Alignment is the adjustment of an object such as a system, a procedure or a process in relation with other objects so that they work better together. For example, strategic alignment refers to business structure and information technology fit in relation to business strategy and external environment. When alignment is attained, then an organization improves its relative performance as compared to other organizations.
Top1. Frameworks For Aligned Development
Alignment is the adjustment of an object such as a system, a procedure or a process in relation with other objects so that they work better together. For example, strategic alignment refers to business structure and information technology fit in relation to business strategy and external environment. When alignment is attained, then an organization improves its relative performance as compared to other organizations.
The concept of alignment was originally based on the fit in the context of organizational psychology and became an important concept in the management literature. The construct of alignment is difficult to develop, due to the ambiguity and complexity of management and organizational alignment. There have been a number of integrated conceptual frameworks in the recent decades attempting to understand and provide insights into the business-IT alignment complexity (e.g., Chan, Huff, Barclay, & Copeland, 1997; Reich & Benbasat, 2000; Sabherwal & Chan, 2001).
In this chapter we present both theoretical-based and practical-based frameworks for aligned development. Researchers have developed for example, integration models, frameworks for modeling of cross-organizational business processes, framework for aligned development of collaborative networks, and a three-level framework for information sharing and cross-organizational process enactment. Governmental information integration initiatives are also described for example the Hong Kong framework, Web-based inter-organizational initiatives in Mexico, UN’s connected governance framework, and electronic voting in Geneva. In this chapter we also take a look at Unified Enterprise Modeling Language (UEML) and Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA).