Link: http://www.etc-architect.com/?p=56
From ETC-Architect » Architect Global | Data Architect, Global | Enterprise Architect, Global
Most architecture aims to enforce standards to achieve synergies. So instead of diversity we try to use the same tool over and over again. Usually this leads us to use tools for areas that they were never designed for. The other point is that over time an organisation is drained of knowledge of different methodologies. This pattern was already discovered in the late 16th century and called the “Golden Hammer” in relation that the standard toll is the Hammer and everything else is a nail. This leads to the point that after a while the knowledge of other tools is lost, so a kind of revert evolution.
The second problem with the approach is that the organisation will develop a truly deep understanding and expertise on that golden hammer to the point of exclusion, so that only they can work with the tool as only they use it for things that should never be done with the tool in the first place. This has often lead to the creation of an expensive as also very limited pool of resources to use that tool and often violates the intent of savings through standardisation. The other effect of the pattern is that the people specialising in the tool are only really employable at one site and when they realise this before turning a certain age they will disappear to other pastures as they otherwise realise that they will become unemployable once the tool is changed in some transformation or technology refresh.
So as architects we need to ensure that we strike the balance on synergies and diversity to avoid the tool trap.
