Configuring User profiles in Alfabet
A user profile specifies the Alfabet functionalities available to a user, the method for navigating to the various functionalities, and the visibility and editability of the object classes and their properties.
| Issue 1, 2018 |  Download PDF |
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Introduction
A user profile specifies the Alfabet functionalities available to a user, the method for navigating to the various functionalities, and the visibility and editability of the object classes and their properties. User profiles determine which data is entered and analyzed and a user’s participation in a planning and portfolio management process as well as access to configured reports. They are the basis of user administration in Alfabet and serve as the entry point when accessing the product. New users are automatically assigned a profile with specified basic rights.
Afterwards, user profiles can be assigned by a user administrator or a user can auto-assign a profile that has been designated for self-service. Users may possess multiple user profiles in accordance with their responsibilities in the Alfabet user community and in the enterprise as a whole.
Creating profiles for stakeholder roles
As an example of how access to specific functionality is available for a profile, a data entry user profile might provide access to such functionalities as Capture Applications, Capture Peripherals, Capture Components, etc., and a strategic planning user profile might provide access to such functionalities as View As-Is Architecture, Plan Target Architecture, Manage Master Plans, etc.
Here you see a list of typical stakeholders involved in IT planning and portfolio management activities:
| Stakeholders | Possible other titles & reports |
|---|---|
| Business Manager | Business Line Manager, Head of Department, Line Manager |
| Business Analyst | Process Owner, Business Demand Manager, Business Architect |
| CIO | Director of IT, IT Manager |
| Chief Architect | Enterprise Architect, Domain Architect, Domain Manager |
| Head of IT Strategy & Planning | IT Strategist, IT Planner |
| Manager of Applications | Application Owner, Application Architect, Solution Architect |
| Head of PMO | Program Manager, Project Manager |
| IT Finance Manager | IT Controller |
| Chief Information Security Officer | IT Risk Manager, IT Compliance Manager |
| Head of Infrastructure | Technical Domain Architect, Technology Owner, Platform Architect, Technology Architect, Operations Manager |
| Chief Risk Officer | Chief Risk Management Officer, Data Protection Officer |
| Chief Digital Officer | Chief Digital Information Officer |
Fig. 1: User profiles are configured to fit the needs of the typical planning and portfolio management stakeholders.
Each of these roles typically has a specific user profile reflecting the job description of that role. User profiles can also be defined for involvement in particular corporate initiatives, for example, an application consolidation initiative or due diligence for an M&A. An organization is free to configure the user profiles it needs.
Creating viewing and navigation schemes for user profiles
When defining a user profile, the solution designer enters name, editing permissions (i.e., read/write), view scheme (preconfigured), guide page (preconfigured), workflow template (that is triggered when the user requests assignment of a profile), device type (browser or mobile app), GUI scheme, description and user for anonymous users.
View schemes define what information and functionality are presented to the user. A configured view scheme captures the information visible to the user and its presentation through object views and object cockpits (see previous article on configuring information displays), the means to capture and find data (i.e., configured editors, wizards, selectors) as well as the availability of functionality (e.g., Create, Copy, Edit, Navigate, Export) that is available via toolbar buttons and context menus.
A view scheme groups together class settings that describe the visibility of objects in the associated object classes. A class setting is a specification about an object class. A class setting is associated with a view scheme which is assigned to a user profile. The class setting, therefore, specifies what the user can see and do with an object class in the context of the user profile that he/she uses to access Alfabet. The class setting includes such information as which object view is displayed, whether users enter data in an editor vs. a wizard, whether a standard or custom selector will be used to find objects in the object class, and which object class properties will be hidden from view.
Fig. 2: Several configuration steps are used to configure a user profile for precisely what the user's viewing, navigation and functional needs are.
The view scheme also contains the definition about the functionalities available in the object views accessible via the view scheme. For each object view available to the view scheme, workspaces, page views and toolbar buttons that allow object data to be created, edited and deleted, for example, can be hidden.
Navigation pages and drop-down menus guide users to needed information and functionality. The way Alfabet users access functionalities once they log in with the user profile can be configured. For example, it can be via drop-down menus displayed in the toolbar or via configured navigation pages with hyperlinks. A navigation page-or guide view-is an HTML file with hyperlink shortcuts to the places in the software the user needs to be. Guide views can be designed in the corporate CD to provide users a familiar "look and feel."
Fig. 3: Here's an example of a guide view for an application owner.
Stay tuned for our next episode on configuring for data capture in Alfabet.
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