Aggregated enterprise architecture wisdom
Doug Newdick We are often called on to justify the particular option or path we are taking. We often have good articulate reasons for choosing this option over that one, for why we are taking this particular path, but we are rarely asked to justify why we are doing anything at all. But surely, this is the […]
I recently had a discussion with a colleague about what the real purpose of architecture documentation is. The simple answer of “documenting the architecture” seems unsatisfactory to me – “what is the point in that?” I think. My response to him was that architecture documents are for recording (and communicating) architectural decisions. This is part […]
This is basically the question that many project managers ask me when we have a discussion about adhering to governance. They want to know what value their project gets from adhering to governance processes, from generating artefacts for governance gates. The short answer is “none – governance is not something we do for you!” If […]
Here’s an idea to help your projects go smoothly. Start each project off making sure that the team understands the business context it is operating in by performing a SWOT analysis. I’ve been in a number of discussion recently that have made me think about ways to get projects off on a solid footing, understanding […]
Something about the typical language of enterprise architecture is starting to bug me. The overuse of the word “alignment”. When people are asked to describe what enterprise architecture is all about, they often answer with the phrase “it’s about the alignment of IT with business strategy”. But is that enough? Should it be something more? […]
This is the sixteenth post in my series on BYOD. In my last post on the subject I discussed a range of technologies that can be used to solve issues raised by BYOD. Here I’d like to give my broad recommendations around which of those technologies are most likely to solve the kinds of problems […]
Does your architecture pass the “So What” test? Can you demonstrate the specific value that a particular architectural deliverable or activity will add? If not, why are you even bothering? In this case, as with justice, your activity must not just add value, it must be seen to add value. A number of recent discussions […]
If you have ever had a debate about whether your organisation should use cloud computing then a discussion of the risks of cloud computing will have been a significant part of it. In doing so, we often fall into a simple logical trap. Cloud computing is just one of the options that we have. The […]
In case you haven’t heard Microsoft is ending support for Windows XP and Office 2003 in April of 2014. What this means is that Microsoft will no longer patch security vulnerabilities discovered in XP or Office 2003, and therefore there will be security holes discovered that can be exploited by hackers which will never be […]
This is the fifteenth post in my series on BYOD. I have mostly avoided talking about technology, as in many ways that is the least important, and the most straightforward aspect of dealing with BYOD. Most people automatically think of Mobile Device Management (MDM) when they think of mobile or BYOD technology, but that is far from […]
This is my fourteenth post in my series on BYOD. This recent article on Infoworld about how the US Department of Veterans’ Affairs has put its BYOD plans on hold illustrates the point that you need to consider and cover off employee privacy when implementing BYOD. As I understand the article, they are putting their […]
This is another post based on a conversation – this time about options analyses. My colleagues were suggesting that it was OK to present options, highlight the pros and cons, and leave the business to make their own decision. Now, I’ve written a few in my time, and my opinion is clear: if, as an […]