Learning outcomes

1 Analyse and design component-based architecture solutions
2 Use suitable toolsets to construct component-based architecture models.
3 Display mastery of knowledge in current and future software development practice using component-based approaches
4 Have an awareness of suitable component-based implementation technologies and frameworks.
5 Design and implement component-based mobile web applications

Task details

A case study accompanies this section of the assignment. It describes the requirement for a system
within a business context. You will need to make assumptions in the course of constructing your
models. Ensure you submit a list of these assumptions with your assessment elements as
appropriate. If you are unsure about the case study description you should ask questions within
the seminars/workshops. The Tutors will be moderating the discussion boards. The diagrams must
be completed using a CASE tool (starUML is a suitable tool).

Tasks:


Based on the specified models, you are required to provide an implementation for the outlined
system.
Documentary evidence (including diagrams, source code and screenshots etc.) should be
provided as appropriate within your report.

Case Study

Renewing Innovation: GreenFuture’s Transformation through Technology

GreenFuture, an environmental consulting firm based in London, has long been recognised for its
trailblazing work in sustainability. With a workforce of 2,500 employees spread across 20 offices in 15
different countries, the company built a global reputation for innovation in renewable energy, ecofriendly urban development, and environmental policy. By 2020, however, GreenFuture faced an
unexpected dilemma: its capacity for innovation, once the company’s defining strength, had stagnated.
Leadership at GreenFuture was concerned that despite the immense creativity and technical expertise of
their staff, new ideas were increasingly being lost or left undeveloped. Many employees generated
creative solutions, but these ideas weren’t getting the visibility or support needed to transform them into
actionable projects. For a firm whose success depended on continuous innovation, this slowdown posed
a serious risk to its competitive edge. If GreenFuture wanted to maintain its leadership in the
sustainability sector, it had to find a way to unlock the full potential of its employees and ensure a steady
flow of new ideas.
Recognising this challenge, GreenFuture embarked on an ambitious project: implementing a cuttingedge Innovation Management System. The goal was to capture, evaluate, and cultivate ideas more
effectively, encouraging collaboration across the company’s global network. After months of planning,
GreenFuture partnered with InnoSphere, a software company specialising in innovation solutions, to
launch IMS-Connect, a platform designed to centralise idea generation and streamline the innovation
process. IMS-Connect offered several features aimed at solving GreenFuture’s challenges. The system
included an idea submission portal where employees could share their thoughts and insights from any
of the company’s global offices. A voting system allowed colleagues to evaluate the ideas, raising the
most promising ones to the top. Additionally, IMS-Connect incorporated tools for collaboration,
enabling teams from different regions to work together on developing innovative solutions. There were
also built-in tracking mechanisms to ensure that every idea moved through a clear development process,
along with a points-based incentive program to reward employees for their contributions.
Despite the clear potential of IMS-Connect, its implementation quickly revealed unexpected
complexities. While the system provided new ways for GreenFuture’s employees to contribute ideas,
many staff members were initially reluctant to use it. For years, innovation at GreenFuture had been an
informal, team-based process, often limited to specific regions or departments. Now, employees were
being asked to submit their ideas to a global platform, and the culture shift was difficult. Some workers,
especially those in regional offices, felt uncomfortable sharing their ideas on such a large scale, worrying
that they might lose ownership or recognition. Cultural differences further complicated adoption.
Employees in North America and Europe were more accustomed to open collaboration and were quick
to embrace IMS-Connect, while teams in Asia and Latin America hesitated. In some regions, there was
scepticism about how intellectual property would be handled, with concerns that ideas would be “taken”
or undervalued in a global system. Additionally, language barriers and different work cultures slowed
the process of forming cross-regional teams. Technical issues compounded these problems. While IMSConnect was designed to function across all of GreenFuture’s offices, varying levels of internet
connectivity made it difficult for some employees to engage fully. In countries with less reliable
infrastructure, such as parts of Africa and South America, employees struggled to access the system
consistently. This uneven access created a clear imbalance—offices in highly connected regions like
Europe and the U.S. contributed far more ideas, while employees in less connected areas felt sidelined.
As IMS-Connect rolled out across the company, it became clear that while the volume of submitted
ideas had surged, the process for evaluating and advancing them was overwhelmed. The voting system,
designed to crowdsource the best ideas, led to an influx of proposals, far more than the company’s
innovation managers could process efficiently. Bottlenecksformed astop ideaslanguished without clear
next steps, and employees grew frustrated that their efforts weren’t being acted upon. Furthermore, the
competitive nature of the incentive system, while effective in driving participation, had unintended
consequences. Rather than encouraging collaboration, the points system fostered individualism.
Employees became protective of their ideas, fearing that collaboration would reduce their chances of
being recognised or rewarded. This behavior ran contrary to GreenFuture’s original goal of fostering
teamwork and cross-departmental innovation.
Despite these challenges, there were early success stories. A notable example was the collaborative
development of an urban carbon capture project that involved teams from the Tokyo, Berlin, and Toronto
offices. The cross-regional exchange of ideas and expertise brought together diverse perspectives that
led to a breakthrough solution. Thissuccess demonstrated the potential of IMS-Connect when the system
worked as intended, but it also highlighted the gaps in consistency across regions. As GreenFuture’s
leadership grappled with these emerging issues, they knew that simply having the right technology in
place wasn’t enough. The system would need ongoing adjustment to align with the company’s culture
and operational realities. To address the overwhelming number of submissions, the company began
exploring AI-powered solutions that could assist in filtering and categorising ideas more efficiently.
They also reevaluated the reward system, introducing team-based incentives to reduce competition and
foster a more collaborative environment. On the technical side, GreenFuture made investments in
upgrading infrastructure in less connected regions, ensuring that employees in all offices had equal
access to IMS-Connect. For employees in areas with persistent connectivity issues, the company
introduced offline submission options, allowing ideas to be uploaded during periods of low network
traffic.
Moreover, as the implementation progressed, GreenFuture began receiving complaints about data
privacy, which prompted leadership to assess their security measures. They identified the need for
integrating Privileged Access Management (PAM) into IMS-Connect, recognising it as an identity
security solution that helps protect organisations against cyber threats. This integration aimed to bolster
the system’s security framework, ensuring that sensitive data remained protected while encouraging
more employees to engage with the platform confidently.
As the company moved forward with these adjustments, it became clear that GreenFuture’s journey with
IMS-Connect was far from over. The system had successfully jumpstarted the company’s innovation
pipeline, but the process of refining and adapting the platform to fully meet the needs of its global
workforce remained a work in progress. Leadership remained optimistic that with continued fine-tuning,
GreenFuture would regain its position as an industry leader in innovation.