Challenges of Enterprise Architecture in Agile IT Organisations

Unlocking Agile Success: Navigating Enterprise Architecture in Dynamic Environments, by Larissa A. Rolf B. Blankenmayer Dariusz Piotrkowski Sara Steiert (alphabetical order, equal contribution)

In the ever-evolving landscape of modern enterprises, there's a common belief that Enterprise Architecture (EA) clashes with the agile IT concept. However, this article dispels such misconceptions and demonstrates how EA and agile IT can complement each other effectively Nevertheless, achieving this integration presents some challenges for C-suite executives and project leaders alike.

This article covers characteristics of agile IT Organizations, different viewpoints from Enterprise Architects as well as developers about which role EA has to play in agile IT organizations, followed by the success factors needed to overcome those obstacles.

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CHAPTER 1: Characteristics of agile IT Organizations

Transitioning to an agile IT organization means shifting from large, multi-year projects with fragmented ownership to a product-oriented approach. In this new model, customer value is continuously delivered through a focused product vision, driven by a dedicated and empowered product team. This team, self-standing and accountable, prioritizes tasks based on the value they deliver to the customer, ensuring that features and functionalities providing the most benefit are developed first. A product owner guides prioritization based on business value, aligning the team's efforts with customer needs and fostering continuous improvement and responsiveness.

Developer teams in this agile environment are cross-functional and stable, enabling fast learning and adaptability while minimizing handovers and dependencies. They adopt agile methodologies such as Scrum or SAFe, embrace lean principles to minimize waste, and utilize appropriate tools to enhance their workflow. These teams promote continuous learning and improvement, working autonomously and self-organizing to plan in short cycles and release frequently, enabling strong flexibility. Governance in agile teams includes practices like Daily Standups, Sprint Planning & Reviews, and Retrospectives, fostering a collaborative environment and aligning with Enterprise Architecture.

The shorter cycles and new governance models necessitate a fresh approach to collaboration with EA, ensuring that the agile practices are well-integrated and that continuous value is delivered to the customer. This holistic approach ensures that customer value is continuously prioritized and that the organization remains responsive and adaptive to changing needs.

CHAPTER 2: Enterprise Architects viewpoint on existing challenges

Thus, in Agile organizations, effective Enterprise Architecture (EA) faces a multitude of challenges, spanning various facets of the organization. Those challenges can be summarized into three main categories:

Organizational challenges arise when it comes to the role of Enterprise Architects, if they are either involved to late in the product lifecycle, e.g. only to review an already developed product, or in the demand management process, so that prioritization of requirements and assignment to product teams rather follows political aspects than architectural criteria.

Governance challenges emerge when EA is wrongly perceived within the organization and solely focused on IT rather than including Business Architecture. Also, if the value of the business capability model (BCM) is not properly understood even though most companies have defined one, it leads to misinterpretations which affects the culture as a whole. In combination with product teams that are defined around existing organizational structures and platforms rather than based on business value and related business capabilities it can leads to further conflicts of interests. Another aspect is the missing mandate for EA to steer product teams and guide them through necessary processes.

Cultural challenges can occur when EA guidelines are not adhered to due to resistance from product teams. This resistance often stems from a shortsighted view of EA, limiting its scope to IT functions rather than recognizing its broader impact on Business Architecture. Additionally, challenges occur when the prioritization of requirements and assignment to product teams follow political aspects rather than architectural criteria and therefore impede efficient processes.

As you might notice in the above list of “challenges” you won’t find anything which is related to technology or EA tools, which is another proof-point that the most difficult part is always “human factor” in technology projects. In our believe technology challenges are much easier to overcome and it’s much easier to find common understanding how to solve the problem.

CHAPTER 3: What do successful EA teams do differently?

In navigating the complexities of Enterprise Architecture (EA) within Agile organizations and facing those challenges, five key success factors emerge that - ensure proper alignment of product teams with the IT strategy when mastered successfully:

1. If solution architects require assistance related to solution specific question, the Enterprise Architects can produce guidance based on their specific area of expertise. This fosters trust and legitimacy, building a strong collaborative relationship.
2. However it can very well be that the Enterprise Architect is not knowledgeable enough to assist in a specific solution related question. In that case the Enterprise Architect can enable the Solution Architect to solve the problem with methodological guidance. This can often aid to identify the true root cause of the problem or identify potential solution options that have not yet been identified by the Solution Architect who – naturally – focusses on the realm of his solution and my miss alternative or “outside the box” solution options.
3. When it comes to the product team, solutions for identified challenges often only reflect the point of view of the product team itself. Communication across product teams which can be facilitated in an Architecture community helps to bring in outside-in perspectives and widening the solution space.
4. Furthermore, adequate resources, both in terms of manpower and skill sets, are essential for EA teams to effectively support projects and initiatives within the organization. For example, cloud-specific project requires this type of resources with deep understanding of cloud architecture, guidelines, specific services, etc. and this is extremely important to allocate Enterprise Architect with this type of technical knowledge & experience which might support delivery team dealing with technical and non-technical obstacles in the project.
5. And last but not least, involving Enterprise Architects in large programs from the beginning enables the definition of a clear North Star early on. This alignment ensures that individual implementation initiatives work towards a common goal, minimizing the need for significant course corrections later in the project lifecycle.

But of course, this is not exhaustive list of “problem solvers” just an initial list of propositions which should be adjusted and extended (if required) to every organization’s context and current situation.

In conclusion, integrating EA into Agile environments requires strategic vision, collaborative leadership, and a commitment to innovation. By embracing these key success factors and leveraging EA as a strategic enabler, organizations can unlock the full potential of Agile methodologies, driving sustainable growth and competitive advantage in today's dynamic business landscape.

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