EBIN students on IBM:
“I think the IBM workshop has been one of the best learning experience I have ever have.”
“It was really special to interact and work with the people who are working for a company like IBM.”
“I found the IT Architecture lectures and IBM workshops very beneficial as they went beyond theory, giving me an insight into real-world practices and pointing me in the direction of a career that would make use of both my previous and new skills.”
“This course didn’t just cover IT architecture - it reached out to personal skills, business communication and group work, and it also successfully reflected the real-world business environment.”
IBM and E-Business
Lancaster’s MSc in E-Business and Innovation has teamed up with IBM to deliver a unique module on IT Architecture - EBIN525. This module is taught by software experts from IBM who are taking time off from their regular employment to teach EBIN students the principles and methods of developing high-quality architectures for large-scale enterprise software systems.
As a unique feature, this module contains a two-day intensive workshop during which student teams engage with a real-world case study. The workshop provides you with the opportunity to test your understanding and apply the skills you have acquired during lectures.
"IBM have established a module covering IT/Architecture, developed with just a few leading British universities and are very pleased to include this in Lancaster's Masters for E-Business and Innovation.
"The Lancaster MSc is taking an innovative approach to develop and challenge students about the application of IT for business, which is absolutely consistent with IBM's vision for the skills required in a modern services-led, technology-savvy economy. IBM will provide experienced guest lectures to deliver an agenda that has been defined with Lancaster University which will bring many years of experience directly to students. We are confident that Lancaster 'EBIN' students of all backgrounds will find this a valuable part of their MSc course agenda."
Mike Broomhead, IBM UK
IBM Architecture Workshop
The IBM Architecture Workshop is a two-day event that gives you an opportunity to learn, apply and demonstrate architectural thinking in software design through a series of practical exercises and a final presentation. The workshop is part of the EBIN525 Managing IT Architecture module and is run by a team of experienced IBM IT Architects from IBM’s Global Services division.
Objective
IT Architecture – the abstract organisation of enterprise software systems – is one of the most critical areas of applied computing in business today. This workshop is designed to create an understanding of the need for IT architecture and the role of the IT architect. This includes an appreciation of the need for the IT architect to balance conflicting tensions between the different aspects of technical design, drawing on business, technical, project management and inter-personal concepts and skills. Furthermore the workshop practices practical skills related to the design and analysis of IT architectures for complex real-world systems and business environments. This includes skills in applying standard design methods and using concrete design tools.
Organisation
The workshop is build around an e-commerce case study that comes straight out of IBM’s business practice. Your task during the workshop is to play the role of IBM Architects who work as consultants to design an IT solution for a major international client.
You use IBM's Global Services (GS) Method to practice requirements gathering, scoping, and functional and operational modelling. GS is IBM’s de-facto standard process framework to guide software design from marketing, to proposals, to delivery, to ongoing operations.
During the workshop the you produce work products including:
• Industry Environment Analysis
• System Context Diagram
• Architecture Overview Diagram
• Use Cases
• Component Model
• Operational Model
At the end of the workshop, you deliver a presentation of your solution to the IBM Architects who take on the role of key decision makers in the client organisation. During the presentation, you are expected to propose an architectural solution that meets the discovered business and technical requirements.
