It would be naive to expect that when running a business that decisions would not need to be made. Situations are constantly arising that will require a response. To be able to reliably respond, appropriately and with some degree of agility, can determine whether a business will ultimately succeed or fail.
Examples of situations that need responses are:
- Changes in Government regulations which require compliance.
- New service offerings by competitors, potentially ‘stealing’ market share.
- Changes in business strategic focus.
- Innovation, introducing new business opportunities.
- Failure of process or systems to deliver required results.
The decision making process needs to be as agile as possible so that an appropriate response can be adopted both rapidly and executed efficiently.
Too often, however, the decision making process takes too long to be effective or, though lack of good information, is poorly formulated.
The business, with a well-structured, content rich and properly maintained Enterprise Architecture, has an asset that supports decision making with many touch points into the process.
The Enterprise Architecture, providing an end-to-end repository of knowledge about the business, can provide a single access point from which information relevant to the situation can be drawn.
The Enterprise Architecture can additionally support the analysis and development of decision options and assist in the assessment of the business and/or technical impact of each. With a good understanding of impacts a decision can be reached and appropriate activities developed through which the decision can be executed.
Lastly the Enterprise Architecture repository can provide a framework which could capture the quantitative outcomes of decision made thus feeding and maturing future decision making activities.
Without having access to an active Enterprise Architecture the decision making process, whilst going through the same steps, can take significantly longer. Also being affected by poor access to information and consequently to a diminished ability to carry out a timely impact analyse the quality of decisions may be compromised.
It is often said: “Knowledge is Power”
An Enterprise Architecture is a repository of business knowledge. With it the power to make ‘good’, rapid business decision is greatly enhanced.
Having agility in the decision making process and making consistently good decisions must be good for the business.
