Enterprise Architecture | Framework for Transformation | Chapter 1

This article provides an executive overview of Enterprise Architecture(EA), the basic concepts of what it is (not just another name for IT Architecture), and why it is needed. It provides a summary of the benefits of establishing an Enterprise Architecture and adopting required methodologies standards to achieve that.

For IT folks with a passion in Enterprise Architecture, TOGAF framework is the de facto global standard for Enterprise Architecture and is governed by the Open Group Architecture Forum.

What is an enterprise?

An enterprise could be:

• A whole corporation or a division of a corporation
• A government agency or a single government department
• A chain of geographically distant organizations linked together by common ownership
• Groups of countries or governments working together to create common or shareable deliverables or infrastructures
• Partnerships and alliances of businesses working together, such as a consortium or supply chain

The term "Enterprise" in the context of "Enterprise Architecture" can be applied to either an entire enterprise, encompassing all of its business activities and capabilities, information, and technology that make up the entire infrastructure and governance of the enterprise, or to one or more specific areas of interest within the enterprise. In both cases, the architecture crosses multiple systems, and multiple functional groups within the enterprise.

What is an enterprise architecture?

Enterprise architecture is the process by which organizations standardize and organize IT infrastructure to align with business goals. These strategies support digital transformation, IT growth, and the modernization of IT.

Enterprise architecture is the practice of analyzing, designing, planning, and implementing enterprise analysis to successfully execute on business strategies. EA helps organizations structure IT projects and policies to achieve desired business results, to stay agile and resilient in the face of rapid change, and to stay on top of industry trends and disruptions using architecture principles and practices, a process also known as Enterprise Architectural Planning (EAP).

Modern EA strategies now extend this philosophy to the entire business, not just IT, to ensure the business is aligned with digital transformation strategies and technological growth. EA is especially useful for large businesses going through digital transformation, because it focuses on bringing legacy processes and applications together to form a more seamless environment.

The purpose of Enterprise Architecture is to optimize across the enterprise the often fragmented legacy of processes (both manual and automated) into an integrated environment that is responsive to change and supportive of the delivery of the business strategy.

Furthermore, a good Enterprise Architecture enables you to achieve the right balance between business transformation and continuous operational efficiency. It allows individual business units to innovate safely in their pursuit of evolving business goals and competitive advantage. At the same time, the Enterprise Architecture enables the needs of the organization to be met with an integrated strategy which permits the closest possible synergies across the enterprise and beyond.

Goals of an enterprise architecture

EA is guided by the organization’s business requirements — it helps lay out how information, business, and technology flow together. This has become a priority for businesses that are trying to keep up with new technologies such as the cloud, IoT, machine learning, and other emerging trends that will prompt digital transformation.

The process is driven by a “comprehensive picture of an entire enterprise from the perspectives of owner, designer, and builder,” Unlike other frameworks, EA doesn’t include a formal documentation structure; instead, it’s intended to offer a more holistic view of the enterprise.

Benefits of an enterprise architecture

There are?several benefits to enterprise architecture, including resiliency and adaptability, managing supply chain disruptions, staff recruitment and retention, improved product and service delivery, and tracking data and APIs. EA can offer support for redesigns and reorganization, especially during major organizational changes, mergers, or acquisitions. It’s also useful for bringing more discipline into the organization by standardizing and consolidating processes for more consistency.

Benefits of EAP include:

• Allowing more open collaboration between IT and business units
• Giving business the ability to prioritize investments
• Making it easier to evaluate existing architecture against long-term goals
• Establishing processes to evaluate and procure technology
• Giving comprehensive view of IT architecture to all business units outside of IT
• Providing a benchmarking framework to compare results against other organizations or standards

Enterprise architecture methodologies

Enterprise architecture can appear vague as a framework because it’s meant to address the entire organization, instead of individual needs, problems, or business units. Therefore, several more specific frameworks have evolved to help companies effectively implement and track EAP, including the following four leading EA methodologies, according to CompTIA:

• The Open Group Architectural Framework (TOGAF): TOGAF provides principles for designing, planning, implementing, and governing enterprise IT architecture. The TOGAF framework helps businesses create a standardized approach to EA with a common vocabulary, recommended standards, compliance methods, suggested tools and software and a method to define best practices. The TOGAF framework is widely popular as an enterprise architect framework, and?according to The Open Group?it’s been adopted by more than 80% of the world’s leading enterprises.
• The Zachman Framework for Enterprise Architecture:?The Zachman framework is named after one of the original founders of enterprise architecture and it’s another popular EA methodology. It’s better understood as a “taxonomy,” according to CompTIA, and it spans six architectural focal points and six primary stakeholders to help standardize and define the IT architecture components and outputs.
• Federal Enterprise Architecture Framework (FEAF):?FEAF was introduced in 1996 as a response to the Clinger-Cohen act, which introduced mandates for IT effectiveness in federal agencies. It’s designed for the U.S. government, but it can also be applied to private companies that want to use the framework.
• Gartner:?After acquiring The Meta Group in 2005, Gartner established best practices for EAP and adapted them into the company’s general consulting practices. While it’s not an individual framework, CompTIA recognizes it as a “practical” methodology that focuses on business outcomes with “few explicit steps or components.”

Enterprise architect role

Enterprise architects?typically report to the CIO or other Executive Leadership members. They’re responsible for analyzing business structures and processes to see that they align with business goals effectively and efficiently. As an enterprise architect, you’ll also be responsible for ensuring these structures and processes are agile and durable, so they can swiftly adapt and withstand major change.

Enterprise architects often go on to work as a CTO, software engineering or development director, or CIO.

To become an enterprise architect, you’ll need an undergraduate degree in computer science, information technology, or a related field and at least 10 years of experience in IT or a related field. You’ll also need hands-on experience working with computer systems, hard drives and other architecture technology. Enterprise architects need several soft skills to be successful, including communication, problem-solving, critical thinking, leadership, and teamwork.

Enterprise architecture certifications

There are several certifications you can earn to demonstrate your EA skills, including more specific certifications that focus on skills like cloud and security architecture.

Vendor-neutral Certifications for enterprise architecture include:

• The Open Group TOGAF 9.2 Certification
• The Open group Certified Architect (Open CA)
• Axelos ITIL Master certification
• Virtualization Council Master Infrastructure Architect certification
• CISSP Information Systems Security Architecture Professional (ISSAP)
• EC Council Certified Network Defense Architect (CNDA)

Vendor-specific Certifications for enterprise architecture include

• AWS Certified Solution Architect
• Salesforce Certified Technical Architect (CTA)
• Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert
• Red Hat Certified Architect
• and many more

#cginfinity #peoplefirst