What are the best ways to maintain business architecture standards?

2 Establish governance roles and processes

The second step to maintain business architecture standards is to establish governance roles and processes that oversee and enforce them. Governance is the mechanism that ensures that the business architecture is aligned with the organization's strategy, objectives, and policies, and that it meets the needs and expectations of the stakeholders. Governance roles are the people or groups that have the authority and responsibility to define, approve, monitor, and review the business architecture standards and artifacts. Governance processes are the activities and procedures that support the governance roles in performing their tasks. Some examples of governance roles are business architects, sponsors, owners, and reviewers. Some examples of governance processes are planning, assessment, approval, change management, and audit.

3 Communicate and educate stakeholders

The third step to maintain business architecture standards is to communicate and educate stakeholders about them. Stakeholders are the people or groups that have an interest or influence in the business architecture, such as executives, managers, employees, customers, partners, and regulators. Communication is the activity of informing and engaging stakeholders about the purpose, value, and benefits of the business architecture standards and artifacts. Education is the activity of training and developing stakeholders' skills and knowledge on how to use and apply the business architecture standards and artifacts. Some examples of communication and education methods are newsletters, workshops, webinars, and coaching.

4 Monitor and measure compliance

The fourth step to maintain business architecture standards is to monitor and measure compliance with them. Compliance is the degree to which the business architecture standards and artifacts are followed and adhered to by the stakeholders. Monitoring is the activity of observing and tracking the performance and behavior of the stakeholders in relation to the business architecture standards and artifacts. Measuring is the activity of quantifying and evaluating the results and outcomes of the monitoring activity. Some examples of monitoring and measuring tools are dashboards, reports, surveys, and feedback.

5 Adapt and improve standards

The fifth step to maintain business architecture standards is to adapt and improve them based on the feedback and learning from the previous steps. Adaptation is the activity of modifying and updating the business architecture standards and artifacts to reflect the changes and needs of the organization and the environment. Improvement is the activity of enhancing and optimizing the business architecture standards and artifacts to increase their effectiveness and efficiency. Some examples of adaptation and improvement techniques are gap analysis, root cause analysis, best practices, and lessons learned.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?