VPEC-T

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The creators of VPEC-T say it's a "thinking framework" for expressing ideas and to aid communication between stakeholder groups with differing contexts. VPEC-T is designed to aid the VPEC-T practitioner to find consensus between parties, groups or individuals, with potentially conflicting viewpoints on a common topic.

Originally, designed to help bridge the "Business/IT Divide". The primary aims of this technique were very simple:

  • for the business to be able to express its desired business outcomes in an IT meaningful way
  • for IT to be able to express solutions in a business meaningful way.

VPEC-T ("vee-pec-tee"), is named after its five common principles: value, policies, events, content and trust. Originally, VPEC-T focused on the analysis of people and events by identifying the behaviour and interaction with IT systems around the five core concepts:

1. Values

2. Policies

3. Events

4. Content

5. and Trust.

Through examination of the affects of the desired business outcomes and presentation in business-friendly language. VPEC-T analysis was designed to foster the broadest possible communication. It is specifically focused on board-level communication to enable early stage decision making before significant IT investments are made.

In the initial formulation of the framework, information systems and Information Technology were the focus. Information systems were historically the domain which influenced the frameworks development and for which the framework was first developed to aid communication about. However, as a broader communication framework, VPEC-T has wider applicability, outside of the information systems and business domain for which it was first devised. It is applicable to any domain where communication is a requirement of or pre requisite to interaction. Particularly where that interaction may be ambiguous and/or complex, therefore with the potential to surface conflict between the parties involved.

Communication between parties on a topic, a thing, will be perceived from differing viewpoints. The parties involve will often frame their view of the thing through particular conceptual and contextual frameworks with which they are familiar. The viewpoints will provide differing views of the thing, where the views diverge in direct relation to the degree of divergence of the conceptual and contextual frameworks of the parties involved.

For example where the topic in question is an information system (or a part thereof) the stakeholder parties involved will, more than likely, include the business and the IT functions of an organization. The respective conceptual frameworks, and the associated language ( see memes and shibboleths), of these two groups may well cause difficulties in unambiguous communication which will likely surface as conflict at some time during an information systems life cycle.

The VPEC-T framework is designed to surface conflict, dampening misunderstanding and miscommunication, early, through unambiguous communication concerning a topic, and forestall expensive intervention late in an interaction cycle.

Contents

[edit] History

VPEC-T was created by Nigel Green and Carl Bate which they developed while working at Capgemini. Originally developed for use in enterprise and solution architecture engagements concerning information systems VPEC-T has been increasingly used in other domains and contexts not associated with computing.

[edit] VPEC-T framework concepts

The VPEC-T acronym represents the terms values, policy, events, content and trust. These terms constitute the five core dimensions of the framework.[1]

[edit] Dimensions

The VPEC-T dimensions are the principle means through which communication concerning a topic is channelled. Focussing on the dimensions helps to create an aligned view of the thing, for the parties concerned, from a common viewpoint.[1]

[edit] Values

Original definition from 'Lost In Translation' [1]:

"Understanding the values and desired outcomes of both the individual and the business as well as the values of the individuals and businesses you interact with. Values can be thought of as constraining beliefs, i.e. Ethics, as well as identifying outcomes, i.e. Goal".

Values are constraints within which an interaction surrounding a topic are bounded[1]. They constitute the beliefs (memes), concerns and objectives of participating stakeholders. The stakeholder values are the primary source for elicitation of the concerns that are relevant to a specific topic, and in the case of information systems an architectural, viewpoint[2].

[edit] Policies

Original definition from 'Lost In Translation' [1]:

"The broad range of mandates and agreements including internal policies, legal requirements, commercial contracts and other issues that will govern and constrain what and how things are achieved'"'.

[edit] Events

Original definition from 'Lost In Translation' [1]:

"Real-world proceedings that stimulate business activity sometimes in a predefined sequence and sometimes not-that act as the trigger for actions". In the context of information systems events would be business relevant occurrences.

[edit] Content

Original definition from 'Lost In Translation' [1]:

"The documents, conversations, messages, etc. that are produced and used by all aspects of business activity, and construct the dialogs by which plans, actions, previous references, etc. are used to determine decisions". Content can be described as

1. The stuff that is a pre requisite for the occurrence of an event.

2. The stuff that is required, processed and acted on by actions resulting from an event.

3. The stuff that is spawned from an event.

[edit] Trust

Original definition from 'Lost In Translation' [1]:

"Fostering a trusted relationship between all parties engaged in a value system based on Trust = Intimacy + Credibility / Risk. Trust values change with time and circumstances, and are determined by the authenticity developed by the value of disclosures".

[edit] Threads & Beads

The 'Threads and Beads' modeling technique is an informal methodology for applying the VPEC-T framework to organizational themes, processes, capabilities and services. This method provides a context for the application of the VPEC-T dimensions to threads of interaction across organizational systems and other value networks (e.g. Networks of Supply, Demand, Distribution, Collaboration and Information Sharing). It embraces concepts similar to those of object orientation around, loose coupling, high cohesion and reusability of business and/or technology capability.

The Threads and Beads view of a business process is informed by the concept of multiple crossing threads on which hang beaded events. The events represent the start, execution run, or end of a business activity occurrence. Where the activity is the execution of a business capability or service. It is important to note here that the business function, capability or service, can be fulfilled by either a, person, group (organization or organizational unit), or system (or some combination thereof).

"Threads can cross paths and share or otherwise interact with Beads.. So a single Bead may need to function within the context of multiple, and some time conflicting, overall Thread values. Many business are focused on removing duplication and improving agility which is leading them to initiate efforts to discover candidates for, and embark on the design/implementation of, shared-services (both human-based and/or technology-based). Understanding the nature of these joins and unions is at the heart of this work."[3]

[edit] Uses

VPEC-T has a use in any context where interaction between agents and communication between parties may warrant disambiguation. VPEC-T is applicable to ordered, simple and complicated, unambiguous interaction and communication contexts, however its power is particularly applicable where it is likely that the interaction and communication context is unordered, complex or chaotic, and ambiguous.

"In the business world, many easy-to-use analysis techniques exist that are accessible to all and are in common usage. For example, SWOT Analysis - a technique that examines the four dimensions of Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats applied to a current business objective. The technique is credited to Albert Humphrey, who led a research project at Stanford University in the 1960s and 1970s using data from Fortune 500 companies. (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SWOT_analysis for a full description). SWOT Analysis is extremely simple and yet powerful for achieving consensus on the shape of a business initiative.

Something analogous to SWOT is required to help us with business/IT collaboration. The primary aims of such a technique would be very simple:

for the business: to be able to express its desired business outcomes in an IT meaningful way

for IT: to be able to express solutions in a business meaningful way".[4]

[edit] Information Systems

[edit] Mediation

[edit] Users

"By building a common language and a shared understanding of the information system between the different stakeholders, the authors argue that many of the frustrations felt around IT can be overcome, to the benefit of the economy and the wider society" - Dr. Chris Yapp

"Every major discussion, from business requirements to technical design needs to include VPEC-T dialogue. The issues that are least comfortable to discuss may be the most important to understand"- Roger Sessions

[edit] See also

[edit] Related Topics

[edit] Related Works

[edit] Footnotes

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Nigel Green, Carl Bate. Lost in Translation: A handbook for information systems in the 21st century (2007).
  2. ^ IEEE. IEEE 1471-2000 standard for Recommended Practice for Architectural Description of Software-Intensive Systems (2000).
  3. ^ Nigel Green. The Problem with Processes (2006).
  4. ^ Nigel Green, Carl Bate. Keep it Clear, Keep it Simple! (2008).

[edit] References

[edit] Further reading

[edit] External links