Effective Architecture

Criteria for When to Engage Architecture

Forrester's Assessing EA Program Effectiveness

Effectiveness Grows Through the Value Chain

Run each of our key stakeholders through the GAIN model to make sure we are hitting their perspective for what value EA can offer.

• Produces value "in the eye of the beholder"
• Sustainable growth

Typical barriers to EA effectiveness

• Undocumented business and IT strategy
• Strategic view in a tactical world
• Small organizational footprint
• Soft skills shortfall
• Descriptive architecture
• Poor IT process definition
• Disconnected from important stakeholders
• Little support within IT
• Lack of success reference models
• Challenging investment models

Effectiveness Grows Through the Value Chain

• Strategy - Approach
• Resource - Effort
• [FDEA:Product \- Tools]
• [FDEA:Process \- Action]
• [FDEA:Relationship \- Impact]
• [FDEA:Results \- Value]

Gartner: The 10 Best Practices of Successful EA Programs

1. Charter Your EA Program
2. Develop (and Execute) a Change Management Plan
3. Treat Each Iteration Like a Project
4. Start With the Business Strategy and Obtain Business Sponsorship
5. Do the Future State Before the Current State
6. Be Pragmatic
7. Don't Forget Governance
8. Set Up a Measurement Program
9. Track EA Program Maturity
10. Pay as Much Attention to Talent as to Skills

Gartner: Avoid the 13 Worst EA Practices and Navigate to EA Success

1. No Link to Business Strategy and Targeted Business Outcomes
2. Confusing Technology Architecture With Enterprise Architecture
3. Focusing on the Current-State Architecture First (or Primarily)
4. Excessive Governance and Overbearing Assurance
5. Creating a Standard for Everything
6. Engrossed in the Art and Language of EA Rather Than Business Outcomes
7. Strict Adherence to EA Frameworks and Industry Reference Models
8. Adopting an "Ivory Tower" Approach to EA
9. Lack of Continuous Communication and Feedback
10. Restricting the EA Team to IT Resources Only
11. Lack of Key Performance Metrics
12. Purchasing an EA Tool Before Understanding the Use Cases and Critical Capabilities Required by the Organization
13. "We're done"

Key Steps in Creating a Foundation for Execution - from Enterprise Architecture as Strategy

Book: Enterprise Architecture as Strategy

Leadership Questions to Position EA

1. Analyze our existing foundation for execution (chapter 1)
2. Define our operation model (chapter 2)
3. Design our enterprise architecture (chapters 3 and 4)
4. Set priorities (chapters 4 and 5)
5. Design and implement an IT engagement model (chapter 6)
6. Exploit our foundation for execution for growth (chapter 8)

Concours's architecture cycle

Step 1: Identify Architecture Stakeholders

Step 2: Define Architecture Principles - needs to be worked on

Step 3: Implement IT Governance Process

Architecture Peer Group

Architecture Review Board

Application Portfolio Management

Step 4: Build Architectural Fit Assessment

Step 5: Define Current Architecture

Step 6: Define Future Target Architecture

Step 7: Apply Architectural Fit Assessment to Current Architecture and Determine "Quick Hits"

Step 8: Review Existing Projects and Initiatives

Step 9: Review and Finalize Principles; Develop Policies and Standards

Step 10: Define Architecture Organization Structure

Step 11: Develop Architecture Communications Plan

Step 12: Publish AFA, Principles, Policies, and Standards

Step 13: Develop Architecture Management Program

Step 14: Develop Architecture Intelligence Program

Enterprise Architecture Short and Long-Term Wins