MEETING ANNOUNCEMENT

Architecting the Future: Mastering Complexity with Design

Biomedical Research Institutions Information Technology Exchange

St Jude Children’s Research Hospital
Memphis, TN

7–9 Sep 2011

Hotel Information:

Special hotel arrangements for $106.00 per night have been made for BRIITE attendees. The hotel is:

Memphis Marriott Downtown
250 North Main Street
Memphis, TN 38103

To get the special BRIITE pricing, make your reservations here:

CLICK HERE for HOTEL RESERVATIONS

Note that the special pricing arrangements are available from 6 September through 10 September, for those who might want to come the day before or stay the day after the meetings. Therefore, the default dates on the hotel reservation page are 6-10 September. Be sure to adjust these dates to match your planned schedule.

Registration for the coming BRIITE meeting is now open. To register, visit:

REGISTER HERE

Registration includes the meeting and all meals, including a reception/dinner both Wednesday and Thursday evening.

Note that the early bird registration fee of $495 only lasts until July 1. Then the regular fee of $595 will apply.

The next BRIITE meeting will be held 7-9 Sep 2011 at St Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, TN.

Wednesday, 7 Sep, will be a travel day, with the first regular event of the meeting being a reception and dinner that evening. The last formal session of the meeting will end at 3:00 on Friday, 9 Sep 2011.

The topic of the meeting will be

Architecting the Future: Mastering Complexity with Design

For years IT in support of biomedical research has been operated in a manner very similar to research itself — lots of smart people working very hard in a dynamic (and opportunistic) effort to produce the best possible results.

For many of us, that model just doesn't work any more. Our technology is too complex, our tasks too diverse, the stakes too high, for us to succeed through best-effort, opportunistic approaches. In the long-run, getting the best deal on every server we buy doesn't save money — it just means that no two are alike and thus harder to manage.

We are discovering that doing a first-rate job of managing this year's budget and effort no longer yields lavish praise or major accolades. Doing well within the fiscal year is becoming the bare minimum. IT leaders now earn their keep and demonstrate their skills by designing and operating within rolling, multi-year plans, in which systems are designed, not just deployed.

Systems must not only be designed well individually, they must be designed to function well together and to support the overall mission of the organization.

IT costs at many organizations have been growing rapidly and are now second only to facilities costs as a percentage of capital and operating budgets. Buildings take years to design and construct, then they must be maintained and operated for decades. Facilities leaders have always had to function in a multi-year context, with much of the current budget going to support systems purchased in years past and with the majority of future activities completely dependent upon today's planning.

Good architectural design has long been the key to successful facilities operations. No facilities leader would even imagine starting to construct a new building without first engaging architects to ensure that the building was truly designed to meet the needs of its users, designed to work well with the rest of the campus, designed to ensure compliance with regulatory codes, designed to provide maximum value over its life span, designed to be manageable, and designed to withstand anticipated problems.

Similarly, good architectural design is becoming key to quality IT operations. The success of most biomedical research is now more intimately dependent on the quality of its IT infrastructure than on its physical infrastructure. The same level of professional and formal design that has always gone into physical construction must now be used in IT infrastructure.

Architectural design is complex and expensive, and cannot be done in a vacuum. The whole point of architectural design is to ensure the alignment of the designed system with the overall needs of the institution. For some institutions, embracing architectural design for IT may require major changes to the way IT is managed and budgeted and to the way it is integrated with the overall operations of the institution.

Are you ready for a truly architected future?

Although many of us now recognize the importance of architectural design, we are just starting to formalize our approach to architecting the future. In the past year, many BRIITE organizations have created new positions or even departments to be charged with architectural design. Most that have not yet done so are aware that a need for more architected solutions is looming as a major problem in the near future.

Do you have an established architectural office? Are you just getting started with a formal approach to architecture? Are you considering a significant move towards an architected approach? Come to BRIITE to discuss the issues with your peers from other biomedical research organizations. Share your thoughts, concerns, and insights with others who are facing the same situation.

Learn what your peers are doing to deal with the IT infrastructure challenges of the coming decade.

Join and participate in BRIITE to discuss the issues with your peers from other biomedical research organizations. Share your thoughts, concerns, and insights with others who are facing the same situation. Learn what your peers are doing to deal with the IT infrastructure challenges of the coming decade.

BRIITE was formed to offer IT professionals the opportunity to meet and exchange ideas, offer technical tips, explore opportunities for collaboration. In the current environment, the opportunity to interact with peers and benefit from their collective experiences is even more valuable.