Enterprise Architecture

Today's organizations require a well-defined enterprise architecture (EA) practice for conducting enterprise analysis, design, planning, and implementation for the successful development and execution of strategy. The Enterprise Architecture blog category dives into principles and practices that help guide organizations through the business, information, process, and technology changes necessary to execute their strategies. Read our best practices on how to better communicate and drive business transformation. Get information on aligning your capabilities to company strategy. Get insights from experts and step-by-step advice on fostering successful change management to encourage business-centric conversations about technology. You’ll also get tips to translate business strategy into IT strategy, ensuring you can be more collaborative in helping the business make smarter decisions.

Continuous Architecture: Delay Design Decisions and Architect for Change

In the first blog in this series, “Continuous Architecture: Architect Products Not Solutions and Focus on Quality Attributes,” I shared two of the six principles that guide an agile mindset, influenced from the book, “Continuous Architecture: Sustainable Architecture in an Agile and Cloud-Centric World.” This blog highlights principle #3, Delay design decisions until they are needed, and principle...

Continuous Architecture: Architect Products and Focus on Quality Attributes

As an enterprise architect, what does business agility mean to you? Does it mean faster solution delivery? The ability to react quickly to unforeseen events? Perhaps agility means you can re-configure a business capability to meet business needs? Or maybe you are adopting an agile methodology, like SaFE? Answer: It’s probably a mix or all...

Drum Roll Please! Initial Findings From The Enterprise Architecture Survey Are In

Drum roll please! I am very excited to share the initial findings from the December 2017 enterprise architecture survey titled, “The Role of the Enterprise Architect”, conducted by Architecture and Governance Magazine and commissioned by Planview. We compiled feedback from more than 200 enterprise architects from around the globe representing different industries about the state...

Let’s Talk! Three Ways Enterprise Architects Can Engage the Business

In today’s highly complex business landscape, enterprise architects (EAs) are poised to show business leaders how they can leverage technology to achieve business objectives. Clearly, the pressure cooker of digital transformation is a great opportunity for these “smartest guys in the corner” to shine. EA’s have a lot of expertise and value but are challenged...

What Are the Benefits of an Enterprise Architecture Framework?

When it comes to an enterprise architecture framework, there are a wide range available to use. Horizontal ones such as TOGAF or Zachman, and vertically flavoured ones such as eTOM for the telecoms industry and BIAN for the banking industry. In all cases, they are useful and can provide value, but in every case, they...

Why and How Enterprise Architecture and the PMO Should Work Together Better

Enabling and ensuring that organisations are delivering against their corporate strategy is the common goal for both enterprise architecture and the PMO, but both seem to be missing the goal, and executives agree. A 2014 survey by The Economist suggested executives believe that activities that support their strategy goals are vital. But 60% of them...

3 Steps to Unlock the Treasure Trove of Work and Resource Management

You don’t have to be a pirate to find hidden treasure—although it may give you the upper hand. With the right information, anyone can become the hero or heroine to unlock secrets to success—in this case, secrets to work and resource management. While the benefits of work and resource management are (not-so-hidden) jewels, there is...

What Every CIO Wants to Know About Enterprise Architecture – But Is Too Afraid to Ask

The relationship between enterprise architecture and the CIO has always been difficult. Depending on the background of the CIO, they typically either throw up their hands in horror or relegate the enterprise architecture team to focusing on IT architecture. Usually it is not because they don’t understand the value of enterprise architecture, but because they...

A Gift for the Enterprise Architect in All of Us

Think about your holiday shopping list. You know, that list of all the people you want to buy gifts for. I’ll bet it contains the name of each person, along with the names of all their perfect gifts. If you’re really savvy, you may even have stores listed, coupons, dates for sales or shipping discounts,...