Guide to Enterprise IT Architecture: A Strategic Approach (Springer Professional Computing)

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They also form an enterprise architecture team that is capable of conducting business requirement analyses at various levels of the enterprise, identifying viable alternatives and creating designs on behalf of the business owner s from the alternative that is selected.

That is, the enterprise architect can use the documents as they were created for other prior purposes instead of reformatting them, re-creating them, modifying them, or entering them into a different tool. The enterprise architecture stays more current because the various process owners implicit architects create and use the documents as a part of their jobs, not as some extra task.

These people, who have the potential to create and maintain much of the architecture, are thus an important part of the enterprise architecture team. There could be hundreds or thousands of implicit enterprise architects in medium and large size enterprises. Implicit enterprise architects can and should continue to function under their normal job titles, unless it is beneficial to give them a formal title that describes a specific architecture function — most likely a derivation of a core architecture job title.

Bridging the world of core and implicit enterprise architects are the applied enterprise architects. They have the task of figuring out which enterprise architecture capabilities are needed, in what form and where.

For example, they might know from previous assessments that the enterprise needs to standardize the way that they describe clients throughout all of the processes. If they see a project with a strong element of customer relationship management, they would support that project with an aim towards developing that standard. The applied enterprise architects are usually a subset of the core enterprise architecture team, but logically separated to draw attention to the idea that from a pragmatic point of view, they may make compromises and prioritizations that the core architects should not need to consider.

A boundary object is something that can transmit, translate and transform knowledge across boundaries [51]. The creation and management of boundary objects is key in developing and maintaining coherence across intersecting social worlds [52].

Boundary objects are concrete objects with the ability to span boundaries, such as repositories, standardized forms and methods, objects and models [53]. There are three categories of boundary objects [54]: First, artifacts, which are the shared tools, documents, models. Second, discourse, which is a common language that can be shared across communities of practice. The enterprise architect must therefore have a very deep understanding of boundaries and boundary objects, and how to work with those.

There are three types of boundaries an enterprise architect must work with: Syntactic boundaries assume that knowledge can be transferred between systems as long as a common syntax is in place [51]. If there is no common syntax, transfer errors occur: NASA crashed a probe into Mars in , because the two involved engineering teams were using different measurement systems [26][56].

Enterprise architecture is here observed as a syntax organizing logic , which is used to speak about IT in relation to business. In [57], an enterprise architecture is more of an overview picture of how IT supports the different business processes; how they support the operating model chosen.

In this model, the important relationships between the subsystems are made clear, so that the IT department can know how to best support the business, which can be made explicit through contracts and service-level agreements SLA. Foundation architecture often employs a common modeling language or a shared repository, so that requirements from the business can be transferred to the IT department. At a semantic boundary, a common language is not enough; a common understanding is needed to translate knowledge across boundaries. An effective semantic boundary object provides a concrete means for individuals to specify and learn about their differences and dependencies across a given boundary [53].

In the extended architecture mode, the focus is on providing coherent views of an entire enterprise, encompassing strategy, business and technology. This mode of enterprise architecture thus offers the boundary objects needed to span semantic boundaries, as the focus is on creating shared understanding of the different levels in the EA3 Cube [18].

This view is especially useful as it offers the means to slice up the enterprise architecture and approach it e.

Exploring the future of enterprise architecture

In this way the shared understanding is easier to achieve, as you have a clear part of the enterprise you need to understand. Enterprise architecture could be used here to form a shared model and to do a gap analysis to understand the differences between the two. The purpose of the extended architecture mode, then, is to secure a shared understanding of the enterprise goal, which is often secured through modeling an asis and a to-be description at all levels of the company [18].

The pragmatic boundary [53] is the most socially and politically complex [51]. This is because above a shared language and understanding, a common interest needs to be established to transform knowledge across such boundaries. This is particularly a problem in mergers and acquisitions, as different departments will hold different interests in how the postmerger integration should happen. The embedded enterprise architecture mode can be seen as helping to mediate across such pragmatic boundaries.

Here enterprise architecture tools, methods and models are embedded in the existing, everyday processes of the organization in order to create coherency across the entire enterprise [1]. The purpose of enterprise architecture, then, is to transform this message and make it a natural and interesting part of the working practice. If this enterprise architecture mode is used, the enterprise should also have the most important parts and data for the organization mapped prior to the re-sourcing, securing the organization against lost knowledge.

Like the different modes of enterprise architecture, the three types of boundaries are all represented between the subsystems in an organization. The complexity increases with each boundary type; again just as with the enterprise architecture modes. The syntactic boundary is the simplest boundary and foundation architecture is the least complex of the enterprise architecture modes, which means that the effort and previous experience in enterprise architecture is limited.

The semantic boundary is more complex, together with an extended architecture.

Lastly, the pragmatic boundary is the most complex and is best handled by an embedded architecture approach. The enterprise architect has a crucial role in finding the right varieties for the right situations and contexts, often in the form of principles, standards, patterns and rules. There are many benefits from doing enterprise architecture [59], such as business-IT alignment, standardized business processes, business and process flexibility, business transformation, IT cost reduction, operating cost reduction, application maintenance cost reduction, business risk management, senior management satisfaction, quality of service improvements, among many others.

But these are all intermediate benefits contributing towards three primary benefits and outcomes: Alignment refers to the ability of the organization to operate as one by working towards a common shared vision supported by a well-orchestrated set of strategies and actions. Agility refers to the ability of the organization to respond to and manage change.

Assurance refers to the ability of the organization to establish and institutionalize internalize practices that ensure fulfillment of organizational goals and achievement of outcomes. Enterprise architecture is a good approach to counteract short-termism and yet deliver immediate results, such as crucial prioritizations and essential impact analyses. This can be related to cost avoidance, risk mitigation and much more, where a traditional business case is often difficult to establish. If we only ever do enterprise architecture as part of a transformation project, how can enterprise architecture ever tell us what transformation to make?

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Therefore, enterprise architecture must become pervasive and regularized, and continuously be tied to on-going strategic planning and corporate governance. For example, mobile technologies such as iPads and cloud services such as Salesforce have made IT services much more available, accessible and attractive.

The hype about cloud services has turned away from pure technology, and now focuses on the business side, the economics and the governance aspects, all of which enterprise architects have a lot to contribute to [63]. The information area is already a traditional EA territory. Mobility has proven to be an area where enterprise architects can help the enterprise realize benefits. Unfortunately, many enterprises still choose to embark on unarchitected tactical initiatives, for example by asking an ad agency to create an app for a campaign.

This may work for a single effort, but is bound to create problems in the long run, for example with integration. Some, more mature, enterprises instead look for more complete mobility platforms and frameworks. The market for such is still very immature, but highly dynamic with new players entering every day. And if Gartner is right, all the forces in the nexus will become enterprise architect territory: The enterprise architect must be somewhat of a jack-of-alltrades, where both professional and personal competencies are important [66][67].

The Clinger-Cohen Core Competency area for enterprise architecture [17] encompasses the following competency areas: Enterprise architecture functions and governance; Key enterprise architecture concepts; Enterprise architecture interpretation, development, and maintenance; Use of enterprise architecture in IT investment decision making; Enterprise data management; and Performance measurement for enterprise architecture.

While all of these continue to be important for all enterprise architects, not just in the US government, there will be more core competencies of relevance for enterprise architects in the coming years. In fact, the 11 other Clinger-Cohen Core Competencies all seem highly relevant for enterprise architects: Also, there are a number of other enterprise competencies that are highly relevant for the enterprise architects, for example competencies in general strategic planning, corporate governance, investment management, operational excellence, quality management, and various business capabilities depending on which industry the enterprise is in.

The enterprise architecture practice should be collaborative [68]. In fact, enterprise architects should be cooperative in character, and be able to engage in many kinds of communications and collaborations. Enterprise architects must have competencies in resolving conflicts, and in creating consensus, synthesis and common understanding.

Such dialectic skills [69] also include detecting what might establish that common ground and the skill of seeking the intent rather than just reading the face value of the words.

Enterprise architecture management is dependent on individual decisions influenced by diverse internal and external psychological factors [70]. Developing the ability to cooperate gives architects the confidence to navigate complex interactions. In facing wicked problems [71], enterprise architects must focus more on problem-finding than problem-solving.

In analogy with craftsmanship, craft looks at situations in a problemfinding manner [72]. When skilled in the craft of cooperation [69], and confident in their ability to negotiate complexity, the architects can interact with those who are different, antagonistic, or even aggressive towards them. Such dialogic skills [69] also include listening well, behaving tactfully, finding points of agreement and managing disagreement, and avoiding frustration in a difficult discussion.

It also facilitates empathy, which should be distinguished from sympathy, as curiosity or wonder about an other, as opposed to identification [69]. As the Chief Executive Officer is becoming a management architect [78], one who defines the principles and processes that can help an organization surface the best ideas and unleash the talents of everyone who works there, and one who wants to build a company that is truly fit for the future, there is here a golden opportunity for enterprise architects to step in and help enabling such surfacing and unleashing, but also to approach the executives about necessary structural innovations and enterprise investments [79].

The enterprise architect offers a view of the enterprise as a complex system of structures, assets and resources put in place to make it work, and should be able to assess what should be done to make it work even better. Thus, in addition to the architecture perspective on the enterprise, there are important perspectives on the enterprise related to identity and experience [80].

Bringing these three perspectives together has been labeled Enterprise Design [80], which centers on Strategic Design but involves enterprise architecture and several design disciplines, including, Service Design, Experience Design and Interaction Design. As a young discipline, the enterprise architecture discipline must be aware of the risks of disciplinary conflation [76]. Yet, being defined as a meta-discipline, enterprise architecture is the organizing meta-context and standards authority for implementing all management and technology best practices [18], and Enterprise Investment [79] and Enterprise Design [80] should be seen as two emerging, and quite disruptive, such best practices that need attention.

Contributing to such theory this author would also include Systems Thinking, in particular the Viable System Model [25][26][28], because it provides a unique understanding of how an enterprise works. There are of course also other emerging best practices that enterprise architects need to cope with in order to fill out the role with success, including the earlier mentioned dialogic skills. Enterprise architecture is an evolving discipline, and the role of the enterprise architect is changing with it.

In a wellestablished enterprise architecture practice there are core, applied and implicit enterprise architects, and enterprise architecture is a general management discipline practiced across boundaries by enterprising people with dialectic and dialogic skills. You must be logged in to post a comment. Keywords—enterprise architect, enterprise architecture, competencies, skills, boundaries, dialogics, enterprise, enterprising I.

Three types of enterprise architects can be identified [1]: Poutanen, , Tripartite Approach to Enterprise Architecture. Journal of Enterprise Architecture, Vol 9 No 1. Gottlieb, , The Four-Domain Architecture: Rehmani, , The role of the enterprise architect. Information Systems and e-Buisness, 5 4: A stage hypothesis, Communications of the ACM Enterprise architecture applies architecture principles and practices to guide organizations through the business, information, process, and technology changes necessary to execute their strategies.

These practices utilize the various aspects of an enterprise to identify, motivate, and achieve these changes. As a formalized practice the field has its roots in the s, [10] and its development has led to many "definitions, perspectives, and schools of thought surrounding Enterprise Architecture. With this paper the FEAPO wanted to provide "a high level description of Enterprise Architecture and what it can do for an organization, removing much of the jargon that often surrounds such efforts.

It was written to provide insight into what Enterprise Architects do, what kind of skills are needed, and what results an organization should expect from their Enterprise Architecture efforts. Note that details of how to establish an Enterprise Architecture practice within your organization will be covered in a future paper.

Exploring the future of enterprise architecture

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Towards a Common Language for Systems Praxis. Retrieved on November 19, Retrieved from " https:

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