Centech engaged Saguaro for UML model and XML Schema development for the Veteran Health IT- Software Engineering and Integration Group.

The VHA Health Information Model (VHIM) was the authoritative enterprise information model for the VHA; a UML model representing the structure and content of shared information between all services within the service-oriented architecture (SOA) of HealtheVet VistA.

• Saguaro lead the implementation team in creating XML Schemas and other artifacts from the VHIM.
• Duties included the development of extensions to the IBM Rational Software Architect environment in the form of Eclipse plug-ins written in Java; including a UML2 profile, custom constraint validation, and model manipulation.
• Saguaro also served as a voting member of the Development Technology Advisory Committee (DTAC), established to provide technical expertise and guidance for the VHA’s implementation of new technologies surrounding Oracle and Java.

CACI employed Saguaro for systems analysis services for the VHA HealtheVet VistA Imaging project. The VistA Imaging System is an extension to the Veterans Health Information System Technology and Architecture (VistA) that captures clinical images, scanned documents, electrocardiogram (EKG) waveforms and other nontextual data files, and associates them with elements of the patient's electronic medical record. Image and text data are provided in an integrated manner that facilitates the clinician's task of correlating the data and making patient care decisions in a timely and accurate manner.

Saguaro Software accomplished the following major tasks in this engagement:

• Developed a preliminary project plan (spanning several years) to reengineer the VistA Imaging System.
• Performed requirements analysis, “as-is” analysis, including automated generation of UML models. Utilized the IBM Rational Unified Process (RUP).
• Served in the VHA’s Iterative Development Lifecycle (IDL) Implementation Workgroup, in both the Project Management and Architecture/Development task forces. The Workgroup is setting the software development process standards and artifacts for all future software projects at the VHA. The IDL is based on the IBM Rational Unified Process (RUP).
• Served in a workgroup to define a comprehensive plan to train VHA developers in Java and Oracle technologies, and to select a vendor to provide the training and education to the VHA enterprise developer community.
• Served as a voting member of the Development Technology Advisory Committee (DTAC), established to provide technical expertise and guidance for the VHA’s implementation of new technologies surrounding Oracle and Java.
• Developed software in the Java environment utilizing a lightweight architecture without EJBs. Developed relational data model. Participated in the design and modeling of the next generation service-based, general-purpose imaging system.

Saguaro Software was engaged for systems analysis services for the VHA Office of Health Data and Informatics SSN Reduction project. The project was initiated in response to an OMB memorandum directing all federal agencies to eliminate unnecessary use of SSNs in systems and programs. In support of reporting a plan of action to the OMB, the project was chartered to develop a VHA SSN usage inventory database and data collection/survey tool.

• Saguaro performed analysis activities and developed a UML model to depict key abstractions within the problem domain of all SSN usage within the VA.

Constellation West (formerly CSSS.NET) engaged Saguaro to provide requirement management services to the VA’s Enterprise Infrastructure Engineering, Business Needs and Strategic Alignment department.

• Saguaro worked collaboratively with various project teams to gather systems engineering requirements and to procure resources.

Saguaro was also engaged to provide project management services to VA’s Service Delivery and Engineering (SDE) Program Administration Office.

• This engagement involved coordinating SDE resources for: design and performance assessment, solution ratification through Systems Engineering Design Review (SEDR), testing of project’s proposed infrastructure, operations and maintenance planning, operational acceptance and release in partnership with ESE Release Management, deployment in partnership with Enterprise Operations and Field Operations Implementation Managers.
• Duties also included the maintenance of a schedule of SDE activities and milestones of multiple projects, contributing to the master schedule.

Since 2002 Saguaro has fulfilled these roles for the VA through subcontracts with primary vendors:

• Business analysis
• Software development
• Systems architecture
• Requirements management
• Project management
• Information architecture

Systems Made Simple engaged Saguaro to provide information architecture services to the VHA Office of Informatics and Analytics, Business Information Architecture team.

• Saguaro created UML models for several health information domains, and served as a mentor to the project team on the use of IBM Rational Software Architect and ClearCase.
• Saguaro also developed a Java pluglet for importing class attribute data dictionary-type information from artifacts originating from the VA’s Data Architecture Repository (DAR). This tool saved hundreds of hours of UML modeling effort. This also enabled the domain model’s data dictionary to reside directly within the UML model file, thus eliminating the need for an external database.
• Saguaro developed UML model data dictionary reports utilizing the Eclipse-based Business Intelligence and Reporting Tools (BIRT), along with an accompanying UML profile.

Booz Allen Hamilton engaged Saguaro on a major task order servicing the VHA Office of Informatics and Analytics, Strategic Investment Management, Business Process Architecture group.

• Saguaro leveraged its IBM Rational Software Architect and BIRT model reporting expertise by developing a BPMN model report detailing process model elements: activity description tables, including task descriptions plus itemization of input/output data objects, data object itemization, and process role itemization across many related process models. This report saves the team many man-hours in process model documentation development. BIRT is the Eclipse-based Business Intelligence and Reporting Tools.

BITS engaged Saguaro on three major task orders servicing the VHA Office of Informatics and Analytics, Strategic Investment Management, Business Architecture group:

• Saguaro fulfilled the project management role with the purpose of strengthening VHA’s influence with peer organizations, such as the Department of Defense (DoD). This task order also involved information architecture in the iEHR Registration, Enrollment, and Eligibility Capability-Integrated Project Team, a collaborative initiative with the DoD.
• Another task order allowed Saguaro to provide team mentoring on the use of Rational Software Architect and Rational Team Concert, and to serve as a liaison to the VA OIT Rational Tools Team.
• A third task order offered Saguaro the opportunity to demonstrate its expertise in the IBM Rational software suite and continuing to serve as liaison to the VA OIT Rational Tools Team. Saguaro performed UML model configuration management activities under Rational Team Concert source control. A Java plug-in was developed as an extension to Rational Software Architect, providing over a half dozen UML model reports utilizing the Eclipse-based Business Intelligence and Reporting Tools (BIRT). Additional BIRT reports were developed and used to import key UML information model artifacts into VHA's TrouxSource enterprise portfolio management repository.

Liberty engaged Saguaro Software on a major task order supporting the Enterprise Program Management Office under the VA's Office of Information and Technology:

• Saguaro was once again offered the opportunity to exercise its expertise with IBM Rational Team Concert by performing configuration management activities on the Veterans Integrated Registries Platform (VIRP) development project, a full SDLC effort to support the VHA Registries Program supporting the population-specific data needs of the enterprise.

PGT engaged Saguaro on a major task order servicing the VHA Office of Health Informatics, Strategic Investment Management, Business Architecture group:

• Saguaro was again offered the opportunity to demonstrate its expertise in the IBM Rational software suite and continuing to serve as liaison to the VA OIT Rational Tools Team. Saguaro performed UML model configuration management activities under Rational Team Concert source control. A complex BIRT report was developed to show integration between BPMN process models, UML information models, and reference data from a SQL Server database.