Eviden Enterprise Architecture Game

Project description

The "Business – IT Simulation with a Game Implementation" project, led by Hans van Drunen of Eviden, aims to align IT systems with business needs. It involves developing an online version of a simulation game currently played with physical cards. This simulation helps management teams make informed decisions regarding their business and IT models. A prototype of the game exists, and the project's goal is to enhance it based on prior students' recommendations and a usability study. The enhanced game will support online play, save progress, gather data for analysis, and ensure data security. It will be multilingual, accessible on various devices, and capable of hosting multiple games simultaneously. The project also involves deploying the game on an Eviden server. A thorough security check and a user manual for enterprise architects are also part of the project deliverables.

Context

This assignment addresses the frequent mismatch between IT systems and business needs, leading to unnecessarily high IT costs. Eviden proposes a simulation to assist customer management teams in aligning their business model with the IT application landscape. The project's objective is to digitalize this simulation, initially conducted using physical playing cards, for online workshops.

The simulation's conceptual foundation is built upon two internationally recognized models: "Enterprise Architecture as a strategy" and "Change Management by De Caluwe en Vermaak." The project begins with an introduction to these models and a session to play the physical card game.

Previous work includes a prototype developed by a student group, with its code and documentation hosted on GitHub. This group will also provide a knowledge transfer session. Another team of media students conducted a usability study, the findings of which will inform the next version of the online game.

The project's primary tasks involve assessing the current prototype, implementing design and usability recommendations, ensuring online gameplay stability, and securing data. It also focuses on database integration for data analysis, deployment flexibility, multilingual support, replayability, and accommodating various participant numbers. A moderator role for enterprise architects is also envisioned. Additionally, the project contemplates implementing the game in a multi-cloud environment and emphasizes the importance of a comprehensive security strategy. Recommendations from previous iterations include technical improvements like using WebSockets, centralizing REST calls, integrating front-end testing, and enhancing backend security.

Results

The following product and insight outcomes can be derived:

1. Fix Bugs:
- Product: A refined, more stable and playable version of the online simulation game.
- Insight: Debugging enhances the user experience and reliability of the game, ensuring that management teams can effectively use the tool for business and IT alignment without technical interruptions.

2. API Gateway Implementation:
- Product: A centralized API gateway that efficiently manages requests and communications between the game's frontend and all micro services in the backend.
- Insight: Implementing an API gateway simplifies the system architecture, improves scalability, and enhances security. It ensures seamless integration of different parts of the application, facilitating easier maintenance and updates.

3. Deployment on the Server:
- Product: A live, accessible version of the game hosted on an Eviden server, and potentially deployable in a cloud environment.
- Insight: Server deployment makes the game readily available for use by Eivden, Fontys, or customer environments. It also opens up the possibility for cloud-based scalability and accessibility from various locations.

4. Decoupled System Modules:
- Product: A modular game architecture with distinct, independent components.
- Insight: Decoupling the system modules enhances the flexibility and maintainability of the game. It allows for independent development and updates of different parts of the system, reducing complexity and potential dependency conflicts.

5. Documentation (User Manuals, Transfer Document, Recommendations):
- Product: Comprehensive documentation including user manuals for enterprise architects, a knowledge transfer document from previous developers, and a set of recommendations for future enhancements.
- Insight: High-quality documentation is crucial for the sustainability of the project. It ensures that future users and developers can effectively understand, use, and improve the game. The user manual provides necessary guidance for enterprise architects to facilitate simulations, while the transfer document and recommendations ensure continuity and informed development.

These outcomes collectively contribute to a robust, user-friendly, and effective business-IT alignment tool, enhancing decision-making processes within organizations.