Applying Software Engineering Design Principles to Agile Architecture

Most enterprise IT systems are very complex with a combination of COBOL and Java programs running on multiple platforms. What is needed is a solid IT architecture that supports the operation and growth of a cross-platform IT system. It must enable the iterative and incremental development of applications that are foreseen in an agile development process. The design concept of such an architecture with its infrastructure and development tool is presented in this chapter. This design concept is based on the design principles and architectural patterns of software engineering. The architecture is a combination of layered, component-based, and service-oriented architectural patterns. The agile development process is based on a model-driven approach. The architecture and development approaches were first introduced in 2004. Since then, many applications have been developed on time and within budget.

Using augmented reality devices for remote support in manufacturing: A case study and analysis

Industry 4.0 forces increased digitization, production flexibility, improvement of employee competences and integration of employees and IT systems within an enterprise. To this end, state-of-the-art systems and IT solutions, such as the Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR), are implemented. New systems must be integrated with the existing IT architecture, and their implementation forces the enterprise to provide network access with sufficient bandwidth to fully benefit from the capabilities of new technologies. The paper discusses the practical application of modern AR solutions in the industry, with a special focus on remote support for maintenance operations and training of production employees. Two experiments aimed determining the impact of various environmental conditions on the possibility of using the AR Remote Support are described. Basing on those experiments it is possible to determine the environmental conditions required to use HoloLens 2 AR goggles in two dedicated remote support applications.

IT-Architecture Study Literature Research Collaboration: Malay Architecture Context

Talking about architecture culture means talking about buildings and architecture. Architecture is a field of research that is always related to space and form. One of the exciting research topics on architecture is research on Malay architecture. Preserving Malay architecture is an important thing that must be done physically and meaningfully, positively impacting the community's development. The rapid development of information technology (IT) should be part of conservation efforts. IT supports various activities that significantly help conservation efforts. The role of IT in architecture is a significant research opportunity because of still little research on this topic. Thus, we conduct a study and analysis using a systematic literature review methodology to review IT-Architecture research, especially Malay architecture. The systematic literature review methodology consists of six stages, namely: (1) research question definition; (2) literature searching by keywords on literature sources; (3) literature assessment; (4) literature quality measurement; (5) data extraction and synthesis; and (6) research recommendation and suggestion. After going through the quality assessment process, only 37 papers were obtained that were relevant to the topic of IT-Architecture. The most discussed research themes in this literature review search were: (1) building information modeling (BIM) and augmented reality (AR) / virtual reality (VR); (2) BIM and geographic information system (GIS); and (3) BIM application and technology. However, based on literature searches, IT, and Malay architecture are still insufficient. Therefore, the topic of IT and Malay architecture still needs to be studied further in the future.

Local energy markets - an IT-architecture design

In recent years, local energy markets have become an important concept in more decentralized energy systems. Implementations in pilot projects provide first insights into different hypotheses and approaches. From a technical perspective, the requirements for the IT infrastructure of a local energy market are diverse, and a holistic view of its architecture is therefore necessary. This article presents an IT-architecture, which enables all basic local energy market functionalities, processes and modules based on the available literature. The proposed IT-architecture can serve as a blueprint for future local market projects as it covers the basic processes and is at the same time extendable. Furthermore, we give a detailed description of a real-world implementation of a local energy market using the described IT-architecture and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the utilized technologies along with this case study.

DETERMINATION OF ENGINEERING DIGITALIZATION MATURITY

Engineering Digitalization enables development of new high intelligent products containing mechanical, electrical, software and communication components. As these complex products are result of multidisciplinary engineering processes, digitalization also enforces companies to raise, adapt and revise their engineering competencies and process capabilities to increase agility and maintain competitiveness. Also, the growing amount of data related to product and processes requires a well-structured management concept. In order to encounter all these changes and new requirements companies should identify their specific strengths and weaknesses and derive needs for action. This paper presents a novel maturity model for evaluation of capabilities of Engineering Digitalization in areas of processes, products, services, data, human and organization. The maturity model enables the detection of enhancement potentials and conception of individual digitalization plans for production companies. It has been composed based on a proven multidisciplinary engineering methodology along the product lifecycle process, which includes Model Based Systems Engineering Methods, and a multilevel IT architecture integration concept.

Transformation of digitalization system of business processes at VTB Bank, PJSC

The article is focused on the increasing role of modern information technologies in banking sector. Today, the informatization process includes not only developing a safe and modern infrastructure, networks, data processing centers, but also creating the so-called digital economy on the basis of this infrastructure, which will bring new sources of income to the state and the people. The banking sector of the Russian Federation is most actively involved in the process of solving this problem. The development of automated business processes in VTB Bank (PJSC) is considered in detail. There is presented an overview of the bank's information technologies in such key areas as artificial intelligence, big data analysis, machine learning, virtual and augmented reality, optical recognition, robotics, robotization of process, blockchain, and chat bots. The dynamics of the main indicators of a financial institution activity is analyzed, an assessment of indicators characterizing the dynamics of changes in capital, net profit and profitability of the bank is presented. It has been stated that the strategic directions for the development of business processes in VTB Bank (PJSC) are constructing an advanced operational and technological platform, increasing the level of digitalization of the banking business, leadership in the financial services market in a number of ecosystems, developing a highly productive organization and culture, as well as growing the customer-centricity of business models. The block diagram of the VTB Bank transformation for 2020–2022 and the target version of the IT architecture of the bank have been illustrated. Changes in the IT architecture are one of the stages of the bank's digital transformation strategy. According to the objectives of the strategy of VTB Bank (PJSC), 100% of financial services should become available to customers online.

Design and Optimization of a Curved-Crease-Folding Process Applied to a Light Metallic Structure

Presently, the realization of complex, unconventional designs using efficient modalities is possible due to an increasing interest in interdisciplinary approaches: materials science, mathematics, IT, architecture, etc. Computerized techniques, among which the algorithmic/generative design is the most advanced one, that are associated with the individualized production methods are used for finding solutions for modern spatial forms with an unconventional spatial geometric shape, which are generically called “free-forms”. This work presents the design, realization and testing of a thin-walled metallic structure proposed as a light structural unit. An integrated research approach was proposed that utilized an algorithmic/digital design applied to the curved-crease-folding method with the study (at different length scales) of the metallic material behaviour after folding. An original method was proposed for the digital design and simulations. The specific mechanical behaviour of the metallic material in the elastic–plastic regime was used in this case to improve the structural performances; mechanical and structural tests were realized to analyse the behaviour of the entire structure. The results are useful for enhancing the accuracy of the digital design, the structural simulation programs and the fabrication methods.

Problems and Challenges Related to Advanced Data Analysis in Multi-Site Enterprises

The new generation of industry, i.e. Industry 4.0, pertains to the processing of immense amounts of data, resulting, among other things, from the large-scale use of microcontrollers to control machines, an increase in the scale of automation, the use of the Internet of Things technology — e.g. in sensors installed at different stages of the production process, the implementation of the digital twin concept, and many other technologies designed to collect data (e.g. GPS or RFID). These data are collected in the enterprise’s variety of resources and databases. These data can be a valuable source of information and knowledge if the right approach to advanced data analysis is adopted, which depends, among other things, on the enterprise’s existing IT infrastructure. This paper sets out to present conclusions formulated on the basis of research consisting in the analysis of multinational manufacturing companies’ existing IT infrastructures. Three basic model solutions of IT architecture occurring in multi-site enterprises were identified, which made it possible to identify the main problems stemming from the IT architecture in place and concerning the analysis of data for the needs of company management. Additionally, this paper discusses the challenges faced by multi-site manufacturing companies. One such activity is the modification and expansion of the company’s IT infrastructure, including the implementation of Big Data and Master Data Management (MDM) solutions. The contribution provided by this paper consists in the analysis of the IT infrastructure in large, multi-site enterprises, which enabled the identification of problems and challenges related to advanced data analysis in this type of companies.