Aggregated enterprise architecture wisdom
“Profound garbage” – that was how he described my work. Well, I can’t complain: at least he described it as ‘profound’… Over the past few days there’s been a fair amount that’s gone all kinda philosophical and ‘meta’ on me,…
‘My framework/metamodel/ontology is better than your framework/metamodel/ontology’
‘Have we tailored our framework correctly?’
‘Is our reference architecture complete?’
‘That is not a capability that is a service!’
‘Is that a Service or a Capability, a Function or an Information System Service or an Actor’
‘Is this a logical application component or a logical technology component?’
‘I was going to model this as a logical application component but i want to relate it to an actor, so i have to wrap it up in an information system services then a business service.’
‘What would TOGAF do?’
‘Is this this Solution Concept diagram the right type of artifact? should it be a Business Footprint diagram?’
‘Are we progressing in line with our architecture maturity model?’
None of these questions matter!
Why?
because they don’t matter to your stakeholders
Why?
If you are really doing enterprise architecture and not detailed solutions/technology architecture (where accuracy of semantics is more important), then the stakeholders that matter, the ones whose decisions you provide support for simply don’t f-ing care!
EA is really just a technique to provide decision support, to help decision makers (oh by the way if you think you are one of them you are deluded) make informed decisions that affect the success of the Enterprise.
All we need to do as EAs to be successful is communicate clarity to your stakeholder about the problem space they are concerned about. To do this you don’t need to gnash your teeth or gaze at your navel, you don’t need a fancy tool and the right template connecting the right concepts in your chosen meta-model.
What you need is an understanding of the problem space, the status quo and what pragmatic steps may need to be taken to achieve the target.
To much EA debate, whether with colleagues or in the wider community is Meta-bollocks
Definiton: A conversation between Enterprise Architects that results in no value delivered to the organisation but an increase in air pressure and temperature due to the production of hot air.
When you engage in one of these meta-bollocks debates either with yourself or your colleagues, stop. Ask yourself, If my most important stakeholder was in the room at this moment, would she understand and would she think the discussion was an effective use of your time? if the answer is no, curtail the discussion and get on doing some Enterprise Architecture.
“Transformation” has become a highly overused, misused, and abused term. Many organizations seem to “transform” on a regular basis. We consultants are also guilty of overusing the term, partly because it represents some of the most interesting work we do, and partly because it is the rare company that can successfully pull off transformational change […]
Times are tough: many businesses are struggling to stay afloat in the wild economic currents. Many organizations attempt to find a blue ocean of uncontested space, but lets face it: most of us are stuck in a red ocean with a lot of competition, growin…
I’ve often said the future belongs to the dot-connectors. Webber’s Rule of Thumb #7, the System is the Solution, describes it perfectly:
My point is that embedded in every company, in every organization, is a system. When you see the system and not just the individual pieces you increase your chances of winning.
Most people look at a company and see the organization chart. Or the pyramid of functions. Or the products and services the company offers as output.
Systems thinkers see the relationships, not the functions. They see the processes, not the stand-alone components or the final products. It’s the difference between looking at a fence and noticing the barbed wire running horizontally rather than the fence posts standing vertically.
Sometimes it helps to do something as simple as drawing a picture with arrows to show what would otherwise be invisible connections. A drawing of a three-legged stool isn’t a sophisticated operations chart, but it makes the point about how magazines need to operate as a system.
Systems thinking can also help when you’re trying to solve a perplexing problem. If you want to untangle the clues as to how something went wrong, think like a detective: figure out who all the players are and how they relate to each other. Usually it’s the system, not one person or department, that explains the real cause of the problem.
One thing is sure: the future belongs to systems thinkers.
For extra credit, see Rule #10 A Good Question Beats a Good Answer:
Why do questions matter more than answers? If you don’t ask the right question, it doesn’t matter what your answer is. And if you do ask the right question, no matter what your answer, you will learn something of value.
Questions are how we learn. Which means questions are how we create change…
Source: Webber, Alan M. (2009-04-10). Rules of Thumb (p. 32). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition.
Knowing the strategic solution is only part of the challenge. Let’s assume you are able to establish the “right and just” solution either because your enterprise has well documented target architectures and roadmaps or your solution has a well established “best practice” pattern you can apply. Take a moment to savor your success, but only […]
A mission statement supporting a business talks about HOW the business intends to get where it wants to be. Defining the purpose and primary objectives relating to both customer needs and team values a mission statement also addresses such questions … Continue reading →
Guest post by Mike Pearl IT departments face crushing pressure from every direction to transform IT to meet the daunting demands of the digital age. If you feel yourself asking questions related to IT’s role, better working relationships with Marketing, and how to capitalize on the firehose of emerging technologies, it is likely time for a new IT strategy. IT must institute massive change on multiple fronts: deepen and reshape business relationships, overhaul IT skills, […]
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The post In 2014, Enterprise Architects Must Play Both Foundational and Vanguard Roles appeared first on Brian Burke.
Gartner’s survey of more than 2,300 CIOs highlights the need to respond to the dual goals of effectiveness and digitalization. CIOs understand the need to build digital leadership, but 42 percent don’t feel they have the talent for a digital future. According to Gartner VP and Fellow Dave Aron, “2014 will be a year of […]
EAs exist indeed, even though, in many cases, EA is seen as a policing activity rather than a specific outcome such as the blueprint of the enterprise.
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