FEi considers integration services as one of the most important aspects of enterprise architecture. Thoughtful integration allows seamless information flow throughout the organization and helps an organization take advantage of existing systems, available components, and infrastructure in a cost-effective manner. In many scenarios, it may also be necessary to use a combination of approaches depending on the integration requirements, complexity of systems interfaces, or components of those systems.

FEi has extensive experience with the planning, design and implementation of system architecture services in several healthcare projects.

We support a wide range of functions including critical business processes requiring an established but flexible IT architecture approach, such as a Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) that is also business-centric.  Critical success factors in integration services and, specifically implementing a SOA, include:

• Apply an incremental and structured implementation approach
• Identify and quantify business and IT benefits
• Identify and execute appropriate pilot project
• Establish realistic expectations
• Address both agency user and IT strategy
• Allow strong governance and stakeholder involvement

FEi also understands the Federal Enterprise Architecture (FEA) consists of three architecture areas including business architecture, information architecture, and technology architecture. Although integration architecture is part of information architecture, the integration services often significantly impacts business architecture due to integration of business workflow. It also impacts technology architecture since it may involve research and evaluation of existing open source or third-party components or services that can be integrated into the system for cost-effective solutions.

Our approach leverages our CMMI Level 3 processes for systems architecture and integration engagement that we can tailor for each agency’s development methodology. The effort typically requires collaboration with a variety of stakeholders, other contractors, and a variety of other coordination points such as system administrators, data centers, and others.