You have been assigned as the consultant to Third Star Financial Services and have been given the task of developing an analysis of the current state of Third Star’s enterprise data management capabilities, along with providing recommendations for improvement where appropriate.
Your submission will focus on design and implementation of an architecture that meets the needs indicated in the following scenario:
Third Star Financial Services, an alternative banking organization, was developed from the purchase of several money transfer operations in various parts of the
United States starting in 1969 through 1996. The company has grown with the advent of a more transient population and caters to the portion of the population that is called the “un-banked.” Third Star offers money transfer and related services in over 3,000 locations in the United States, over 2,000 locations in Canada, and over 10,000 locations in other countries. Customers can transact business through an agent, or directly with Third Star through its online facility. The online facility was developed in 2009, and is not connected to its agency systems. Each agent can use one of several agent systems, since the company grew from buying small agent-based money transfer companies, and did not integrate its systems. Third Star is aware of the move to mobile banking solutions and would like to
enhance its online presence with mobile applications.
The company does not have a single source of customers, nor does it know how many customers it has. Agents are assigned to a region, and Third Star sales representatives are responsible for addressing agent issues. Many agents complain about the poor quality of the current systems, including the level of the quality of customer data in some transaction systems. There is no single source of agent data for the entire company, and much data about agents and customers is repeated in the various source systems.
Third Star’s technical platform is a collection of several technologies. The company has database management systems from Oracle and MS SQL Server, operating systems in various flavors of UNIX/LINUX and Microsoft Windows, and hardware supplied by HP and IBM. Many locations, including the headquarters, experience network and bandwidth issues due to a lack of a robust network architecture. The IT department is staffed by people acquired through successive mergers and
experiences high staff and management turnover.
The company has attempted to build several data warehouses, by line of business, but did not undertake an enterprise / integrated approach to the architecture or design of a data warehouse. The various data warehouses produce many reports, but most of them are operational and not used for decision making. The company uses Cognos for reporting, but does not use the product’s data mining or dashboard capabilities. There is no common report library, and every business
unit creates its own reports.
There is no common understanding of the need for governance of data across the organization, and many mid-level managers in business units have developed separate small groups of technical staff since the IT department is not considered to be extremely competent. There is no common management of data definitions and no management of business rules or other forms of metadata management.
Third Star management has experienced high turnover in the past 5–7 years, due to many factors. Most decision-making is performed with instinct and not through data analysis, since there is no reliable source of analytical data available.
Third Star Financial has experienced severe competition in the marketplace from more robust and better-organized companies, and has lost market share over the past several years. It has dropped in market share from a high of 24% to a current state of 18.1% from 2008–2011. One large competitor has raided several
Third Star executives and others have left for positions in other financial services organizations.
Third Star Financial has recently hired a new position, Chief Enterprise Architect. This person has been tasked with the responsibility to develop and implement an enterprise architecture for the organization. One aspect of an enterprise architecture is the creation of an enterprise data / information management strategy and plan. The end-goal is to modernize and streamline the company’s operations, allowing them to have a single version of the truth while simultaneously supporting new applications, both internally and externally.
You have been selected to serve as the consultant for the enterprise data / information management strategy and plan.
In this assignment, you will create an analysis paper that evaluates the current state of Third Star’s enterprise data management, based on the DAMA-DMBOK framework, and recommend a plan for improving the current state.
Specifically, you must address the critical elements listed below. Most of the critical elements align with a particular course outcome (shown in brackets).
I. Introduction: The introduction should act as a concise road map guiding the audience (in this case, the executives relying on your consultation report) through the report and summarizing the expectation and goals of the report. Remember that this is a professional report, and should be concise, well
articulated, and considerate of audience.
II. Current State Assessment
a) Summarize the current architecture employed by Third Star. [DAT-515-01]
b) Provide an evaluation of the current tools and data management components in comparison to the DAMA-DMBOK. [DAT-515-02]
i. What components of standard enterprise data management does Third Star have currently that are not performing at a level to support
the needs of the company?
ii. What components of standard enterprise data management does Third Star not have? Be sure to reference the DAMA-DMBOK in your
evaluation and consideration.
c) How does the current state of enterprise data management affect the operations of Third Star Financial Services? [DAT.500.01]
i. Provide well-supported explanations of the impact on operations.
ii. Account for current, future, and past operational limitations the state of enterprise management has on the company.
III. Data Model
a) Provide visual maps of the conceptual and logical model that addresses the data requirements of the customer subject area for Third Star Financial. [DAT-515-03]
b) In reference to industry standard models, explain the importance in including each component in your conceptual and logical models to ensure the success of the company. Be concise in your explanation and utilize the appropriate terminology. [DAT-515-01]
IV. Recommendations
a) Evaluate and recommend two technologies that would be appropriate for Third Star to consider using in its operation to improve its management of data and information. [DAT-515-04]
i. What would be the benefits of using the technologies?
ii. What challenges would Third Star encounter from the use of the technologies?
b) Using the DAMA-DMBOK framework as a guide, what recommendations would you make to Third Star for improving its current state of data and information management? [DAT-515-02]
c) How will your technology recommendations and management recommendations combine to improve the operations and success of Third Star Financial Services? [DAT-515-03]
i. Will implementation of a technology change the requirements of the management strategy or vice versa?
ii. Are additional strategies or technologies necessary for proper implementation of your suggestions?
iii. How are internal stakeholders and external customers impacted by your proposals?
d) What ethical considerations will Third Star need to consider before making decisions on which tools to use? For example, consider the security standards, privacy laws, and intended use of the technologies being evaluated. [DAT-515-05]
V. Implementation Plan: If Third Star decides to accept all of your suggestions, what is your plan for implementation? [DAT-515-03]
a) Outline a complete and logical plan for implementation of the selected technologies.
b) Is there any additional information needed in order to implement properly?
i. What level of management attention will be needed to implement and maintain the solution?
ii. How will the management requirements be addressed by your recommended strategy for implementation?
iii. What level of technical expertise will be required to support the implementation effort?
VI. Financial and Ethics Standards [DAT-515-05]
a) What restrictions will be implemented to protect private financial information of the business?
b) What ethical issues might arise during implementation of the strategy? What are some necessary restrictions on access that should be
implemented?
VII. Conclusion: Summarize the report and speak comprehensively to the possible future impacts of your suggestions, including additional tools for future
growth.
