables an organization to
identify the areas that will bring the greatest return
on investment and show where immediate action
will have an impact (Kent Crawford, 2006).
For our purposes, the aim is to measure the
maturity of a functional block to be outsourced to
cloud computing. The qualification criteria of this
basic component will be identified through the
following sections.
3 ACTIVITIES OUTSOURCING:
LITERATURE REVIEW
The literature study on activities outsourcing
approaches and models enabled to identify the key
factors and the criteria adopted for an activity
outsourcing. Table 1 summarizes the main
characteristics extracted from studied activities
outsourcing models helping an organization to make
a decision.
The review of different factors and criteria of
outsourcing leads to identify the major points of
view on which an activity outsourcing should be
based on. These criteria can be categorized into four
main groups as follows:
At the strategic view: Need to examine the
strategic importance of the activity as well as
its competitive value (an activity in the
business core must remain internal).
At the economic view: The cost of external
production must be competitive compared to
internal one. Also, it is important to address the
hidden costs.
At the environment and quality view: Need for
availability of providers, competition,
technology efficiency, skills and expertise of
external providers, and therefore market
maturity to be able to outsourcing,
At the risk view: requirement to master risks of
subcontracting dependency, competition,
information security, loss of management
control, and outsourcing process in general.
The criteria families identified may be
supplemented or adapted depending on the context
and according to the company's business.
From Enterprise Architecture to Cloud Computing: A Decision-Support Model for Functional Block Outsourcing
631
Table 1: Activities outsourcing factors and criteria.
Analyze view
point
Outsourcing Factors and Criteria References
Strategic Company’s Competitive advantage Wernerfeldt, 1989;
Barney, 1991
Business core activities compared to non-business core activities Gardiner and Monroe,
1994; Ordoobadi, 2003
Activity strategic importance Brandes, 1994
Outsourcing as a mode of governance Jahns et al., 2006
Operational feasibility study, strategic analysis Lakhal, 1998
Economic Policy approach and the cost-based approach Ford et al., 1993
Saving production and transaction costs Quinn and Hilmer,
1994; Dartina, 1994
Carrying out activity cost Brandes, 1994
Cost and return on investment analysis Lakhal, 1998;
Ordoobadi, 2003
Risk Risk costs involved in outsourcing. Williamson, 1975;
Williamson, 1985
External provider(s) dependency Risk Brandes, 1994
Information security, Concerns and loss of management control Wang et al., 2008
Environment
and quality
R & D capacity, managing capacity, and competition degree. Kurokawa, 1997
Outsourcing proper implementation Lankford and Parsa,
1999
Volume and company experience, change in product specifications
frequency, and market suppliers competition
Walker and Weber,
1984
Quality and maturity of technological process and its role in the
competitiveness
Welch et al., 1992;
Kurokawa 1997
Case-Based Reasoning Mclover and
Humphreys, 2000
Good quality of service and good relationship Wang et al., 2008
The literature review of outsourcing of activities
has identified a set of methods, models and factors.
This constitutes the basic elements for taking a
rational decision for IT outsourcing. However, these
criteria still not yet complete for global visibility for
outsourcing a component of the IS architecture to
cloud computing. Other criteria will be identified in
the following sections.
4 INFORMATION SYSTEM’S
TRANSFORMATION
A Functional block of an urbanized IS architecture is
constructed through a project which constitutes a
transformation to the target company IS architecture.
This action impacts some elements on the IS
architecture (Common framework, 2012). The
elements which are concerned by this transformation
are as follows:
At the strategy view : financial resources and
strategic priorities
At the business view : Business process
At the Functional view: Functional Areas
At the Applicative view: Applications and
associated platforms
At the Infrastructure view: physical
equipment (hardware, network ...).
Other impacts are also cited (Common
framework, 2012; Wang et al., 2008 ) which concern
the transformation of an IS component such as legal,
political, economic, financial, and security impacts.
We identify that the transformation by internal or
external realization of a functional block requires to
take into account these elements at different layers
concerned of the target IS architecture. The aim is to
ensure the agility and the easy integration or
dissociation of each IS architecture block. It is
therefore important to help IT decision-makers
wishing to start a transformation of a part or all of
there is.
5 PROPOSED MODEL
Through the study of different outsourcing models,
cloud adopting models and IS transformation
approach we concluded that there is no one which
ICEIS 2016 - 18th International Conference on Enterprise Information Systems
632
support organizations decision about outsourcing a
functional component of its urbanized IS
architecture to a cloud computing platform. Figure 1
provides an overview on the position of the
proposed model. This model is a maturity
assessment and decision support tool for the opening
of enterprise IS on cloud computing (El Haloui et
al., 2015). It will assess the ability (maturity level)
of a functional block to be outsourced to Cloud as
well as the projection of its governance in a cloud
environment such as piloting its exploitation and
mastering its inter-provider migration and consider a
possible return to the inner-platform.
Figure 1: Maturity-Based Transformation Model (El
Haloui et al. 2015).
Layers and evaluation criteria that constitute this
model are based on the main factors and criteria of
outsourcing raised from the studied models and
methods (Ordoobadi, 2003; Boukherrroub et al.,
2012), joined with the good practices of EA and IS
governance (Cobit, ITIL) as well as the CMMI
Maturity repository. The objective is to provide to
enterprises a simple way helping to decision making
in order to outsource a functional block to the cloud.
Our model is structured in assessment modules,
these modules are made up of layers or views. Each
view is checked through a set of criteria. The
decision matrix will be based on the level of
coverage of assessment criteria. The identified
assessment layers are illustrated by the Figure2.
Our proposed model is structured around four
assessment modules:
Scope identification module: this module
focuses on the verification of the correct
definition of the functional block and processes
to outsource, identifying its interactions with
other blocks and the delimitation of data
repository handled by the block.
Outsourcing opportunity module: this module
is based on the assessment of the strategic
importance of the block-related activities,
assessment of outsourcing economic gains,
checking the context of the company and the
availability of desired suppliers as well as the
market maturity, and reviewing the risks
related to this outsourcing.
Cloud requirement module: this module
consists of checking in advance the ability of
the block against business, functional,
applicative, and infrastructure requirements of
a cloud environment.
Governance and control module: this module
consist in a checklist for the capacities of
monitoring, support, control of quality, and
continuous improvement by projection of
outsourcing.
At each layer of a module, the evaluation criteria
are structured on objectives to fulfill by a functional
block. It enable to measure its maturity for
outsourcing. As an example, Table 2 presents a set
of criteria required by the outsourcing opportunity
module.
The elaborated model is a structured approach
based on standards and best practices in the field of
IT as well as the best approaches of outsourcing.
This model allows to highlight the main stages as
well as the assessment layers of a functional block
intended for cloud computing. This structuring in
assessment modules and layers adds value to
existing methods by providing a simple, global, and
proactive vision for better decision making in the
case of IS opening to Cloud.
Figure 2: Transformation Model - Assessment Layers.
The scope of this paper is limited to the
presentation of the components of our model and the
introduction of criteria check list. The identification
of maturity level, the decision matrix, and the
validation on a practical cases will be the subject of
future work.
From Enterprise Architecture to Cloud Computing: A Decision-Support Model for Functional Block Outsourcing
633
Table 2: Example of criteria check list.
Module
Layer
Id
Layer
Criterion
Id
Criteria
Outsourcing
Opportunity
2.1
Strategic
View
2.1.1 The sub-process is qualified not core of competency
activity
2.1.2 Product or service outsourcing added value to customers is
identified
2.1.3 Outsourcing is aligned with the strategic choice of the
company
2.2
Economic
View
2.2.1 External realization (acquisition) cost is qualified cheaper
than internal one
2.2.2 Declining fixed costs is enhanced
2.2.3 Technologies, material, and human resources investment
optimization is projected
2.3
Environment
View
2.3.1 Checked outsourcing market maturity (availability of
suppliers, competition, ..)
2.3.2 Production process more developed than the internal one
(technology, skills, resources, ..)
2.3.3 Mature regulatory and legal context
2.4 Risk View
2.4.1 Information security controlled
2.4.2 Handled management control loss risk
2.4.3 Managed skills and expertise loss risk
2.4.4 Mastered employees trade union or moral risk
2.4.5 Mastered response flexibility to product / service request
fluctuations risk
6 RELATED WORKS
(Khajeh-Hosseini et al., 2011) proposes a decision
support model that focuses on potential cost saving
from using Public IaaS. This tool enables to get a
vision on cost gains in terms of price and indirect
costs generated by profit and risk management.
However, it does not deal with the functional aspect
of a company IS architecture and it does not address
organizational and piloting aspects of an activity in
Cloud Computing.
(Gangwar et al., 2015) propose a model that
aims to identify factors influencing the adoption of
cloud computing in organizations based on the
integration of TAM (Technology Acceptance
Model) and the Framework TOE (Technology
Organizational Environmental). This approach
enables to identify that the competitive advantage,
the technological compatibility, the complexity, the
organizational structure, the preparation, the
engagement of top management, and the resources
training are the main factors influencing the
adoption of Cloud Computing. However, this model
focuses on factors influencing the adoption of cloud
computing but do not address a partial IS
outsourcing or the maturity of an IS system
component candidate for Cloud outsourcing.
(Wang et al., 2008) proposes a multi-criteria
method based on AHP and ELECTRE III method
developed for IS outsourcing. This approach uses
economic, strategic, quality assurance, and risk
management criteria to classify potential providers.
But it does not address the organizational aspect nor
cloud computing requirements.
Most of available works are interested in cloud
adoption or applications migration to cloud and the
different types of solutions available. However, they
have very little interest to a prior assessment of the
ability of an IS functional block to be outsourced to
the cloud and that by offering organizations a
proactive visibility on this transformation.
7 CONCLUSIONS
The elaboration of the functional architecture of the
information system is an essential step in the system
evolution and the integration of new technologies.
The outsourcing of an information system
component or the adoption of a solution such as
cloud computing requires a prior evaluation of this
action in order to retain a thoughtful and flexible
choice. The model presented constitutes a
conceptual basis of a simple and convenient tool
helping professionals to assess a building block of
the information system. The purpose is to identify
ICEIS 2016 - 18th International Conference on Enterprise Information Systems
634
this block’s maturity to be outsourced to the cloud.
Future work will include the finalization of
evaluation criteria completion, maturity matrix and
decision-making and the evaluation of the model on
practical cases.
REFERENCES
Andrikopoulos, V., Binz, T., Leymann, F., Strauch, S.,
2013. How to Adapt Applications for the Cloud
Environment. Computing Journal, vol. 95, 493–535.
Basque, R., 2010. Guide complet de CMMI-DEV et
traduction de toutes les pratiques CMMI-ACQ et
CMMI-SVC.
Barney, J.,1991. Firm resources and sustained competitive
advantage. Journal of Management, vol. 17, 99–120.
Boukherroub, T., Guinetand, A., Fondrevelle, J., 2012.
Méthode d’aide à la décision multicritères pour
l’internalisation/externalisation durable. In
MOSIM'12,9th International Conference on
Optimization, Modelling and Simulation. 6-8June.
Bordeaux, France.
Brandes, H., 1994. Strategic changes in purchasing, two
main tracks. European Journal of Purchasing and
Supply Chain, vol. 1, N° 2, 77–87.
CMMI, 2010.CMMI for Services, Version 1.3. Technical
Report CMU/SEI-2010-TR-034 ESC-TR-2010-034.
URL: http://www.sei.cmu.edu/reports/10tr034.pdf.
Common framework of IS urbanism of the State – France,
2012. URL: https://references.modernisation.gouv.fr
/.../Cadre%20Commun%20d'Urbanisation.
Dartina, R., 1994. The Outsourcing Decision.
Management Accounting, 56–62.
Dhar, S., 2012. From outsourcing to Cloud computing:
evolution of IT services. Management Research
Review, Vol. 35 Iss: 8, 664–675.
El Haloui, M., Kriouile, H., Kriouile, A., 2015. Towards
Services-Based Enterprise Architecture for Cloud
Computing-Opened Information Systems. Journal of
Computers 10(3), 195–202.
Ford, D., Cotton, B., Farmer, D., Gross, A., Wilkinson, I.,
1993. Make-or-Buy Decisions and their Implications.
Industrial Marketing Management 22, 207–214.
Gardiner, A.W., Monroe, J.J.M., 1994. A New Managerial
Approach of Integrated Contracted Services and
Outsourcing Non-Core Activities. Society of
Petroleum Engineers, 23–29.
Goel, R., Singh, N., 2015. Paper on an Approach for
Cloud Adoption as Business Model. International
Journal of Emerging Research in Management
&Technology 4(8), ISSN: 2278-9359.
Gangwar, H., Date, H., Ramaswamy, R., 2015.
Understanding determinants of cloud computing
adoption using an integrated TAM-TOE model.
Journal of Enterprise Information Management 28(1),
107–130.
Jahns, C., Hartmann, E., Bals, L., 2006. Offshoring:
Dimensions and diffusion of a new business concept.
Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management 12
(4), 218–231.
Kent Crawford, J., 2006. The Project Management
Maturity Model. Information Systems Management,
23(4), 50–58.
Khajeh-Hosseini, A., Sommerville, I., Bogaerts, J.,
Teregowda, P., 2011. Decision Support Tools for
Cloud Migration in the Enterprise. IEEE International
Conference on Cloud Computing (CLOUD),
Washington, DC, 541–548.
Kurokawa, S., 1997. Make-or-Buy Decisions in R&D:
Small Technology Based Firms in the United States
and Japan. IEEE Transactions on Engineering
Management 44(2), 124–134.
Lakhal, S., 1998. Vers une approche formelle d’aide à la
décision dans l’entreprise réseau. PhD thesis. Laval
University, Québec, Canada.
Lankford, W. M., Parsa, F., 1999. Outsourcing: a primer.
Management Decision, 37(4), 310–316.
Longépé, C., 2009. The Enterprise Architecture IT
Project: The Urbanisation Paradigm, Dunod. 4th ed.
Mclover, R., Humphreys, P.K., 2000. A case based
reasoning approach to the make or buy decision.
Integrated Manufacturing Systems 11(5), 295–310.
NIST, 2011. Computing Standards Road Map. NIST.
Ordoobadi, S., 2003. Development of a decision model for
strategic outsourcing. Journal of Applied Business and
Economics.
Quinn, J.B., Hilmer, G.F., 1994. Strategic Outsourcing.
Sloan Management Review, 43–55.
RightScale, 2014. The Definitive Guide to DEVELOP A
CLOUD STRATEGY. URL: http://assets.rightscale.
com/uploads/pdfs/Definitive-Guide-to-Develop-a-
Cloud-Strategy-by-RightScale.pdf.
Walker, G., Weber, D., 1984. A Transaction Cost
Approach to Make-or-Buy Decisions. Administrative
Science Quarterly, no. 29, 373-391.
Wang, J.-J., Lin, Z.-K., Huang, H., 2008. A Decision
Model for Information Systems Outsourcing: Using a
Multicriteria Method. J. Serv. Sci. & Management 1,
1-9.
Welch, J.M., Little, A.D., Nayak, P.R., 1992. Strategic
Sourcing: A progressive approach to make or buy
decision. Academy Of Management Executive 6(1),
23-31.
Wernerfeldt, B., 1989. From critical resources to corporate
strategy. Journal of General Management, N°14, 4-12.
Williamson, O.E., 1975. Markets and hierarchies: analysis
and antitrust implications. Free Press, New York.
Williamson, O.E., 1985. The Economic Institutions of
Capitalism. Free Press, New York.
From Enterprise Architecture to Cloud Computing: A Decision-Support Model for Functional Block Outsourcing
635