EA Deliveries
What would you like to have when delivering an Enterprise Architecture (EA)? Surely, we'd like to know what that is. To avoid this perennial discussion here, I would suggest the definition implied in the name, that is "the structure and the blueprint of an Enterprise".
We would also like to list the key artifacts a basic EA needs to provide and how would they be documented and navigated. The four EA layers do help classify artifacts on a conceptual level. But, in practice, we need more clarity.
A look at the existing frameworks reveals:
TOGAF serves at the EA development process and four layer architecture level. It also suggests the use of architectural views. Recently, in TOGAF 9, a content metamodel was introduced that adds concepts such as service and contract which link EA to SOA. This is of little help when documenting the current architecture where no or few contracts or services exist. Also, TOGAF does not really propose specific artifacts and relationships as DODAF does, for instance.
DODAF is one of the most endowed frameworks in terms of artifacts definition. Their type and diagrams are judiciously specified and interrelated. A metamodel shows the relationships between the components of the artifacts. But DODAF does not really attempt to serve the business community.
Zachman expresses the essence of an architecture design asking a few rather philosophical questions such as why, what, how, who, where... It does not go much further than that, even though the cells in the matrix are often lightly assimilated with EA artifacts.
I'll put now together my wish list for the EA key artifacts and deliveries:
For Business Architecture:
* Context/Stakeholders' view
* Business Reference Map with key Business Functions
* Key Business Process Diagrams with Information exchange
* The Value Chains, Business and Operating models of the Enterprise, customizing the configuration of the Business Functions according to model
* Information Map
* Business strategy
* ...
Applications Architecture artifacts
* Applications diagrams with key interconnections
* Interconnections matrix
* Data architecture
* Data items mapping to the Business Information map
various Applications EA views for:
* Portal Architecture
* Content Management
* Access (Authentication and Authorization)
* Reporting, BI and Data warehouse
* ERP and CRM architecture views
* ...
IT Infrastructure artifacts
* Servers and Storage technology diagrams
* Office Architecture views(file, printing DB servers...)
* LAN/WAN/Voice Network architecture
* Applications and interconnections mapping to technology servers and networks
* Infrastructure Security architecture
Organization Architecture artifacts
* organization chart
* organization mapping to business functions
* organization roles in organization units and job descriptions
...
* A basic EA metamodel diagram to clarify the mapping and relationships between the elements in artifacts.
The diagram types used to illustrate the artifacts are on the wish list because they establish, once for all, the elements of the artifacts, i.e. the EA objects. As you add views, the metamodel should be enriched with the new objects and their links.
* Templates or Reference Maps and patterns to help the design of the Business, Application, Infrastructure, and Organization architecture layers. The maps supply the typical "design" structure of the layer, the components and patterns. For instance, the Business Architecture discovery or design would start from the Value Chains of an industry and specific enterprise and the particular Business and Operating models and Strategy.
* a Single Page Enterprise Architecture is key; it describes in one page a synoptic view of the Enterprise structure and operation showing a single EA picture to all stakeholders and developments
* an EA framework showing all its key layers and views (artifacts in this list).
The EA entry GUI, enables access to and navigation between all artifacts and elements so that a stakeholder can rapidly select the information needed and navigate to technology and people.
* the alignment framework between the EA and the on-going solutions architecture projects, i.e. how would the project artifacts have to be represented to be included in the EA and how is the EA guiding the solution architecture projects.
* The EA program plan with EA deliveries part of the Enterprise Project Portfolio
* The Enterprise Project Portfolio consisting of all Enterprise projects and the impacts to EA elements thus reducing project, resources, process and function duplications.
* the documented EA building process to manage EA delivery
* the EA governance
* SOA design best practices, EA architectural principles to guide architects
* maturity models for measuring the state of EA development
* the Strategy mapping to business, organization and technology EA objects
* the Business Case for the EA evaluating financial Payback and NPV and the Return on your Enterprise Architecture (RoEA) to enable financial support for the EA development
All the above you may find in the just published 3rd edition of the book "An Enterprise Architecture Development Framework" out now from Amazon, Trafford and other. Other topics:
* a common view of the EA, SOA, BPM, ERP, Lean/Six Sigma developments... This will help integration of all these developments in one to eliminate Enterprise wide duplication in efforts
* the definitions and scope of EA
* a classification and brief discussion of current EA frameworks
* an EA development exercise
* how to use the proposed EA framework in practice for ITIL, Merger and Acquisitions, Outsourcing, business Start-ups...
* organization design models
* current drivers for business and IT in Commercial and Government sectors
* typical IT developments of this decade: MDM, single customer view, reporting consolidation
* EA inhibitors and triggers
* EA politics and sell, culture and EArchitect's leadership
* The Cloud Enterprise of the future, the Virtual Enterprise based on SOA and Cloud Computing