IS urbanization method: Coupling the PPM tool and IS mapping

The map of the Strasbourg metropolitan area's information system lists over 600 applications! How do you manage such a wide range of digital services? Align the expectations of business departments with the digital roadmap? How do you seize opportunities and put them into project mode? How do you maintain, guarantee coherence (without redundancy) and enrich such an information system? We take you on an exploration of the formidable digital governance of a management team of over 120 people. We'll make a stopover in the organization of the metropolis and IS urbanization. We'll take a detailed look at two pillars of governance: IS mapping and Project Portfolio Management. The genesis and, above all, the bridges between these two themes, equipped by Solu-QIQ and Project Monitor. And we'll see how such a system has enabled us to launch an ambitious overhaul of the HRIS of a city with over 7,000 employees.

Go to Replay

Two key governance witnesses: IS planner and coordination unit coordinator

Webinar co-hosted by VIRAGE Group and AB+Software with the support of :

Find out more in this article:

  1. The main principles of IS urbanization and IS mapping
  2. Presentation of the Eurométropole de Strasbourg and its Digital and Information Systems Department IS governance
  3. Governance tools: positioning Project Monitor and Solu-QIQ within the IS Urbanization
  4. The interface between Project Monitor and Solu-QIQ to shed light on digital governance
  5. A case study in IS urbanization: exploring the HRIS district

Main principles of IS urbanization and IS mapping

What is the aim of IS urbanization?

The aim of IS urbanization is to analyze, define and frame the evolution of information systems in line with corporate strategy, business processes and technological innovations. Urbanization is based on IS mapping and its various representations (process, functional, application, hardware). It's a tool that can be used as a decision-making aid for information systems governance.

"Evolving your information system is like playing Dominos and Mikados simultaneously!"

Thus, the objective of an IS mapping repository revolves around 3 axes:

Communicate

Optimize

Refer

How do you urbanize your IS?

Urbanization means organizing the gradual transformation of the IS:

During the webinar, the Strasbourg metropolis drew a parallel between the urbanization of territories and the urbanization of information systems.

method-urbanization-si

What is the IS mapping process?

How do you map your information system? The process of building an IS map takes into account the strategic orientations of the roadmap. The aim is to define the various stages involved in moving from the current Information System to the target Information System for each of the axes.

First and foremost, you need to know what already exists in terms of applications, projects and processes. The purpose of architecture is to provide a consolidated view of the information system and propose a coherent plan. To align infrastructure, applications, functional modeling, business needs and roadmap.

The Digital and IS Department serving 505,000 inhabitants and 7,000 employees

Key figures for the Eurometropole

challenges of the Digital and Information Systems Department

Human Support, Transformation and Innovation Department

"The Digital and Information Systems Department is part of the DGA Human Support, Transformation and Innovation Department. It has a large number of applications that need to be equipped".

How is DSNI organized?

The Digital Division comprises four main departments

  1. An operational department to handle all the acquisition and expression of business needs. It will transform these needs into projects and information systems.
  2. Next, an infrastructure department. This will make the system operational in real time. In other words, it's in charge of all the city's infrastructures.
  3. A third department is called the User Department. This is the department that deals with users' day-to-day needs, including the helpdesk, technical support, and all hardware deployment operations.
  4. Finally, there's the steering and coordination department, which brings together all the business functions. This is the support that enables these three operational departments to function. It includes all project governance management, as well as urbanization, information systems security, GPD, asset management and fleet management. And what we call change management, to manage the traceability of our operations.

The key account manager of the Digital and Information Systems Department 

The organization of the Digital Department is based on the function of IT Project Manager. The IT Project Manager's job is central to the governance process, as he is in regular contact with all business contacts.

It enables project applications to be submitted and examined. These requests are then passed on to project arbitration. This arbitration is based on Project Monitor and is done according to 3 dimensions:

"We set up the MAREVA method in Project Monitor to provide this notion of arbitration. We use the bubble graphs that can be generated at Project Monitor in terms of reports, which give visibility and a vision of the value of projects in relation to their cost and potential load."

They also have a Project Office which organizes the comitology of arbitration bodies throughout the year. It is also responsible for managing ongoing projects.

"On a quarterly basis, project reviews are managed with Project Monitor, in particular with the project review slideshow feature. project review slideshow. It gives access to various monitoring indicators such as budget, resources and project progress, and can be exported in PPT format. "

Governance tools: positioning Project Monitor and Solu-QIQ within the IS Urbanization

Strasbourg metropolis uses 2 tools for its digital governance:

👉 Project Monitor : Project portfolio management software

👉 Solu-QIQ: IS mapping software

Simple project portfolio management with PPM software Project Monitor

The Metropole de Strasbourg has been using Project Monitor, Virage Group software, for more than ten years. Virage Group is the publisher of Project Monitor software and has more than 250 private and public sector customers, with over 20 years' experience in the field.

Project Monitor is a project portfolio management tool. This PPM tool was their first pillar of IT governance, through the governance process, the information system, project portfolios and arbitration processes.

This PPM software gives you a complete overview of what's going on in your projects: schedule budget, resources. This enables you to make informed decisions and trade-offs throughout the project life-cycle:

Find out more about Project Monitor

Using an IS mapping tool with Solu-QIQ

Solu-Qiqis an IS mapping software used by the Strasbourg metropolitan authority: "Solu-QIQ is used above all to model our IS, and as a repository for this modeling. Before, we were using different tools for projects and technical infrastructures, but we didn't have a consolidated view. Solu-qiq enables us to centralize this information. The tool also serves as an aid to decision-making, and to transparency with the business lines, as it enables us to share information".

AB+ SOFTWARE is the publisher of the Solu-QIQ IS mapping solution. AB+ SOFTWARE has nearly 200 active customers, including major accounts, ESNs, metropolises, ministries and local authorities. Organic growth has been in double figures for the past 7 years. SOLU-QIQ is a collaborative IS mapping software that helps companies manage their IS development, optimization and rationalization projects. The tool relies on graph automation and data import, for record implementation times and optimization of the resources needed to maintain the repository.

The interface between Project Monitor and Solu-QIQ to manage IS architecture

"Using both tools gives us a complete view of our IS and a proactive dialogue with our business teams".

Initial findings and concepts prior to the interface

"We've already been partnering with Virage for over ten years now. This PPM tool was our first pillar of IT governance. In particular, through our entire governance process, information systems, project portfolios and our arbitration processes. And, much more recently, we implemented the Solu-QIQ IS mapping tool. This has enabled us to give visibility to our information system.

We came up with the idea of bringing these two tools together to provide complete visibility. This enables us to engage in a truly dynamic and proactive dialogue with our business departments on our entire information system. And above all, it gives us a clear idea of how the IS will evolve over time.

Les challenges de la gouvernance des systèmes d'information : The meeting point between Project Monitor and Solu-QIQ

Where do Project Monitor and Solu-QIQ meet? Cartography and projects! Solu-qiq addresses the different layers of the information system:

Information and indicators from Project Monitor are interfaced within Solu-QIQ. These include new projects created (updated in real time), project status and health, and arbitration scoring.

 "You have to have strategic objectives that emanate from the business. The vector for transformation is going to be the project to manage things coherently. You have to work in project mode, and that's what we've been doing for a very long time."

IS mapping: Example of the HRIS urbanization process

"We used Solu-QIQ to support an urbanization study. We said to ourselves that we'd use this mapping tool not only to find out what already existed, but also to carry out this type of urbanization process. So we chose the ORESYS consulting firm to help us finalize the Solu-QIQ parameterization and carry out this process.

Solu-qiq was used to support the urbanization study carried out in 2020 with the ORESYS consulting firm:

"We've taken stock of the HR field, and we're going to talk about the POS land use plan, the land use plan. In the land use plan, we'll have the different functional areas and areas of competence of the Eurometropole. For example, we'll have media libraries, police, roads, waste management, the environment, etc. And the HR section is located in the resource zone.

Further information

Discover the Project Portfolio Management solution - Project Monitor

Discover the IS mapping solution - Solu-qiq

Discover theStrasbourg Eurometropolis