Enterprise Architecture

Overview

An Enterprise is:  -top

One or more organisations, companies or distinctive groups that share a common set of goals.

Enterprise Architecture is:  -top

Organising logic for all aspects of an enterprise; including people, organisation structure, operational processes, information and technology (POPIT) reflecting the integration and standardisation requirements of an organisation's operating model.

Blueprints that then define how this organising logic is applied to the structure and operation of an enterprise. The blueprints are formal descriptions that provide the basis for arranging systems at a component level to guide their implementation, such that the things within the systems and the other systems that they interact with operate in an effective manner.

The intent of an enterprise architecture is to determine and initiate the implementation of the blueprints that enable the enterprise to most effectively achieve its current and future objectives.
An architecture is a formal description that provides the basis for arranging a system at a component level to guide its implementation, such that the things within the system and the other systems that it interacts with operate in an effective manner.

The Role Of An Architect:  -top

An architect's role is therefore to manage the structure and change in an enterprise to optimise effective operation. The challenge is how to achieve this. This is further complicated by the issue of what constitutes an effective manner and who decides what effective means. Architects therefore have to deal with structure, components, opinions, politics and power in order to steer an enterprise towards an effective (usually evolving) architecture.

An enterprise architect works with the overall requirements / constraints of the enterprise to drive and govern the development of the (usually evolving) enterprise architecture; providing a balance of the general/global and specific/local outcomes required by that enterprise (at the relevant strategic, segment and capability levels - TOGAF terms).

A solution architect works with a set of specific requirements/constraints to deliver specific solutions; providing a balance between the needs of those specific requirements/constraints with the agreed wider enterprise architecture (at the relevant strategic, segment and capability levels).

The Deliverables Of An Enterprise Architecture Include:  -top

• a clear, well documented definition of the current state of an organisation's resources;
• well defined current, transition and target architectures that provide the context for change and speed decision making and impact assessments;
• reusable and standardised components within the architecture that drive cost reduction and quality improvements.
• an understanding of the relationship between planned change and current operation that minimises implementation errors for each change project; and
• a clear architectural view and high level design for each specific change that improves the ability to assess costs, risk and impact before the change is budgeted and approved.
  

The Benefits Of An Effective Enterprise Architecture are:  -top

Better knowledge and management of business assets and their interaction, reducing the cost of change and enabling that change to be implemented:

• indivdually with less risk and more speed; and
• collectively with improved alignment between each change initiative and to business goals, objectives and requirements.