Architecting with AI

Artificial Intelligence is often portrayed as a disruptive force — one that demands new methods, tools, and frameworks. But in practice, AI doesn’t replace traditional architecture frameworks. Instead, it enhances them. This is especially true when it comes to the TOGAF Standard’s Architecture Development Method (ADM). Rather than rewriting the playbook, AI can act as […]

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EA: The Missing Puzzle Piece

The words Enterprise Architecture often elicit a predictable reaction: a nod of polite acknowledgement, sometimes tinted by mild apprehension or indifference. Somewhere along the line, it became something that busily hums behind the scenes, tucked away in senior briefing decks or internal frameworks, occasionally referenced but rarely felt at the grassroots. Yet that quiet presence hides a paradox. For many organizations striving to steer through complexity, boost resilience, and drive transformation, Enterprise Architecture is not an optional refinement — it is the missing puzzle piece that makes everything else fall into place.

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AI: More Buzzword Than Breakthrough

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Intelligent Automation (IA) are two terms that have become ubiquitous in today’s world. Although they are often used interchangeably, they are distinct concepts, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. Unfortunately, there is a growing tendency to use the term “AI” as a catch-all phrase that obscures the fact that we’re not really doing AI. What we are really using today is a practical application of IA. In this blog, I’ll tell you why AI is more a buzzword than the breakthrough we all hoped it would be.

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Globally Scaled Architecture

In the fast-paced landscape of global trade, the Port of Rotterdam stands as a beacon of efficiency and innovation. As Europe’s largest seaport (handling close to 9 million containers annually), it serves as a vital gateway for the movement of goods between continents. Behind its towering cranes and bustling terminals lies a meticulously designed framework known as Enterprise Architecture.

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Digital Transformation is Not About IT

Digital Transformation is a strategic endeavor. It involves a major change in the organizational culture, in its goals and objectives, its capabilities and business processes. And yes, at the very end of the road also a change in the supporting IT systems. Digital Transformation is not just about IT.

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Strategy Execution

In today’s rapidly changing business landscape, it’s not enough to have a great strategy. It is equally important to be able to execute it effectively. Being able to execute the organizational strategy creates business value. And that’s where Enterprise Architecture comes in. By leveraging Enterprise Architecture, for example, organizations can concentrate on strategy execution.

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Ability, Capability, Capacity and Competence (and Reality)

Over two years ago I posted a piece describing the characteristics of Ability, Capability, Capacity and Competence. This piece has been read often but was, in hindsight, deficient. Having an understanding of the meaning behind each of the terms is … Continue reading

Why service, function and capability

Ah definitions, definitions – so many to choose from! But somehow, only a limited number of labels to go around, to share out amongst all those definitions? Which means that people end up using the same labels for different things,

Sharing the Solution Domain Taxonomy

Sometimes, Enterprise Architecture efforts fail.  This is no surprise to folks in the EA business.  This failure occurred slowly, back in 2007 and 2008.  But it did occur.  It took me a while to realize it. 

I had developed a method useful for Application Portfolio Management as well as for Service Oriented Architecture called “Solution Domains”.  The method is good.  It’s a framework and taxonomy for high level descriptions of software so that generalized services can be created AND so that the portfolio of applications can be rationalized.

The method is good.  But I failed to position it’s use in the appropriate enterprise program in the appropriate way.  I failed.  Not the method.  Where we used the method, it worked brilliantly. 

I’ve learned from my mistakes, but being unwilling to let a good thing go to waste, I’m sharing the Solution Domain taxonomy with the world.  It’s not patentable (I tried).  It is useful, however, because it is a part of a business method that supports Application Portfolio Management in a completely technology agnostic manner as well as Middle-Out SOA.

I’ve put the entire taxonomy on my Enterprise Business Motivation Model site at: http://motivationmodel.com/wp/application-portfolio-management-and-solution-domains/ 

I may return here, at some point, and provide further details on how it can be effectively used.  For now, back to work!