1. Information Architecture
Information as Strategy

2. Themes
 Architecture is technology value not delivery
 Architecture is a profession not a job
 Good technology strategy is about how architects engage
with you
The use, disclosure, reproduction, modification, transfer, or transmittal of this work without the written permission of IASA is strictly prohibited. © IASA 2010

3. Iasa
 A platform for architects
 Education
 Mentoring
 Career Path
 Certification
 Best Practice
The use, disclosure, reproduction, modification, transfer, or transmittal of this work without the written permission of IASA is strictly prohibited. © IASA 2010

4. Iasa
 Form Communities – 2002 to 2005
 Career Path - 2007
 Capability Model – 2008
 Certification – 2009
 Foundation, Associate, CITA-P, CITA-M
 Foundation Training – 2010
 Associate Training – 2011
 Mentoring - 2012
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5. Skills
≠

6. Skill Set
Enterprise Architecture
Software Infrastructure Information Business
Architecture Architecture Architecture Architecture
Foundation Body of Knowledge
Design
Human Dynamics
Quality Attributes
IT Environment
Business Technology Strategy
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transmittal of this work without the written permission of IASA is
strictly prohibited. © IASA 2009

7. Career Path
 Awareness - Foundation
 Knowledge - Associate
 Practice – Internship and Mentoring
 Experience – CITA-Professional
 Contribution – CITA-Master
The use, disclosure, reproduction, modification, transfer, or transmittal of this work without the written permission of IASA is strictly prohibited. © IASA 2010

8. Career Path

9. Architect Engagement
Enterprise
Architects
Enterprise
Business Information
Architects Architects Business Capability
Software Architect Infrastructure
Architects
Data Center
Software Software
Architect Architect

10. Information Architects
 Come from 3 places
 Combine skills to
DBA succeed
User
Integration
Interface
The use, disclosure, reproduction, modification, transfer, or transmittal of this work without the written permission of IASA is strictly prohibited. © IASA 2010

11. Information Architecture
 The storage, retrieval, integration and utilization of information
across an organization for strategic gain.
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12. End Module

13. The Need to Know for Information Architects:
From Big Data to Big Information
Paul Preiss and Tom Thomas

14. Agenda
• Review: Architecture Fundamentals
• Introduction: Data, Information and Knowledge
• The Value of the Information Architect
• The Skills and Role
• Big Data to Big Information
• The future of the profession and how you can grow your career

15. Review:
Architecture Fundamentals
A Quick Overview

16. What is Architecture?
Architecture is user experience
Architecture is negotiating and bargaining
Architecture is technology
Architecture is form
Architecture is communication
Architecture is artful
Architecture is agile
Architecture is the creation of a better world
Magnus Mårtensson – Microsoft March 2008

17. IASA’s Definition of an Architect is:
Developer lead with Business person with
business competence technical competence
Technology Strategist
for the business
Network and system
specialist that has IT person who bridges
business sense and the gap between
strong infrastructure business & technology
competence

18. Key Concerns of an Architect
 Whole System Design and Integrity
 Alignment with the business
 Strategy
 Environment
 Customers
 System Evolution
 Architectures are long-lived
 A blueprint for implementing strategy
 Ability to evolve

19. Introduction
Data, Information and Knowledge

20. Data
Data is a raw material
 Data is the lowest level of abstraction to derive
information and knowledge.
 Raw Data (i.e. unprocessed Data) is a collection
of numbers, characters, images or other outputs
from devices that collect information to convert
physical quantities into symbols.

21. Information
Information is data organized for a
purpose
 Derived from the Latin verb informare as in "to
give form to the mind", "to
discipline", "instruct", "teach"
 Information is an ordered sequence of symbols
that record or transmit a message
 Information is the summarization of Data

22. Knowledge
Knowledge is a product of Information
 Knowledge is created from information that has
been analyzed and assigned meaning
 Knowledge is a set of beliefs created from
information
 Knowledge is the interpretation of information and
the subsequent actions derived from that
interpretation

23. The Value of the
Information Architect
Going Beyond Just Design

24. The Definition
The dictionary definition of value:
“the worth of something in terms of the amount of other
things for which it can be exchanged or in terms of some
medium of exchange”
The dictionary definition of information:
“knowledge communicated or received concerning a particular
fact or circumstance”
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/value
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/information

25. Important to Understand
Information is at the core of all decisions and businesses:
 Empowers facts not guesses or assumptions
 Market research, logistics and advertising
 Inventory quantity, location and turn time to restocking
 Processes, procedures and intellectual property
Remove information from a company what is left?

26. The Benefits of Information Strategy
 Thinking outside of the box for efficiency, growth and creativity
 Enablement of embracing that change does and will happen
 Leveraging existing assets into new paradigms
 Maximize reuse of information and pre-existing investments
Who are some of the most successful companies in your domain or
in the world? Why?

27. Value of Information
Multipliers:
 Time since first available
 Quality and accuracy
 Respect and/or proven expertise in the domain

28. The Skills and Role
Getting the job done the right way

29. The Challenge
and the opportunity!
As an IA you are in the middle creating bridges out to:
 Management (C suite, directors, mid-level)
 Operations, Sales – B2B, B2C
 Web Designers and Developers
 Software Engineers
 Database Administrators
 ?????

30. Operations, Sales, B2B, B2C and
more...
“the other customers”
 Ensure the information you provide is tailored to the audience
 Ensure your deliverables are in a form they can use quickly
 Keep your eyes open for reuse by others
 Beware of and put an end to hoarders and ad hoc silos
 Be on the watch for misuse, mis-storage and lack of security
 Every customer is different – needs and expectations
If you are looking you can find a use for everything and anything...

31. http://www.louisrosenfeld.com/home/bloug_archive/images/010725b.gif

32. The Roles and Skills Required
The many hats we wear...
 UI/UX
 Data Warehousing and Business Intelligence
 Data Security and Privacy
 Metadata, Taxonomy and Knowledge Management
Yeah we probably wear that “other” hat too...

33. Big Data to
Big Information
Where we are, where we are going
and how we might get there

34. Big Data
Where it may come from
 Visitor/User/Customer Information
 Transactions
 Log files
 Raw data (of all types and forms) – structured and unstructured
Where else does YOUR data come from?

35. Bridging the Gap
How do we go from (big) data to (big) information
 Context + Content + User
 Understand the problem before we try to create the solution
 Get stakeholder and executive buy in
 Roll out in a way that makes sense for your organization
 Keeping in mind: size, architectural maturity, previous projects
Are you maximizing the usefulness of your data?

36. Big Information
The tools we may utilize to get the job done
 Master Data Management aka MDM
 RDBMS to NOSQL
 Date Warehouses with Data Marts
 App silos to data hubs with app spokes
What do you think is coming next?

37. How to stay ahead of the curve
and continue to grow your career!
 Certification and Training
 IFC
 IAC (Information Architecture and more)
 CITA-P
 IASA Mentorship Program
 Contribute to your local and global community...
Only you can decide where you will go next!