Design options are used to decide on the solution approach,to recognize opportunities which can enhance the business and create design options that achieve the desired future state.
When a solution is being designed there might be numerous design options that are identified.
Each design option represents a way of fulfilling the solution requirements.
As the solution is being developed, trade offs have to be made among the different design alternatives.
But how do you decide on the right solution alternative to choose ?
There are some elements that can be used to choose the right deign option and they are:
1. Define the solution approach: The solution approach is used to decide if the solution elements would be created, purchased or both.
The right solution approach would be chosen based on the advantages of each of these approaches.
The various solution approaches options include the following :
a. Create: solution elements can be created based on a set of requirements. The requirements and designs need to have enough detail to help the development develop the right solution.
When an existing solution is modified it is also considered as part of the create solution approach.
b. Purchase: it might also be possible to select a solution from available vendor options which would fulfill the stated requirements.
Choosing the right vendor solution is also dependent on having detailed requirements and designs to ensure that a recommendation can be made on which solution to purchase.
c. Combination of both: Some times a combination of both approaches can be used especially if the requirements cannot be fulfilled by existing vendor solutions.
2. Identify improvements opportunities: When considering design options, the right solution might provide a number of opportunities to improve the organization.
Some common examples of improvement opportunities include:
i. Increased efficiencies: there might be opportunity to automate some tasks via re-engineering or sharing processes, changing responsibilities, or outsourcing.
ii. Improve access to Information: staff who interface directly or indirectly with customers, would have access to greater information thereby freeing the specialists up for other tasks.
iii. Identify additional capabilities: capabilities that could create future value can be identified and supported by the solution.
3. Requirements allocation: Requirements allocation is the assignment of requirements to various solution elements to achieve the organizational objectives.
When allocating resources trade-offs need to be made to maximize benefits and minimize costs.
Requirements may be allocated between organizational units, job functions, solution elements, or releases of a solution.
The requirements allocation process starts when a solution approach has been determined, and continues until all valid requirements are allocated.
4. Describe design options: Design options are developed with the desired future state in mind. Solution performance measures must be defined for each design option to ensure that the design option is valid.
A design option usually consists of many design elements.
Design elements may describe:
- The organizational business policies
- The applicable business rules
- The business processes that would be used in the solution
- The people who operate and maintain the solution
- Operational business decisions to be made,
- The software applications and application components used in the solution
- The customers and suppliers.