Motivation Behind EA

The motivation behind Enterprise Architecture

A common definition for Enterprise Architecture

There are many different definitions of Enterprise Architecture within each organisation and in a growing set of literature.
This web site provides a common definition and an Enterprise Architecture framework for structuring the elements of an enterprise architecture.

Increase architectural rigour

By underpinning the Enterprise Architecture with the industry best practice from Archimate, TOGAF, COBIT and FEA, the importance of enterprise modelling is highlighted and justified.
The ArchiMate language has been used as the basis for the Enterprise Architecture Meta Model
Architecture rigour also means creating a holistic set of enterprise level models that capture - not just all the important characteristics of the IT Architecture - but all the possible kinds of relationships between Business Services, Business Processes, Information, Applications and the Technology and Infrastructure viewpoints.
Showing all the interactions and thought processes behind the enterprise architecture will increase the understanding of its purpose.

Benefits of Enterprise Architecture

The benefits of Enterprise Architecture are difficult to communicate. The return on investment and business case for enterprise architecture have often been described to the business in terms of standardisation, consolidation, portfolio management, building flexibility, increasing capabilities and performance over time.
These benefits are obtained only indirectly as projects build solutions that are compliant with the architecture. This web site describes the reasons why enterprise architecture is important.

Initiating an Enterprise Architecture Programme

The Enterprise Architecture function is an organisation unit that that must manage the Enterprise Architecture repository and processes.
This is not done with a short term project, but instead an Enterprise Architecture programme needs to be established.
A successful EA programme requires continuity and coordination across the whole organisation and all stakeholders, in order to continually provide a bridge between the business strategy and the target vision of the future operating environment.
This web site describes the Enterprise Architecture function as a System 4 organisation service as described in Stafford Beer’s Viable System Model (VSM).
The System 4 has a focus on the future strategy.
This web site describes the establishment of the EA programme and organisation units needed for governance and compliance.

Example EA initiatives

Create practical guidelines

There is often a danger in the enterprise architecture discipline that the architecture activities are viewed as largely academic or theoretical.
Throughout this book, it tries to uphold a practical view to enterprise architecture that is useful to both enterprise architects and solution delivery teams.
This web site serves as the starting point for getting the answers.

Introduce standard enterprise architecture practices

This web site provides the base for a common way of working among enterprise architects.
This commonality serves to increase the effectiveness of the enterprise architects, and their efficiency.
By defining a standard framework structure and Meta model for the enterprise architecture deliverables, this will start the journey towards consistent working practices, processes and procedures for enterprise architects.

Introduce standard enterprise architecture terminology

Creating a common glossary of all terminology used within the enterprise architect community is one of the most important aspects of this book.
The difficulty arises for several reasons.

  • A diverse range of meanings is given to many common terms.
  • Nearly all words used have multiple plain English meanings, and some even have company-specific meanings
  • Many terms in different language have been translated literally and don’t have the same meaning

The Glossary contains the specific definitions for the concepts and terms used.
The relationships between the concepts are shown in the chapter on the Architecture Meta Model.

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