PRC06-Strategic ArchitectureWhy we should care about Enterprise Architecture

Jim WiltChief Software ArchitectMetrics Reporting, Inc.

Goals:

(1) Examine Enterprise Architecture from a Development/IT Architecture View Point to see its benefits from this perspective

(2) Promote active interaction with Enterprise Architecture to increase the perceived value of IT Solutions through greater efficiencies, innovation, and rigor

(3) Recognize shared responsibility in establishing a common vocabulary from business to technology through EA’s understanding of the entire ecosystem as a whole

(4) Open doors that allow IT to be agents of change through traceability and leverage of measured success

What is Enterprise Architecture?

An enterprise architecture (EA) is a rigorous description of the structure of an enterprise, which comprise enterprise components (business entities), the externally visible properties of those components, and the relationships (e.g. the behavior) between them. EA describes the terminology, the composition of enterprise components, and their relationships with the external environment, and the guiding principles for the requirement, design, and evolution of an enterprise.

- Wikipedia

Applications(Software)

Technology(Infrastructu

re)

Information Business

Foundation Body of Knowledge

Human Dynamics

Design

Quality Attributes

IT Environment

Business Technology Strategy

Foundation(5-Pillars)

IASA’s Skills Matrix

Software Architecture

InfrastructureArchitecture

Information Architecture

BusinessArchitectureSpecializations

Enterprise ArchitectureRole

“has-a”

Development/IT Architecture View Point

EA Role Model: Who was the very first Enterprise Architect?

Mom (the role)

Frames of Reference

EA: Entire Ecosystem as a Whole

Dev/IT Arch: Individual Ecosystems(harmonious) (chaotic)

Frames of Reference: Entire Ecosystem as a WholePortfolio Management

Ensuring technology investments provide business value returnApplication, Infrastructure, & Project portfoliosReuse & Refactoring to eliminate unnecessary redundancies

Asset ManagementLifecycle management (e.g., maintenance) of IT AssetsWhole Systems View

Common Vocabulary across Business and IT“We need a commonly agreed upon vocabulary and

framework by which we can analyze our portfolio, proposed investments, potential simplification, and

generally make the ecosystem more agile and responsive to business needs.”

-Barry Briggs, Microsoft IT CTO

Business Value

Business is a collection of processes…

“The business is in the businessprocesses” – Barry Briggs

Then, what is the business value?

“The business value is found in the measured business process improvements” – Jim Wilt

(hint: look at how the business process is made, and then the process itself)

Business Value – Comes in Three Forms

Miles and Snow’s Strategy Typology

Defender Analyzer Prospector

27%

51%

22%

DistributionEfficiencies

Innovation

Rigor

Leverage though Governance

Governance is the strong arm of Enterprise Architecture

It is how we achieve Rigor and prevent…

Governance is executed in the forms of…

Standards – set by a committee based propose/review process

Reference Architectures – patterns of applicable architectures

Architectural Review – a formal EA review process

PB

A

ATA

M

Harmony? – well… sort-of

90% of Architecture is about driving change in the organization

EA drives traceability between business and it's supporting applications & infrastructure to measure change against business factors

Takeaways and Action Items

Enterprise Architecture sees things in a normalized perspective, rely on it to help you see your blind-spots

Business value is realized best when it is measured; let your EA guide tangible business measures in your solutions

The Enterprise Architect stands in the business domain and in the technical domain; let your EA keep you connected to the business from a whole ecosystem perspective

Thank your Mom for being such a great role model!

Learn More!Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enterprise_architecture IASA: http://www.iasaglobal.orgJim’s Blog: http://wiltjk.wordpress.comBarry Briggs Blog: http://barry.edithere.com/ Rummler Brache: http://www.rummler-brache.com/home Peter Stasinopoulos, Michael H. Smith, Karlson 'Charlie' Hargroves, Cheryl Desha, Whole System Design: An Integrated Approach to Sustainable Engineering, Earthscan Publications Ltd. (January 2009)Miles and Snow’s Strategy Typology: http://www.vectorstudy.com/management_topics/strategy_typology.htm Architecture Trade-off and Analysis Method (ATAM): http://www.sei.cmu.edu/architecture/tools/atam/Perspectives-Based Architecture (PBA): http://lewiscurtis.com/pba.aspx

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