Case Study: Brave Scooter Group

Case Study

History

The Brave Scooter Group follows a no-nonsense design philosophy rooted in its origins in skatepark culture and urban commuting. Nearly 20 years ago, its founders began designing scooters out of necessity, prioritising durability and performance. Determined to create scooters that could endure heavy use while offering superior ride quality, the founders built their own solutions leading to the establishment of Brave Scooter Limited. This entrepreneurial drive and commitment to design excellence continue to shape the organisation’s corporate philosophy today. Brave Scooter now produces high-performance scooters for highly demanding customers.

Peter Manson played a significant role in the scooter revolution of the late 1990s. Noticing that mass-produced aluminium scooters were unsuitable for daily commuting and unsafe for skatepark use, Peter dismantled scooters, skateboards, and bikes and rebuilt them into a customised “Frankenstein” scooter. His creation gained popularity among colleagues, soon prompting him to manufacture additional units from his garage using parts sourced from other mobility devices. As demand grew, he expanded his operations into a manufacturing facility in Sydney and began selling custom scooters through specialised dealers across Australia.

Meanwhile, in England, engineering student Stephen Medina was also experimenting with scooter design while working at a skateboard and scooter shop. With limited personal funds but significant creativity, he designed a carbon composite frame that was lighter and stronger than industry alternatives. Partnering with a local contract manufacturer, Stephen launched Medina Composites, which quickly supplied frames across the UK and Europe.

Peter and Stephen met in 2008 and immediately recognised their shared passion for scooter innovation. Both were looking to expand into international markets, and they soon realised that merging their companies would be mutually beneficial. In 2010, Frankenstein Scooters and Medina Composites joined forces to form the Brave Scooter Group. Both founders now act as co-CEOs. Peter oversees sales, marketing, service, support, IT, finance, and HR, while Stephen manages research and design, procurement, and manufacturing. A Board of Directors sits above both co-CEOs.

1. Organisational Structure (Simple Structure Based on Divisions)

The Brave Scooter Group operates with a clear, division-based organisational structure aligned to its core processes:

Core Divisions

1. Design

2. Build

3. Sell

4. Support

These divisions reflect the company’s end-to-end operational flow and support their use of agile design methodologies, including design thinking.

Product Strategy

Product development has always been the cornerstone of Brave Scooter’s success and future growth. The company has heavily invested in innovation, prioritising quality, performance, safety, and continuous improvement. Historically, the product focus has been on manual kick scooters. However, the company’s current strategic direction includes:

• Expansion into electric scooters (e-scooters)

• Long-term diversification into the mobility hire market

• Competing with global rental brands such as Lime, Bird, and Spin

This shift requires a fundamental rethinking of the organisation’s existing enterprise architecture, transitioning from a traditional manufacturing model to a service-oriented business model.

Current IT Strategy

In 2010, Brave Scooter centralised its IT functions under a shared services model located in London. At this time, the company adopted:

• SAP ERP 6.0 (EhP8, 2016 release) running on a Dell server (named "Tarkan")

• A centralised Microsoft Exchange server (named "Bear") for email communications

This unified IT environment replaced multiple independent systems across divisions, enabling cost reduction, standardised processes, and strong governance. The company is aware that SAP ERP support will end in 2027 and is evaluating the benefits of modernising to SAP S/4HANA, given its performance advantages and industry adoption.

Enterprise Architecture Assignment

Part A: As-Is Architecture Overview

Part A focuses on understanding the current organisation and developing the enterprise as-is architecture. Students are required to make reasonable assumptions and document each clearly, using the report template for guidance.

Suggested Inclusions for Part A

a) Management Summary

A high-level overview of the organisation, its business structure, and the need for developing enterprise architecture to support upcoming strategic transitions.

b) Document Scope

i) Process of Enterprise Architecture

Outline the steps involved in developing an enterprise architecture framework.

ii) Importance of Enterprise Architecture

Explain why EA is essential for aligning technology, business strategy, and organisational transformation.

c) Strategy and Business Model

i) Brief Background on the Organisation

Summarise Brave Scooter Group’s history, operations, and market direction.

ii) ArchiMate Models

Include:

• Organisation Structure View

• Organisation Tree View

These diagrams depict reporting relationships and key business divisions.

d) Overall Enterprise Architecture

i) EA Approach

Describe the methodologies selected (e.g., TOGAF, Zachman Framework, Agile Architecture).

ii) Architecture Principles

Define guiding principles such as:

• Standardisation

• Reusability

• Interoperability

• Scalability

• Security and compliance

e) Current Architectures (Enterprise State)

i) ArchiMate Layer Models

Provide current-state models for:

• Business Layer

• Application Layer

• Technology Layer

These should reflect the existing processes (Design, Build, Sell, Support), current IT systems (SAP ERP, Exchange), and infrastructure setup.

Summary of Assessment Requirements

The Enterprise Architecture assignment focuses on developing an as-is architecture for the Brave Scooter Group. Part A requires students to analyse the current organisational setup, IT landscape, and business processes. The assessment is designed to demonstrate the student’s ability to align enterprise architecture principles with business strategy, supporting organisational transformation and future growth.

Key Pointers to Be Covered:

1. Management Summary

   • Provide an overview of Brave Scooter Group, its structure, and the need for enterprise architecture.

2. Document Scope

   • Outline the enterprise architecture process.

   • Explain the importance of enterprise architecture in aligning business strategy, technology, and organisational operations.

3. Strategy and Business Model

   • Summarise company history, product strategy, and market direction.

   • Include ArchiMate diagrams:

     • Organisation Structure View

     • Organisation Tree View

4. Overall Enterprise Architecture

   • Describe the approach for EA development (e.g., TOGAF, Zachman Framework, Agile Architecture).

   • Define Architecture Principles: standardisation, reusability, interoperability, scalability, security, compliance.

5. Current Architectures (Enterprise State)

   • Develop ArchiMate layer models for:

     • Business Layer

     • Application Layer

     • Technology Layer

   • Reflect core processes (Design, Build, Sell, Support) and IT systems (SAP ERP, Exchange server).

Step-by-Step Approach Guided by the Academic Mentor

The Academic Mentor structured the guidance in a logical, stepwise process:

Step 1: Understanding the Assignment Brief

• The mentor explained the purpose of Part A: documenting the current as-is architecture.

• The student was encouraged to identify the business units, IT systems, and processes that drive the organisation.

Outcome: Clear understanding of expectations and scope.

Step 2: Extracting Core Organisational Information

• The mentor guided the student to summarise Brave Scooter’s history, product strategy, and IT strategy.

• Emphasis was placed on identifying key divisions (Design, Build, Sell, Support) and IT infrastructure (SAP ERP, Exchange).

Outcome: Accurate business context for developing EA models.

Step 3: Structuring the Report

• The student was advised to structure the report according to the suggested inclusions:

  1. Management Summary

  2. Document Scope

  3. Strategy & Business Model

  4. Overall Enterprise Architecture

  5. Current Architectures (Enterprise State)

Outcome: A logically organised report framework.

Step 4: Developing ArchiMate Models

• Mentor demonstrated how to represent organisational structure and processes using ArchiMate models:

  • Organisation Structure View

  • Organisation Tree View

  • Business, Application, and Technology Layer models

• The student was guided on layering and linking business processes to IT systems.

Outcome: Visual representation of the current enterprise architecture.

Step 5: Defining EA Principles and Approach

• Mentor explained how to define EA principles such as standardisation, reusability, and scalability.

• The student applied these principles to the Brave Scooter context.

Outcome: Clear articulation of architecture principles and methodology.

Step 6: Reviewing and Refining

• Mentor provided feedback on report clarity, logical flow, and diagram accuracy.

• The student refined assumptions, diagrams, and written explanations.

Outcome: A cohesive, academically sound submission with well-documented EA.

Final Outcome and Learning Objectives Achieved

The student successfully produced a comprehensive as-is enterprise architecture report. The process helped achieve the following learning objectives:

• Understanding enterprise architecture: Grasped its role in aligning business strategy and technology.

• Business process analysis: Mapped core processes (Design, Build, Sell, Support) to organisational functions.

• Application of ArchiMate modeling: Developed visual representations of organisational structure and IT landscape.

• Strategic thinking: Linked business strategy and IT strategy to support enterprise transformation.

• Documentation and reporting skills: Produced a structured, professional report suitable for academic assessment.

• Critical thinking: Evaluated current systems and processes, making assumptions where required for clarity.

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