Enterprise Architecture is Key to Efficiency for U.S. Maritime Administration

RAYNHAM, Mass., April 7, 2008 – MEGA International, which provides enterprise architecture (EA) and business process analysis software solutions, today announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) is using the MEGA Modeling Suite for an enterprise architecture initiative to help the agency make IT and business operations efficient, reuse assets, share vital information, and meet agency goals and constituent needs.

MARAD determined that improvements in efficiency, technology, agency processes, and information sharing could provide significant benefits to constituents.

“We concluded that the optimal way to improve our information system and better fulfill our mission was to deploy a comprehensive enterprise architecture solution,” explained Donna Seymour, CIO at MARAD. “We wanted to take advantage of the business value enterprise architecture provides, so that we would spend our money as wisely as possibly by reusing investments to the greatest extent possible while positioning ourselves to provide future vital services.”

By accurately documenting processes and assets in a way that could easily be updated or changed as the agency mission evolved, MARAD could optimize its use of IT, meet new regulatory requirements, and share vital information.

“MEGA International was selected because it comprehensively addressed MARAD’s needs and provided the best value,” noted Jason Kruse, Stanley Associates, who supported MARAD on this project.

The MEGA Modeling Suite addressed MARAD’s criteria – data repository, secure model (many users, access), modeling tools, simulation, flexibility, and multiple and flexible access to data in the repository.

The MEGA Modeling Suite helps organizations analyze and plan so they can react to changes quickly and anticipate trends. The suite of software modules provides a complete view of the processes of the organization, and the technology that supports it. It helps organizations understand the effects of change before implementation, and reduces unknowns, delays, and costs.

The agency established three strategic goals for the EA initiative with MEGA International:

• Implement a new organization in accordance with competitive sourcing requirements (OMB Circular A-76);
• comply with internal auditing regulations (OMB Circular A-123); and
• implement standard processes and procedures across all IT systems.

Seymour explained how the EA initiative helped meet their goals.

“With our use of the MEGA Modeling Suite for EA, we are making sure the investments being funded are aligned with business and provide advances over existing IT solutions. We are reusing investments and reducing our workload. We are providing services that are actually needed because we can identify where the need originated, so that the business is driving the services being developed. And, finally, we are furthering the mission and goals of the agency by modeling the business, identifying what is automated and what isn’t, defining the gaps, and understanding the value of “filling the gaps” in relationship to our mission and goals so that we can intelligently prioritize our work.”

MARAD has found that the EA project completed with MEGA International provides ongoing, daily benefits in helping the agency operate efficiently and serve its constituents, and improve the nation’s marine transportation system.

About MARAD

MARAD improves and strengthens the marine transportation system to meet the country’s economic and security needs. It focuses on port development, intermodal water and land transportation, environmental activities, maritime security, and support of the shipbuilding industry. MARAD operates the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, New York, to educate young men and women for service in the American merchant marine, the U.S. armed forces, and in the nation’s marine transportation system, and provides financial assistance to six state maritime academies. MARAD’s diverse activities range from deepwater port licensing to inland waterways research to cargo handling programs, and more.