The Importance of Composable Architecture for Public Service Delivery

So the question is, how can governments make policy, legislation and implementation better and faster? One possible solution is to apply a composable enterprise architecture combined with a data strategy and lifecycle approach. In this blog, we begin by explaining the concept of composable architecture and the three steps required to achieve it.

What is Composable Architecture?
In our view, composable architecture is an approach in which modern information delivery is built from adaptable functional components that fit well with the organization's business services. These components are small, well defined, and can be flexibly connected. Instead of large "monoliths" that cover all aspects of processes, you get a landscape of reusable and easily replaceable building blocks that you can assemble into a working solution. You can deploy these functional components in digital applications that support the implementation of policies, services, or work processes. The advantage is that if something changes in the implementation or service delivery, you do not need to replace entire systems, but only the components that are affected by the change. The result of this approach is a composable enterprise architecture.

So how best to apply a composable architecture to existing core systems? After all, no government organization starts with a clean slate when it comes to building a composable architecture. The challenge is often to transform an existing application landscape with the necessary legacy, monolithic, siloed databases and inaccessible regulations into a composable and connected whole.

This means designing a new, composable target architecture in which standard "value chain steps" derived from the General Administrative Law Act (AWB) can serve as guiding principles. These can then be further decomposed based on the nature of the specific regulation (permit, subsidy, levy, etc.) and the organization of the governing body, and implemented as independent, event-driven functional components that communicate via APIs. This allows you to build and connect an independent component landscape running on a composition platform. This may look like an old-fashioned SOA approach, but it is fundamentally different because it better connects to the stable business services that result from laws and regulations and the policy decisions of the governing body.

Three phases
To achieve a composable enterprise architecture, we use three phases:

• Targeting: Vision and Architecture Function.
  The first step toward a composable architecture begins with defining a clear vision for agile business operations. This includes identifying needs such as compliance with new laws and regulations, product innovation, and more. In addition, the organization must establish the architecture function to guide and adapt the transformation.

• Setting up: Target Operating Model and Target Architecture
  In the second phase, we establish the target operating models. We determine how we will achieve the desired agility, including the target architecture and application landscape. We evaluate the existing business services and supporting IV components for compatibility with the target architecture. We also evaluate data quality and accessibility. Based on this analysis, we create a transformation strategy to get from the current situation to the desired situation. This includes aligning IV and data components with business functions and users in the OR organization so that the desired business services can be realized as packaged business capability components (PBC).

• Perform: Executing the Transformation Strategy
  The third phase involves the actual execution of the transformation strategy. This strategy may include rationalizing the IV landscape, replacing and modernizing legacy systems, migrating to cloud platforms, implementing out-of-the-box functionality in the form of Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), and developing custom software. Event sourcing and Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) play a critical role in facilitating collaboration between the PBC application components implemented. This strategy also lays the foundation for operationalizing the data strategy, lifecycle approach and agile delivery process.

Composable architecture provides a structured approach to creating an agile government with agile information delivery. By following the three steps of focus, set up and perform, government organizations can quickly respond to changing needs while improving the quality and efficiency of their services. With composable AR as a guide, governments can confidently meet the challenges of the modern world.

In the next blog, we will take a closer look at the data strategy element, as data quality largely determines the effectiveness of information delivery.