What is BIAN?: A Guide for Solutions Architects

Introduction

The Banking Industry Architecture Network (BIAN) is a non-profit organisation that provides a standardised framework for the banking industry to improve interoperability, efficiency, and service innovation. Established in 2008, BIAN aims to define and set common standards for service-oriented architecture (SOA) within the financial services industry. This framework is designed to help banks and financial institutions streamline their processes, reduce costs, and enhance customer experiences by adopting a common language and structure for their IT solutions.

Core Objectives of BIAN

1. standardisation: BIAN aims to create a universal banking language that enhances communication and reduces integration complexities.
2. Interoperability: By standardising services, BIAN facilitates better integration and interoperability between different banking systems and third-party applications.
3. Cost Efficiency: The reuse of standardised components helps reduce development and maintenance costs.
4. Innovation: standardised service definitions enable banks to focus more on innovation rather than dealing with integration issues.

What Solutions Architects Need to Know About BIAN

For solutions architects working in the banking sector, understanding BIAN is crucial for several reasons:

1. Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA): BIAN promotes the adoption of SOA, which is essential for creating flexible, modular, and scalable banking systems.
2. Componentization: Solutions architects must design banking applications as a collection of interoperable components or services that adhere to BIAN standards.
3. Integration: BIAN standards facilitate easier integration of new technologies and services, which is vital for maintaining a competitive edge in the banking industry.
4. Compliance: Adhering to BIAN standards helps ensure compliance with industry regulations and best practices.

Architectural Details for Core Banking Systems According to BIAN

1. Service Landscape

The BIAN framework categorises banking functions into a comprehensive service landscape that includes over 280 service domains. Each service domain represents a specific business capability or function within the bank. Solutions architects must map these service domains to their bank's business processes to ensure alignment with BIAN standards.

2. Canonical Data Model

BIAN provides a canonical data model that standardises data definitions across the banking industry. Solutions architects should use this model to ensure consistent data structures and formats across all banking applications. This standardisation is crucial for seamless data exchange and integration between different systems.

3. Microservices Architecture

BIAN's SOA principles align well with microservices architecture. Solutions architects should design core banking systems as a collection of loosely coupled microservices that can be independently developed, deployed, and scaled. Each microservice should correspond to a BIAN service domain.

4. API Management

APIs are the backbone of modern banking systems. Solutions architects must implement robust API management practices to expose and manage services defined by BIAN. This includes securing APIs, monitoring usage, and ensuring compliance with BIAN standards.

5. Cloud Integration

BIAN's service-oriented approach is well-suited for cloud environments. Solutions architects should leverage cloud platforms to deploy and manage BIAN-compliant services. This includes using cloud-native services for scalability, reliability, and cost efficiency.

6. Security and Compliance

Security is paramount in banking. Solutions architects must ensure that all services adhere to stringent security protocols and comply with regulatory requirements. BIAN provides guidelines for securing service interactions and managing sensitive data.

7. Process Optimization

BIAN encourages the optimization of banking processes through standardisation. Solutions architects should analyze existing processes and re-engineer them to align with BIAN service domains, thereby improving efficiency and reducing operational costs.

8. Customer Experience

Enhancing customer experience is a key objective of BIAN. Solutions architects should design systems that provide seamless, personalized, and consistent experiences across all customer touchpoints. This includes integrating BIAN-compliant services with customer-facing applications.

Implementation Steps for Solutions Architects

1. Assessment: Evaluate the current state of the bank's IT landscape and identify gaps in alignment with BIAN standards.
2. Mapping: Map existing business processes and applications to BIAN service domains.
3. Design: Develop a detailed architectural blueprint that incorporates BIAN-compliant components and services.
4. Development: Build or refactor applications as microservices that adhere to BIAN standards.
5. Integration: Use APIs to integrate BIAN-compliant services with existing systems and third-party applications.
6. Testing: Perform rigorous testing to ensure compliance with BIAN standards and regulatory requirements.
7. Deployment: Deploy services in a scalable and secure cloud environment.
8. Monitoring: Continuously monitor and optimize services to maintain alignment with BIAN standards.

Conclusion

BIAN provides a comprehensive framework that helps banks standardise their IT architectures, improve interoperability, and drive innovation. For solutions architects, adopting BIAN standards is essential for designing flexible, scalable, and efficient banking systems. By following BIAN guidelines, architects can ensure their solutions meet industry standards, reduce costs, and enhance the overall customer experience.

References

1. About BIAN. BIAN Official Website
2. BIAN Service Landscape. BIAN Service Landscape
3. Open Group Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA). Open Group SOA