Information First

The Enterprise Architect's Guide to Enterprise Complexity and Change

Information First has been called "the enterprise architect's guide to enterprise complexity and change".

It provides practical, step-by-step guides and techniques for enterprise, business, and information architects.

The lack of an effective enterprise architecture is probably the most expensive problem facing organizations today.

The focus on Information First (and technology second) establishes a common ground between business needs their support by information technology. Roger and Elaine provide plenty of proven tips and guidelines, case studies and checklists to align enterprise architecture with business requirements and deliver significant business advantage.

Information First gives you a straightforward approach that complements other architectural approaches such as Zachman, TOGAF, FEAF, or the Polar Bear book.

Information First includes:

• How to architect large-scale, complex organizational change
• How to aligning architectures with business needs and priorities
• How to justify using an architecture approach
• How to understand the fundamental 8-factors that are common to all architectural approaches
• How to create a practical set of architecture tools
• How to add exponential value through architectural change
• How to keep improving the architecture and keep it current

There are countless tricks and tips, checklists, techniques, guidelines and case studies. If you've read Enterprise Architecture as Strategy and are looking for practical ways to introduce and use enterprise architecture, then this is your next stop.

Order Information First

Directly from Butterworth Heinemann, from Amazon in the USA, or from Amazon in the UK.

ISBN: 0750658584

Reviews

"Information First is a book that goes beyond the two dimensions of Zachman to eight dimensions or factors. It provides an underlying theory about managing and architecting information that allows organisations to build any kind of information architecture with whatever dimensions and meta-dimensions they require."

Adrian Campbell, Enterprise Architect

Full review of Information First by Adrian Campbell

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"Information First's pithy nine chapters around corporate information, how to gather it, use and update it, and make it pay off. [It proposes] strategies for more effective gathering and utilizing of information as a means for managing change, complexity, and eventually knowledge itself. They provide tips for information mapping and architecture, and conclude with a very useful case study to illustrate their points."

Philip R. Harris, European Business Review.

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"This is an excellent book, full of practical examples including the diagnostic and modelling tools as an appendix. It is very readable without either an MBA or an MLS, and perhaps even more important the authors emphasise that it is not just large public companies that will benefit from their approach.

If you don't have an enterprise information strategy or even an intranet strategy then this book is for you. Morville and Rosenfeld's Information Architecture for the World Wide Web (O'Reilly, 2003) has so far set the standard for books on information architecture. This book takes more of a business strategy approach, and in doing so complements Morville and Rosenfeld. With both books and membership of Aifia you have the core tools of information architecture. Highly recommended."

Martin White, EContent & Intranets - Martin White is Managing Director of Intranet Focus Ltd. Reprinted with permission from Online, a division of Information Today, Inc. Read the full review in EContent & Intranets. Copyright © 2003 Information Today, Inc.

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"...a useful starting point for potentially valuable changes in the way many organisations manage information."

M-iD, Nov/Dec 2003

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"[Information First is] a rare gem among books about information - it is genuinely original, extremely relevant and highly practical."

Chief Technology Officer, International bank.

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"The approach of focusing on 'information' rather than 'IT architecture' or 'knowledge management' is quite original, and provides a very strong viewpoint that is complementary to much of the already published material in this broad field"

Ian Bowring, IBM Ireland.

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"Information technology has provided the possibility for a quantum leap in organizational intelligence but the design principles for this have not been made explicit or clear enough to be implemented. [Information First provides] a theory, a framework and examples to help bring this immense field together and, most important, make it operational. [It provides] a unique focus on language as a central element in design and operation of an information system. Few before have observed the key importance of language in an information system. Meaningful change in this area is not easy. Change of this importance, of this impact, of this potential magnitude on the profitability and viability of an enterprise requires effort and time. The book provides a tool to reduce the pain and effort and increase the speed of results from your efforts in increasing your organizational intelligence. "

Mike McMaster.

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"Information First shows how improved information architecture allows organizations to take change in stride and serve their stakeholders far more effectively. Its practical focus and self-assessment tools helps readers move from theory to action."

Charles Bowen, Technical Architect, Fidelity Information Services, USA.

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Here is a book that is specifically devoted to information architecture, custodianship and use. It places information architecture in the context of the efficient management of global business and examines in detail the need for improved structuring and management of information. Successive chapters deal with the key factors in information management, the 'what and why, when and how', issues of responsibility for collection, processing and maintenance of information, navigation, presentation to make the information accessible and encourage its use, and the continuous process of improvement, updating and housekeeping.

The book is written partly to persuade non-specialists of the importance of these functions and is therefore written in non-technical terms. It will also be useful to the specialist, perhaps particularly in carrying the message of what needs to be done, why and how to the decision makers.

Recommended. Change Management Monitor

Reviewed by Change Management Monitor, April 2005

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