A model-driven IT governance process based on the strategic impact evaluation of services

Abstract

Model-driven engineering is used for managing software systems development. In most cases, requirements representations are transformed into design diagrams themselves transformed into code, ensuring traceability. Such an approach can nevertheless take roots on a more abstract level and be used for IT governance. Goal-oriented requirements engineering can be adapted to model strategic objectives aimed to lead the organization to an enhanced competitive position in the long-term. Most IT governance and management frameworks are driven by the concept of service. The latter allows to package the work offer of an IT provider. Within their realization, such services align or misalign with strategic objectives. This paper proposes a model-driven IT governance process allowing to evaluate the alignment of business IT services to strategic objectives; it follows the 3 stages of IT governance: evaluate, direct and monitor. The approach allows to integrate the governance level as a (graphical) strategic layer made of long-term objectives that business IT services potentially contribute or hamper to attain. The strategic layer is custom developed for each organization and linked with organizational representations in a model-driven fashion to study business and IT alignment. The framework is called MoDrIGo; it is applied onto a case study in a hospital.