There are many companies and professionals that seem to make Enterprise Architecture some sort unnecessarily complicated black art, but in reality it's actually quite simple at its core. Here's a methodology I developed that approaches EA with a simpler approach.

1. Enterprise
Architecture
Today’s Agenda
A passage from the well known children's story,
Alice in Wonderland:
o Define “One day Alice came to a fork in the
o Explain road and saw a Cheshire cat in a tree.
Which road do I take? she asked.
o Relate Where do you want to go? was his
o Clarify response. I don't know, Alice
answered. Then, said the cat, it
o Discuss doesn't matter.” —Lewis Carroll

2. Definition
Gartner defines Enterprise Architecture as:
“The process of translating business vision and strategy into effective enterprise change
by creating, communicating and improving the key principles and models that describe
the enterprise's future state and enabling its evolution.”
Concatenate Webster's definitions for Enterprise + Architecture:
"The art or science of designing and constructing undertakings, especially bold or
difficult ones, and of the readiness to be involved in them; the style of such
undertakings."

3. Business How do we drive change and enable the
Impact evolution of the enterprise?
“The process of translating business vision and
strategy into effective enterprise change by
EA Plans for change over creating, communicating and improving the
Time…. key principles and models that describe the
and enables Business Evolution enterprise's future state and
enabling its evolution.”
Current Future
State Planned Change … Evolution
State
Vision Principles
Communication
Strategy Models

4. Some Business Benefits
Encourages Strategic Planning
o Aligns BTS projects and investments with business strategy.
o Requires ‘look ahead’ thinking. What will differentiate us?
o Focus on top-line growth initiatives.
Fosters Innovation
o Asks the questions: “What’s next?”, “What could be better?”
o Challenges the status quo. Encourages ‘out of the box’ thinking.
o Manages and communicates through the innovation process.
Demands Standardization
o Reuse what works well.
o Reduce disparity and complexity.
o Reduce operational costs  savings to the bottom line.
Mitigates Risk
o Common systems and platforms. Simplicity, not complexity.
o Best practices and plan ahead thinking.

5. EA Activity Areas
Who do we want to be? What can we already do? How do we solve a challenge?
- Our Vision - Our Capabilities & Models - Our Solutions
How will we achieve ___? How will we get there? What is the business value?
- Our Strategy - Our Roadmaps - Our Business Cases
What is important to us? Do our ideas work? How will we get it done?
- Our Principles - Our Proofs of Concept - Our Projects
Strategy Planning Execution
Governance
Do we already have something?
- Our Capabilities
What is the risk with ____?
- Governance Board Review
Is there a standard for this?
- Our Standards

6. Planning Execution
Strategy Governance
With effective strategy… Without…
Vision & Principles
BTS team moves with direction and intent, BTS behavior appears random and
i.e. they are moving together in a direction. uncoordinated and is often ineffective.
Long-term objectives are shared and Team members not sure of long term
socialized throughout the global team. objectives and direction.
Team is aware of tenets and underlying BTS Unshared principles lead to architectures &
& business drivers; they know the ‘why’. team actions that are divergent from start.
Architectures evolve from similar starting Team members are not aware of underlying
ground and foundation. driverstenets; “Why?”.
BTS team operates with shared set of global Team and individual actions are aligned with
goals that support BTS & business strategy. whatever the perceived goals & priorities are
BTS resources are utilized to directly support the local or individual level.
Strategy
business goals & strategy. Scarce resources are not utilized effectively;
Global BTS team has a stronger sense of at times in contradiction to business goals.
shared purpose; collaboration increases. Team members are not clear on how their
PMO has a method to prioritize projects; efforts impact the global enterprise;
implement what supports business goals. collaboration is difficult or ineffective.
BTS team is aligned and laser focused. Global team alignment virtually impossible.

7. This just seemed funny!

8. Strategy Execution
Planning Governance
With effective planning… Without…
We have an inventory of business process We don’t have foundational awareness of
Capability
and system capability and their relationships. business process and system capability.
We know where the gaps in capability are. We don’t understand how our global app
We know where there is duplication. portfolio supports business strategy.
We use this information in strategic planning We can’t effectively optimize or plan.
We can effectively plan and communicate We may know where we want to go, but
Roadmap
the path from ‘as-is’ to our future-state. most team members don’t know how to get
Team members understand where we are, there. Frustration ensues. There is no plan.
where we want to go, and how to get there. Resource planning & budgeting is difficult.
Resource plans & budget are more accurate. No easy way to communicate our plans.
BTS is encouraged to innovate and share Some BTS team members afraid to innovate.
what they normally do ‘under the radar’. Some BTS teams and members hide their
‘Pet projects’ are measured and governed so
PoC
innovative activity and we miss out on good
they are culled or promoted as warranted. opportunity – or – we waste resources.
Helps with effective resource utilization. Enterprise risk in increased as we are
We are aware of potential risks. unaware at an early stage of potential issues.

9. Strategy Planning
Execution Governance
With effective solution architecture… Without…
Requirements are gathered from business Solutions are implemented that do not
Solutions  Biz Cases  Projects
process owners and used to create effective match business requirements or strategy.
solutions that maps perfectly to business Solutions are implemented that don’t adhere
need. BTS understands business & strategy. to architectural standards and principles.
Solutions architecture takes into account Solutions are implemented that introduce
existing capability, standards, principles and redundancy into the application portfolio.
strategy to create solutions that are aligned. Solutions are implemented that introduce
Business cases describe the need and how new unapproved vendors and technologies
the proposed solution solves the business into the landscape.
challenge in a manner that adds value and is Solutions are implemented that introduce
aligned with business strategy; also that it is risk into the landscape.
architecturally compliant. Total cost of ownership increases for the
Approved projects are implemented with application and IT landscape.
PMO and architectural oversight to ensure Application and data integration is not
alignment with project goals and considered during design phase and is
architectural compliance. difficult to address in later stages.

10. Strategy Planning
Execution – Projects Governance

11. Strategy Planning Execution
Governance
With effective governance… Without…
Other BTS processes are linked with Change control & PMO (and other) processes
architecture; e.g. PMO & Change Control. allow architectural deviation.
Standards & principles are enforced, Standards are not enforced, in effect
Governance & Standards
ensuring their integrity and usefulness. relegating them to mere ‘suggestions’.
Projects are reviewed for architectural Projects and other initiatives introduce new
impact. Exceptions are approved and unapproved technologies & apps.
documented. Increased diversity and duplication within
New technologies & applications are the IT landscape dramatically increases cost
reviewed and their impact on existing and risk.
landscape is evaluated and understood. Engineers, project managers, service delivery
Costs are lower as there is less diversity and staff and others waste time, energy and
duplication within the global landscape. focus on items that should be standardized.
Risk is lower (as above). Economies of scale are never reached as
Service delivery effectiveness is improved as there are numerous islands of duplicated or
focus is on delivering ‘above the line’; not similar IT portfolio assets.
focused on standardized infrastructure. Teams & business units feel free to
Enterprise economy of scale is easier goal. implement whatever suits them, without
Answers “how does this fit the enterprise?”. considering the enterprise context.

12. EA Activities Map
Biz Drivers Strategize Plan Execute
Mission, Business Capability Reference Solutions
BTS
Vision, Strategy Maps Architecture
Vision
Core
Values Business
Cases
BTS Roadmaps Projects
Principles
Business
Strategy
Govern
BTS White Proofs of
Strategy Papers & Concept
Positions Standards
Enterprise Architecture
Business & Technology Leadership

13. Strategy Planning Execution
Strategic Planning Capability Project & Program
Modeling
Process Mapping Management
Share Road Educating Biz Case Solutions
Mapping Requirements Development
Vision Informing Develop
Identify Innovating Socialize Service
Principles Test Concepts Communicate Delivery
Create
BTS Operations
Strategy
Budgeting Standards
Governance
Solutions
Architecture
Enterprise
Architecture

14. Let’s Review
Enterprise Architecture:
Impacts the business by translating business strategy into
actions (projects) that drive change and evolve the enterprise.
Plans the path from an ‘as-is’ state to a desired future state.
Identifies solutions that solve business challenges.
Understands & communicates business and system capability,
and the relationships between them.
Aligns IT investment with business and technology strategy.
Helps to create and maintain standards. Reduces redundancy.
Multi-domain :: Business, Data, System, Technical :: Solution.
Encourages innovation, collaboration, communication.
Elicits strategic thinking and ‘plan first, then execute’ culture.
Is an integral part of delivering IT services to the business.

15. What it is NOT
Enterprise Architecture is NOT:
An ‘IT Thing’.
A destination. An end-state goal.
Documenting the ‘current state’.
Visio drawings.
Focused on technology!
E.g. servers, networks & data centers.
Bureaucratic.
A method of control. A roadblock. An impediment.
Focused on creating artifacts & documentation.
The domain & responsibility of just a few.
Complicated, technical, confusing.