The Federal Employment Agency Successfully Modernizes IT Landscape through IT Architecture Management

The Federal Employment Agency’s (BA) objective is to become Germany’s most effi cient public IT service provider. In addition, it is increasing IT access for e-Governance to offer its customers digital communication channels. The objectives are expressed both in its corporate strategy as well as its IT strategy. The combined strategies form the framework for designing the future IT landscape, which is being heavily modernized to achieve set objectives.
 

The Solution

Capgemini supported the BA at the corporate architecture level, collaborating with them in drawing up the target architecture and managing the implementation. An architecture board with an overarching group of experts was established to perform the overall coordination and management. In addition, Capgemini implemented the medium-term architecture planning, developed an SOA introduction strategy and provided designrelated and operational support for the SOA portfolio management. Supporting the process, Capgemini architects developed the architectural concepts and guided the implementation, as well as assumed the responsibility for the operational implementation during the transition phase. While working closely with the BA team for architectural design and delivery, the Capgemini team successively transferred knowledge, expertise, and responsibility for architectural development to BA’s staff.

At the solution architecture level, Capgemini’s appointed head architects also ensured that target architecture-compliant solutions for the central transformation plan were defi ned and implemented.
 

The Result

BA has established effi cient and effective management and processes for target architecture implementation while avoiding departmental and technical duplication. This reduces costs, increases fl exibility, and enables new eGovernment solutions at BA.
 

How BA and Capgemini Worked Together

Capgemini – as the strategic partner for BA’s IT landscape development – collaborated with BA to defi ne and prioritize annual Accelerated Solution Environment (ASE) workshops. ASE is a special, creative working environment in which large teams – with support from a trained facilitation team – experience an intensive work process and solve complex problems through collaboration.

The collaboration between Capgemini and BA has been highly successful. During the project implementation, Capgemini used its global network to involve the right experts at the right time. Capgemini head architects seamlessly integrated technology solutions into ongoing projects at BA and built on existing methods instead of focusing on their own approaches.

Additionally – as BA’s strategic partner – Capgemini proactively introduced new architectural functionalities that went beyond the stated project mandate. For example, in collaboration with BA’s solution architects from across projects, a company wide information architecture was developed and presented to BA and subsequently implemented.

With medium-term architecture planning, Capgemini and BA established an Enterprise Architecture Management (EAM) tool that was precisely tailored to the requirements of the management. The tool enabled easy and comprehensive representation of the progress made up to the IT target architecture and allowed for detailed listing and explanation of risks and confl icts.