Thursday 19 February 2015

According to the Wikipedia - “A blueprint is a reproduction of a technical drawing, documenting architecture or an engineering design”.

Introduced in the 19th century, the process allowed rapid and accurate reproduction of documents used in construction and industry. It is typically and very often used in large scale complex programme management environment. The blueprint is a model of the future organization, its working practices and processes, the information it requires and the technology that supports its operations. The future organization is designed to deliver the outcomes and benefits described in the vision statement. When delivered, the future organization has to be capable of achieving the desired outcomes and realizing the expected benefits. The blueprint is used throughout the programme to maintain the focus on delivery of the new capability. Blueprints have their origins in other management disciplines such as business architecture planning and enterprise architecture planning. Some organizations have an overall blueprint for the entire business. In these contexts, each programme (or standalone project) is briefed to deliver a discrete part of that corporate blueprint. ‘Target operating model’ is a term often used to describe the organization’s future state; this term can be used as an alternative to blueprint if appropriate.

The capability that the programme will deliver is defined in the blueprint. The programme will deliver a coherent organizational capability that is released into operational use according to a schedule that delivers maximum incremental improvements with minimal adverse operational impact. Project scope and outputs need careful delineation; there should be rigorous identification and management of inter-project dependencies, and a clear understanding of programme versus project responsibilities. Drifting of scope and quality across a number of projects can aggregate into a major loss of coherence at the programme level. The programme needs to focus on the bigger picture and should not take over the responsibilities of project management. However, clear direction should be given to the projects and regular reviews held to verify continual alignment to the programme blueprint and plans. This ensures that everything that can be done is done to facilitate a smooth transition of the project outputs into the operational part of the business. The programme is focused on delivering a blueprint that meets the needs of the organization.

During the programme these needs will probably change, and the programme’s blueprint and resulting capabilities should evolve accordingly. If the strategy of the business changes to the extent that the capability being delivered is no longer coherent or relevant, the programme’s viability should be challenged and it may need to be stopped.
Typical content and format of a Blueprint (using the P.O.T.I model / technique)

The POTI model sets a high-level scope of what must be included and integrated in an effective blueprint:
  • P Processes, business models of operations and functions including operational costs and performance levels
  • O Organizational structure, staffing levels, roles, skills requirements, organizational culture, supply chain and style
  • T Technology, buildings, IT systems and tools, equipment, machinery and accommodation
  • I Information and data required for the future business operations and performance measurement
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Purpose
Used to maintain focus on delivering the required transformation and business change.

Processes
(Processes and business models of functions, including operational costs and performance levels, of the required vision of the future state; may be expressed in a number of ways, including flow and process graphics).

Organization Structure
(Organization structure, staffing levels, roles and skill requirements necessary to support the future business operations; any necessary changes to organizational culture or style may also be included)

Technology
(Technology, IT systems, tools, equipment, buildings and accommodation required for the future business operations together with details of re-use of existing infrastructure or implementation of new infrastructure to support the vision of the future state)

Information
(Information and data required to effectively manage the future business operations)

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The above POTI model details for the Blueprint may be split into sections as below (often when the transformation is large and complex to achieve and/or design)
  • Current as-is State - Current POTI details
  • Intermediate Future State (optional) - Intermediate POTI details (ex – end-of-tranche)
  • Final Future State - Final future POTI details


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Author - Vijayakumar Reddy, CTO & Lead Trainer, A2A IMTCS Pvt. LTD.

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