Like any other role, enterprise architects need to make an immediate impact to deliver value and improve their organizations. Otherwise, executives, managers, and frontline employees might start scratching their chins, wondering why someone was hired to reconfigure infrastructure and deploy new tools when everything was working well enough before.
So what exactly can an enterprise architect do to succeed in their new role and ensure digital transformation initiatives move forward without a hitch?
It starts with being proactive. The sooner an enterprise architect is able to clearly demonstrate their impact, the more likely it is that they’ll be received with open arms. Gartner agrees. In 2018, the research firm published a 100-day road map a newly hired architect can follow to make sure their presence is known—and appreciated.
Although an EA might be eager to transform an organization’s IT right off the bat, such a project is a massive undertaking. For the best results, an architect may want to focus on quick, noticeable wins first while devising long-term plans that take more time to enact.
For example, if a company is communicating over email all the time—and encountering problems such as missed communications and version control issues—moving to a real-time messaging platform like Slack and a project management platform like Trello might make sense. Right off the bat, the architect will be moving the team to “cool” new tools that can make a positive difference in their lives.
But beyond that, what other projects should an architect focus on? Let’s take a look at six corporate initiatives an enterprise architect should kick-start.
1. Restructuring
Not every organization was born in the digital era. As such, tons of enterprises still rely on outdated tools and legacy systems—just like they have been doing for years or even decades.
Enterprise architects have a prime opportunity to restructure IT infrastructure altogether. An obvious example is moving on-prem systems and tools to the cloud in order to take advantage of cost savings, productivity increases, and enhanced resiliency.
2. Outsourcing vs. insourcing
Does your organization need to manage every IT system internally? Or are there opportunities to reduce costs and increase IT productivity by outsourcing some services to third-party providers?
Your enterprise will likely want to keep complex and mission-critical systems in-house, but there are likely a number of software-as-a-service (SaaS) tools that may be a perfect match for your organization.
3. Service management implementation
When it comes to technology in the workplace, employees are stubborn. For example, one study found that 38 percent of employees don’t want their bosses to tell them which tools to use.
In that vein, when the IT department rolls out new services, many employees might be hesitant to use them. In large part, this may be because IT doesn’t help end users learn how to become productive with the new software.
Enterprise architects can incorporate service management implementation into their workflows to ensure that all employees know how to use the tools productively. Once they realize how new tools make their jobs easier, chances are that they’ll be happy the enterprise architect came on board.
4. M&A strategies
Mergers and acquisitions give enterprise architects the unique opportunity to assess their infrastructure and see how the other company’s tech stack integrates with their existing tools.
By doing their due diligence during these major events and making sure employees have the right tools to meet the newly formed company’s needs, architects can increase productivity and unlock additional efficiencies at both organizations.
5. Application rationalization
According to a recent Blissfully report, the average company today uses 123 SaaS applications. That’s a lot of different platforms, to say the least.
Enterprise architects can begin the process of application rationalization to determine which tools should be kept, decommissioned, replaced, and merged.
6. IT modernization
Just because an organization has successfully been using the same tools for a long time doesn’t mean those tools are the best fit for the job. As discussed above, moving from email to real-time messaging tools is just one example of IT modernization that makes workers’ lives easier.
The needs of every company are unique. But by assessing their organization’s tools, enterprise architects should be able to identify obvious areas where IT modernization can make a world of difference.
Ready to transform your operations with enterprise architecture?
From the outset, enterprise architecture projects can seem like a massive undertaking. Your business might be performing perfectly fine, after all, and you might be hesitant to completely reorchestrate your IT.
The good news is that—with the right tool in place—enterprise architecture initiatives can move forward quickly and confidently.
For example, Changepoint Enterprise Architecture Management (barometerIT) gives architects a real-time view of the enterprise, enabling them to map every relationship, crowdsource data to make the best decisions, leverage existing systems, and more—increasing the chances that digital transformation projects are completed smoothly.
Learn more about how Changepoint EAM can help your organization make sure that your IT infrastructure supports your business goals.
