Target State Architecture Report: Bridging the Gap Between Current and Future State Infrastructure and Capabilities

The Target State Architecture Report is a critical document that outlines the technical components and capabilities required to achieve an organization’s strategic goals. It serves as a roadmap for the future state of an organization’s technology infrastructure and provides a clear understanding of the architecture that will support the company’s business objectives.

Summarize the Current and Target State Architecture

A current and target state comparison table is a summary of the technical components and capabilities of an organization’s current state (i.e., how things are currently set up) versus their target state (i.e., where they want to be in the future). This table provides an easy-to-read overview of the key differences between the two states and helps to identify areas that need improvement. The table typically includes a list of technical components or capabilities, such as infrastructure, application stack, data analytics, security, and so on, and provides a brief description of the current state and the target state for each component or capability. By comparing the current and target state, organizations can identify the gaps that need to be addressed and develop a roadmap for achieving their desired future state.

Here’s a table summarizing the current state and target state for ABC Retail:

Technical Component	Current State	Target State	Gap
Cloud Infrastructure	On-premise data center	Cloud-based infrastructure (e.g. AWS, Azure)	Need to migrate on-premise data center to cloud infrastructure
Application Stack	Monolithic architecture	Microservices architecture, containerization	Need to decompose monolithic architecture into microservices and containerize applications
Data Analytics	Limited analytics capabilities	Advanced data analytics and business intelligence tools (e.g. Tableau, Snowflake, AWS Redshift)	Need to implement advanced data analytics and business intelligence tools
Security	Basic security features	Advanced security features (e.g. identity and access management, data encryption, continuous monitoring)	Need to implement advanced security features such as identity and access management, data encryption, and continuous monitoring
Application Architecture	Web application layer (e.g. PHP)	Web application layer (e.g. React.js, Angular, Vue.js), API layer (e.g. RESTful APIs, GraphQL), Backend services layer (e.g. Node.js, Java, Python), Database layer (e.g. PostgreSQL, MongoDB)	Need to update the application architecture to include modern web application frameworks, API layer, backend services layer, and database layer
Data Architecture	Relational databases	Data lake (e.g. AWS S3), Data warehouse (e.g. Snowflake, AWS Redshift), Data pipelines and ETL tools (e.g. Apache Airflow, AWS Glue), Data governance and security features	Need to move from relational databases to a data lake and data warehouse architecture, implement data pipelines and ETL tools, and add data governance and security features

The Gap column provides a clear understanding of the differences between the current state and the target state, highlighting the specific areas where improvements or changes are needed. By identifying and addressing these gaps, organizations can make strategic improvements to their technical infrastructure and capabilities, ultimately achieving their desired future state.

Target State Architecture Report Template

Here’s an example template for the Target State Architecture Report deliverable in Phase 2 of the EA implementation project:

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Title: Target State Architecture Report

Purpose: To document the target state architecture for ABC Retail and outline the technical components and capabilities required to achieve the company’s strategic goals.

Executive Summary: Provide a high-level overview of the target state architecture and its alignment with the company’s strategic objectives.

Introduction: Provide context for the target state architecture and explain how it will enable ABC Retail to achieve its strategic goals.

Business Capabilities: Outline the key business capabilities required to achieve the company’s strategic objectives and explain how they will be supported by the target state architecture.

Technical Components: Describe the technical components required to support the target state architecture, including hardware, software, and network infrastructure. Explain how these components will be integrated and managed to support the target state architecture.

Application Architecture: Provide an overview of the application architecture required to support the target state architecture, including the types of applications that will be used and how they will be integrated.

Data Architecture: Outline the data architecture required to support the target state architecture, including the types of data that will be used and how they will be stored, managed, and secured.

Security Architecture: Describe the security architecture required to protect ABC Retail’s systems, data, and operations. Explain how security risks will be assessed and mitigated.

Implementation Roadmap: Provide a roadmap for implementing the target state architecture, including key milestones, dependencies, and resource requirements.

Conclusion: Summarize the key points of the target state architecture report and reiterate how it aligns with ABC Retail’s strategic objectives.

Appendix: Include any additional technical or operational details that support the target state architecture report, such as diagrams, data models, or risk assessments.

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By using this template, you can ensure that the Target State Architecture Report is comprehensive, well-organized, and aligns with the company’s strategic goals.

Example: Target State Architecture Report

Here’s an example Target State Architecture Report based on the template provided:

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Title: Target State Architecture Report for ABC Retail

Purpose: To document the target state architecture for ABC Retail and outline the technical components and capabilities required to achieve the company’s strategic goals.

Executive Summary: The target state architecture for ABC Retail is designed to support the company’s strategic goals by enabling greater agility, efficiency, and innovation. The architecture is based on a modern, cloud-based infrastructure that supports flexible, scalable, and secure operations. Key components of the architecture include a modern application stack, data analytics capabilities, and advanced security features.

Introduction: ABC Retail is a leading retail company with a focus on delivering high-quality products and services to customers. In order to maintain its competitive edge and position itself for long-term success, ABC Retail requires a modern, flexible, and scalable technology infrastructure that aligns with its business goals and enables innovation and growth.

Business Capabilities: The target state architecture is designed to support key business capabilities that are critical to achieving ABC Retail’s strategic objectives. These capabilities include:

• Seamless omni-channel customer experiences
• Agile supply chain management and inventory optimization
• Advanced data analytics and business intelligence capabilities
• Secure and compliant operations

Technical Components: The target state architecture is based on a modern, cloud-based infrastructure that includes the following technical components:

• Cloud infrastructure (e.g. Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure)
• Modern application stack (e.g. microservices architecture, containerization, DevOps practices)
• Data analytics and business intelligence tools (e.g. Tableau, Snowflake, AWS Redshift)
• Advanced security features (e.g. identity and access management, data encryption, continuous monitoring)

Application Architecture: The application architecture for the target state includes a modern, microservices-based stack that supports agile development and deployment practices. The architecture includes the following components:

• Web application layer (e.g. React.js, Angular, Vue.js)
• API layer (e.g. RESTful APIs, GraphQL)
• Backend services layer (e.g. Node.js, Java, Python)
• Database layer (e.g. PostgreSQL, MongoDB)

Data Architecture: The data architecture for the target state is designed to support advanced data analytics and business intelligence capabilities. The architecture includes the following components:

• Data lake (e.g. AWS S3)
• Data warehouse (e.g. Snowflake, AWS Redshift)
• Data pipelines and ETL tools (e.g. Apache Airflow, AWS Glue)
• Data governance and security features (e.g. access controls, encryption)

Security Architecture: The security architecture for the target state is designed to protect ABC Retail’s systems, data, and operations from cyber threats and other security risks. Key components of the security architecture include:

• Identity and access management (e.g. AWS IAM)
• Network security (e.g. firewalls, VPNs)
• Data encryption and tokenization
• Continuous monitoring and threat detection (e.g. AWS GuardDuty)

Implementation Roadmap: The implementation roadmap for the target state architecture includes the following key milestones:

• Conduct a proof of concept to validate the architecture and identify any technical or operational issues
• Develop a detailed implementation plan that outlines the steps required to transition from the current state to the target state architecture
• Implement the target state architecture in a phased approach, starting with the most critical business capabilities and gradually expanding to cover all aspects of the company’s operations
• Monitor and evaluate the performance of the target state architecture, making adjustments as needed to ensure that it remains aligned with ABC Retail’s strategic objectives and evolving business needs

Conclusion: The target state architecture for ABC Retail is designed to support the company’s strategic goals by enabling greater agility, efficiency, and innovation. The architecture is based on a modern, cloud-based infrastructure

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Summary

The Target State Architecture Report provides a comprehensive overview of the technical components and capabilities required to achieve an organization’s strategic goals. It outlines the key business capabilities that the architecture will support, the technical components required to achieve those capabilities, and the implementation roadmap for transitioning to the target state.

This report serves as a critical guide for organizations looking to align their technology infrastructure with their business objectives and drive innovation and growth.