Aggregated enterprise architecture wisdom
By Andrew Josey, The Open Group The number of individuals certified in the TOGAF® 9 certification program as of July 1st 2013 was 23,800. This represents 9000 new certifications in the equivalent twelve month period. Today (22nd July 2013) the … Continue reading →
I got a great question from Bill Cooke about my Technology Governance in a Simple Model post. He brought up questions about how a CIO supports innovation and opportunistic activities. Here is my response to Bill: Bill, Thanks for taking time to read my…
Lets look at the fundamental aspect of creating an Enterprise Architecture brand within your company – Enablement OR Control?In some organizations, the “control” part of EA is given an unhealthy amount of attention. Not that control is not important, b…
Lets look at the fundamental aspect of creating an Enterprise Architecture brand within your company – Enablement OR Control?In some organizations, the “control” part of EA is given an unhealthy amount of attention. Not that control is not important, b…
…continued from previous post. This BP Trends advisor proposes a method to develop a business process architecture which…In fig. 4 and 5, the customer, interacting with various links of the value chain, is placed at the end of t…
By Loren K. Baynes, Director, Global Marketing Communications at The Open Group. We are winding down Day 3 and gearing up for the next two days of training and workshops. Today’s subject areas included TOGAF®, ArchiMate®, Risk Management, Innovation Management, … Continue reading →
By Loren K. Baynes, Director, Global Marketing Communications at The Open Group. Day 2 at The Open Group conference in the City of Brotherly Love, as Philadelphia is also known, was another busy and remarkable day. The plenary started with … Continue reading →
While thinking of ideas discussed in this blog, have been probing the tenants that creates the fundamental characteristics of the system such as :- Division Of Labor – the most important idea that revolutionized industrialization and for rise of capitalism Commodiitization vs Specialization Production of cost by Economy Of Scale by Division vs Multiplexing (manual […]
By Loren K. Baynes, Director, Global Marketing Communications at The Open Group. On Monday, July 15th, we kicked off our conference in Philadelphia. As Allen Brown, CEO of The Open Group, commented in his opening remarks, Philadelphia is the birthplace … Continue reading →
All businesses, ranging from the ‘one man show’ through to multinationals and governments, can succeed or fail on the back of the decisions that they are constantly on call to deliver. The quality of the decisions that are made has … Continue reading →
I caught up with Gil Long who has served IBM as a Business Development Executive, Distinguished Engineer and CIO Office Chief Enterprise Architecture leader. As the Worldwide Enterprise Architecture Community Leader, he specialized in architecture governance, strategic architecture design and infrastructure transition planning. He was responsible for IBM’s enterprise architecture strategy and planning service offerings, global enterprise architecture training programs, and functioned as a member of IBM’s Architect Certification Board.
Gil has had direct management responsibility for large IT organizations and staffing, and substantial ongoing budget accountability. His multi-industry experience includes international banking, securities, education, retail, healthcare, insurance, utilities, manufacturing, semi-conductor, airlines, telecommunications and government.
Gil is a competitive aerobatics and commercial pilot.
In many years of your experience across hundreds of customers, what is the fundamental thing that organizations miss about Enterprise Architecture?
Understanding the value of EA is often an issue. The value is not only about reducing IT cost, but investing in innovative ways to improve the business. In my opinion, many companies do not understand what EA is!
EA needs the buy-in from upper management, but most upper managements think it is merely a technical or standards issue, and miss the point that it covers all aspects of business and technical structure and management. It is very important to have someone at the sponsorship level who understands what EA is and what value it brings.
In your experience what has been one of the most remarkable transformations enabled by Enterprise Architecture?
Obviously, I am intimately familiar with IBM’s EA and how it has influenced multiple internal transformations. I shared with you the IBM Transformation Story. Great showcase!
I have seen many other transformations in the client world. One involved the consolidation of 90 companies (utilities) into a common footprint! Generally, the more complex the environment, the greater the benefit EA can deliver.
What do you think is one of the most underrated aspects of Enterprise Architecture?
The leadership role that an Enterprise Architect can provide to the organization.
For an aspiring Enterprise Architect, what are some key things she needs to start working on right now?
[-] Understand what EA is and what value it brings to the organization.
[-] Get EA training. You could start with understanding TOGAF, which is an internationally recognized standard for Enterprise Architecture.
[-] Get certified if you can, it could establish your credibility both within and outside your organization.
[-] Develop strong relationships with stakeholders that are impacted by EA. Its importance cannot be overstated. Involve them in the process.
[-] Understand your industry. Industries have their own context, business process models, histories, politics and challenges. Understanding your industry gives you an edge when working with partners across the company.
[-] Work on your communication skills. Always put yourself in the shoes of your audience. Communicate in a way that the listener will understand. Your message should be simple, concise and actionable, and answer the question, ‘What’s in it for me?’.
[-] An Enterprise Architect needs to stand up and speak, evangelize ideas, develop consensus, work across boundaries. Do not throw up your hands and quit, or be draconian and say if I don’t get what I want, the world will come to an end!
Do you think Enterprise Architecture has a brand issue?
Yes, the name itself implies it is a technical concept, rather than an overall business concept. The word “architecture” conjures an image of a guy with his head down, drawing a complex picture! The word “enterprise” can also be a bit vague. The enterprise represents the totality of the business; including business partners, customers and other stakeholders, and the infrastructure they use to accomplish their objectives.
However, a good Enterprise Architect will be able to explain EA to anyone in terms they can understand.
At the risk of drawing you into the “war of EA frameworks”, how important is the EA framework brand to you?
You have quite a collection of funny “ditties”! Which one is your favorite?
I have many favorites, but the “You are here!” picture always gets a laugh from architects 🙂
I caught up with Gil Long who has served IBM as a Business Development Executive, Distinguished Engineer and CIO Office Chief Enterprise Architecture leader. As the Worldwide Enterprise Architecture Community Leader, he specialized in architecture governance, strategic architecture design and infrastructure transition planning. He was responsible for IBM’s enterprise architecture strategy and planning service offerings, global enterprise architecture training programs, and functioned as a member of IBM’s Architect Certification Board.
Gil has had direct management responsibility for large IT organizations and staffing, and substantial ongoing budget accountability. His multi-industry experience includes international banking, securities, education, retail, healthcare, insurance, utilities, manufacturing, semi-conductor, airlines, telecommunications and government.
Gil is a competitive aerobatics and commercial pilot.
In many years of your experience across hundreds of customers, what is the fundamental thing that organizations miss about Enterprise Architecture?
Understanding the value of EA is often an issue. The value is not only about reducing IT cost, but investing in innovative ways to improve the business. In my opinion, many companies do not understand what EA is!
EA needs the buy-in from upper management, but most upper managements think it is merely a technical or standards issue, and miss the point that it covers all aspects of business and technical structure and management. It is very important to have someone at the sponsorship level who understands what EA is and what value it brings.
In your experience what has been one of the most remarkable transformations enabled by Enterprise Architecture?
Obviously, I am intimately familiar with IBM’s EA and how it has influenced multiple internal transformations. I shared with you the IBM Transformation Story. Great showcase!
I have seen many other transformations in the client world. One involved the consolidation of 90 companies (utilities) into a common footprint! Generally, the more complex the environment, the greater the benefit EA can deliver.
What do you think is one of the most underrated aspects of Enterprise Architecture?
The leadership role that an Enterprise Architect can provide to the organization.
For an aspiring Enterprise Architect, what are some key things she needs to start working on right now?
[-] Understand what EA is and what value it brings to the organization.
[-] Get EA training. You could start with understanding TOGAF, which is an internationally recognized standard for Enterprise Architecture.
[-] Get certified if you can, it could establish your credibility both within and outside your organization.
[-] Develop strong relationships with stakeholders that are impacted by EA. Its importance cannot be overstated. Involve them in the process.
[-] Understand your industry. Industries have their own context, business process models, histories, politics and challenges. Understanding your industry gives you an edge when working with partners across the company.
[-] Work on your communication skills. Always put yourself in the shoes of your audience. Communicate in a way that the listener will understand. Your message should be simple, concise and actionable, and answer the question, ‘What’s in it for me?’.
[-] An Enterprise Architect needs to stand up and speak, evangelize ideas, develop consensus, work across boundaries. Do not throw up your hands and quit, or be draconian and say if I don’t get what I want, the world will come to an end!
Do you think Enterprise Architecture has a brand issue?
Yes, the name itself implies it is a technical concept, rather than an overall business concept. The word “architecture” conjures an image of a guy with his head down, drawing a complex picture! The word “enterprise” can also be a bit vague. The enterprise represents the totality of the business; including business partners, customers and other stakeholders, and the infrastructure they use to accomplish their objectives.
However, a good Enterprise Architect will be able to explain EA to anyone in terms they can understand.
At the risk of drawing you into the “war of EA frameworks”, how important is the EA framework brand to you?
You have quite a collection of funny “ditties”! Which one is your favorite?
I have many favorites, but the “You are here!” picture always gets a laugh from architects 🙂