DBIS, Capitalization of Ideas and Best Practices

DBIS (Disegno Banking Information System) Software proposes a general architecture covering all banking information systems functions (production, management, exchanges);
DBIS is the result of capitalization of ideas and best practices taken from real-life operational systems. Banking teams use DBIS as reference material, which supplies ready answers to many of their questions. Its use helps the banks' IT teams supplement their knowledge of organization and the evolution of their own banking information system.

Purpose

DBIS design was initially guided by our working method which achieves standardization by the definition of reusable functional components. We have anticipated in our design future changes in the banking sector, thus ensuring the system's long-term viability. Thanks to its designers' clear understanding of the potential repercussions, DBIS provides a solid functional basic structure from which to begin the development process.

• As a frame of reference, it is used to better plan and manage the evolution of the information system.
• It facilitates the choice of software packages by enabling the evaluation of advantages, disadvantages and constraints of the integration of new software.
• It integrates new banking needs like tariffs, definition of the banking customer, or management of decision-making.
• It innovates by proposing solutions to new problems, such as Internet or multi-channel sales.
• It provides a better evaluation of the costs, efforts, and schedule, as well as a precise overview before defining functional requirements.
• DBIS provides, in the design phase, a methodological support based on modern methods and languages such as Object Oriented design or UML, but without deprecating existing methodological assets.

The DBIS Approach

DBIS usefulness is due to its ability to be "read" at different levels and thus meeting the needs of various users. The Visual level allows for a first-level reading of the Bank. DBIS looks like a summary table - main titles, chapters, paragraphs, …-
At each level, the reader will refine his knowledge of the Bank and the relations between its various businesses. DBIS meets the needs of people such as bank executives by allowing them to easily get an overall picture of the general context in which they have to make decisions. It also responds to more general needs for training.

The Semantic level

A combination of code, wording and definition is associated with each image in order to clarify its semantic meaning. At this level, informed users will wish to establish a solid outline on which to base upstream processes of the information system design. They will ideally associate images and text with better solutions when analyzing an opportunity, writing general functional specifications or requirements.

The Data Design level

At this reading level, it becomes possible to build detailed specifications using data blocks and their cross-references as a starting point. The images are analyzed in relation to their links, the functionalities they illustrate, and they are, with their associated text or coding, the real basis for the design work.

At this level, data table structure, processing rules, reusable functional services are optional items which could be taken out of DBIS for reuse elsewhere.

DBIS is versatile when being used, at various levels of a bank's organization and meets a wide range of requirements.

DBIS covers the entire banking information system through:

• A generic OO model, built on 27 autonomous business objects;
• Detailed OO models, with more than 400 elementary classes;
• More than 100 use cases and 700 basic functionalities;
• Cross-references between elementary classes and the functionalities which use them.
• A dictionary with more than 2,500 attributes, indexed by elementary class;
• More than 1,200 reusable functional services, for accessing and processing data;
• Cross-references between the services and functions or services using them;
• Service interfaces, in term of input/output items;
• The clear definition of banking rules associated with the services.

Using DBIS, any bank is able to:

• Quickly formalize the target it is interested in,
• Identify the stable processes, meaning those most closely linked to data;
• Optimize the capacity of functional re-usability, at every level, from general to detailed design.