Technology Portfolio Management (TPM) – Accelerator

Introduction

The Technology Portfolio Management is a solution with a comprehensive accelerator package that enables users to embark on their journey. Seamlessly dive into managing your technology landscape using The Essential Architecture (TEA) Toolkit built based on industry best practices and insights requested by CXOs worldwide.

With the help of the TPM Accelerator pack, architects can quickly begin modeling the data and present a comprehensive analysis of Technology Portfolio Management to stakeholders

The accelerator package involves the following:

• Well Standardized Metamodel
• Customized MDG Profiles
  • Model Patterns
• Excel Spreadsheet
• Import Profiles
• Harvested Model
• Prolaborate_TPMDashboard

 TPM-Dashboards  Download TPM

Metamodel

Technology Portfolio Management is accomplished via the Metamodel View, which places strong emphasis on Technology Stack and IT Components with the necessary attributes and relationships.

Sparx Systems standardized a Technology Portfolio Management metamodel that assists the Architects to provide insightful reports that address stakeholders’ questions. It acts as a blueprint for designing an TPM-based model. The below image displays the metamodel.

MDG Profile

For Technology Portfolio Management, Sparx Systems created a specialized toolkit (MDG Profiles) with model governance and restrictions based on the Metamodel that is in line with Technology Stack and IT Component characteristics and connections.

MDG Profile allows the users to construct the model with a well-defined structure and relationships as per the metamodel. Profile provides the users with a customized toolbox & pre-defined pattern. MDG Profile enables users to build models with clear linkages and a specified structure in accordance with the metamodel. Users are provided with a customized toolset & pre-defined pattern by enabling the TPM Profile in the Model.

Customized Toolset

Model Patterns

The pre-defined model patterns allow the users to easily begin modeling the package structure which aligns with Technology Portfolio Management. Pre-defined patterns are incorporated within the MDG Profile. Users can choose from three alternative sets of patterns while building models. The pre-defined templates are listed below:

• Business Layer
• Application Layer
• Technology Layer

Excel Spreadsheet

Sparx Systems developed a sample set of data and values in an excel spreadsheet that are in line with the Technology Portfolio Management to respond to the concerns of the stakeholders. The excel contains separate sheets with sample data for the various artifacts (IT Components, Technology Stack, Applications, L2 Capabilities, L1 Capabilities and L2 Capabilities) involved in the TPM metamodel.

A detailed overview of the spreadsheet is provided in the table below.

S.No	Sheet Name	Contents	Import Profile
1	L0 Capabilities	List of L0 Capability names and its description.	TEA-L0Capability.profile
2	L1 Capabilities	List of L1 Capability names and its description.	TEA-L1Capability.profile
3	L2 Capabilities	List of L2 Capability names and its description.	TEA-L2Capability.profile
4	Application Inventory	List of Applications with descriptions, attributes, and related artifacts (L2 Capabilities (Supports)) as per the metamodel.	TEA-Application.profile
5	IT Component	List of IT Component with descriptions, attributes, and related artifacts (Applications (Serving)) as per the metamodel.	TEA-ITComponent.profile
6	Technology Stack	List of Technology Stack with descriptions, attributes, and related artifacts (IT Components (Part Of)) as per the metamodel.	TEA-TechnologyStack.profile

The import profile column in the above table displays profiles utilized for each sheet to import the data into Sparx Enterprise Architect Model using MDG Office Importer Add-in.

Import Profile

The MDG Integration for Microsoft Office Add-in is to be installed as a pre-requisite to import the model data from the spreadsheet using the customized TPM import profiles.

Download Link: https://sparxsystems.com/products/mdg/int/office/index.html

Using TPM import profiles, the user maps the Excel Spreadsheet column with appropriate Sparx Enterprise Architect Element / Connector Properties.

Model Harvest

The harvesting model is a part of the Technology Portfolio Management Solution. Excel Spreadsheet data are populated into Sparx Enterprise Architect Model using Import Profiles in MDG Office Integration for Microsoft Office.

The Project structure of the model contains an Application Layer, Business Layer, and Technology Layer which act as a catalog.

Views	Package	Model Contents	Image
Application Layer	Application Inventory	Applications
Business Layer	L0 Capability	L0 Capability
	L1 Capability	L1 Capability
	L2 Capability	L2 Capability
Technology Layer	IT Component	IT Component
	Technology Stack	Technology Stack

Using data in the Model, insightful reports are published in the Sparx Prolaborate Platform.

TPM Dashboards

The ultimate goal is to publish the model’s contents as intuitive reports in Prolaborate, allowing CXOs worldwide to track the insights they have requested. The accelerator pack includes “Prolaborate_TPMDashboard,” which lets users import dashboards to visualize insightful reporting designed for Technology Portfolio Management in their Prolaborate instance.

Implementations

The user downloads the TPM Accelerator pack as the first step. The pack includes the following

• Metamodel (TPM Metamodel.qea)
• MDG Profiles with Model Patterns (TPM Profiles & ModelPatterns)
• Excel Spreadsheet (Technology Portfolio Management – Excel Template.xlsx)
• Import Profiles (TPM.profiles)
• Model Harvest (The Essential Architecture – TPM.qea)
• Import APM Dashboards (Prolaborate_TPMDashboard_MSSQL / MYSQL)

MDG Profile

Import the MDG into a Sparx Enterprise Architect Model.

Steps

1. Open Enterprise Architect Model using the appropriate server connection/cloud connection/local model.
2. Open Project Browser by Navigating to Start | Design | Browser.
3. In Project Browser, open the Resources tab.
4. Navigate to MDG Technologies | Model Technologies | Right-Click | Import Technology.

5. Select the MDG File “TEA_MDG” from the downloaded Accelerator Pack.
6. Reload the project by navigating to top left corner of the Enterprise Architect Window.
7. Select drop down of EA icon and choose reload project.

Model Patterns

Place the ModelPatterns package in the following user’s path – “C:UsersAppDataRoamingSparx SystemsEA” to enable model patterns to create in models which makes the user start the modeling with ease.

Steps

1. By selecting the Root Node in Model, press CTRL + SHIFT + M or click Model Wizard icon to open the “Create from Pattern” window.

2. Select All Perspectives | Specialized | Model Technologies.

3. Select the Business Layer pattern and click “Create Models” which in turn creates a catalog for Business Layer.

4. Similarly create an Application & Technology Layer

Import Profile

As a pre-requisite, the user must download the MDG integration for the Microsoft Office installer using the following link

Steps

1. Open the Sparx Enterprise Architect Model, and navigate to Specialize | Microsoft Office | Profile Manager | Excel Profiles.

2. Click Import and select the Import Profiles available in TPM Accelerator Pack

3. Choose the “Browse” option and select the Technology Portfolio Management – Excel Template.xlsx excel available in the Accelerator pack.
4. Click Ok

Model Harvest Using Import Excel Spreadsheet

Once the profiles are imported in the MDG Integration for Microsoft Office Addin. Using MDG Integration for Microsoft Office, the user must import the data from the Technology Portfolio Management – Excel Template.xlsx sheet.

Steps

1. Select the required package in the Sparx EA Project browser window.
2. Select the L0 Capability package in the Business Layer.
3. Navigate to Specialize | Microsoft Office | Import Excel Document.

4. Choose the excel “Technology Portfolio Management – Excel Template.xlsx”.
5. Select the sheet as L0 Capability and choose the profile as TPM-L0Capability.
6. Click Preview and then select Import.

7. L0 capability data available in the sheet are imported successfully in a New Package.
8. Move the imported data into L0 Capability Package by referring the following section Move Elements between Packages

9. Similarly import others using their respective profiles.
10. Refer to the section Excel Spreadsheetto know which profiles need to be accessed for the respective sheets.

 TPM-Dashboards  Download TPM

Move Elements Between Packages

Imported elements are created under a new package. It is necessary to move these imported elements into the appropriate package created via Model Patterns.

Steps

1. Select the imported element in the Project Browser, by pressing CTRL key
2. (OR) Press Shift key and select first element and last element of the package.
3. Drag and drop the selected elements in the respective package (EG: L0 Capability).

4. Once the elements are moved, delete the “New Packages”.
5. Right click on the new package and select “Delete ‘New Package”.

Note:

• Finally, import the IT Components and Technology Stack to establish mappings between the various artifacts that ought to be included in the model. Use the below order to import the spreadsheet data in the Model.
  • L0 Capability
  • L1 Capability
  • L2 Capability
  • Application
  • IT Component
  • Technology Stack

Import TPM Dashboards

The “Prolaborate_TPMDashboard” file, which is part of the Accelerator pack, allows users to see the layouts and widgets set up for Technology Portfolio Management in Prolaborate. The most recent version of Prolaborate includes the ability to import Prolaborate_TPMDashboard data.

Prerequisites

•  Prolaborate version should be 5.1.0 or above.
•  To export and import dashboards, the user must be an admin.
•  To visualize the report insights without breaking any configuration, we advise loading the Model Harvest file from the accelerator pack in your Sparx EA instance and then importing the Prolaborate dashboard.

Steps To Import TPM Dashboards

1. Access the necessary Prolaborate repository.
2. From the menu in the top right corner of the dashboard page, choose Import.

3. From the Accelerator pack, select the “Prolaborate_TPMDashboard” (MSSQL / MYSQL) file.
1. Import “Prolaborate_TPMDashboard_MSSQL” if the user has a MSSQL Prolaborate DB Repository. (OR)
2. Import “Prolaborate_TPMDashboard_MySQL” if the user has a MySQL Prolaborate DB Repository.
4. Choose Import.
5. Post file imported into your repository, the “Technology Portfolio Management” Dashboard will have all of its layouts and widgets set up.

For additional informations, visit the Export and Impot Dashboard and if any queries related to Export and Import Dashboard, please visit FAQs page.

 Download TPM  TPM – Dashboards