Introduction
Coordination across the Enterprise Architecture (EA) landscape and EA team is crucial for the successful implementation and management of enterprise architecture. This guide provides a detailed overview of what to expect in a well-run Architecture Repository and EA Landscape, highlighting key concepts, best practices, and practical examples to ensure effective coordination and management.
Key Concepts in Coordination Across the EA Landscape
1. Architecture Repository
The Architecture Repository is a centralized location where all EA-related materials are stored and managed. It includes various components such as the Architecture Landscape, Reference Library, Standards Library, Architecture Requirements Repository, and Compliance Assessments in the Governance Repository. These components are typically implemented using modeling and analytic tools, along with a file repository5.
2. EA Landscape
The EA Landscape represents the complete set of descriptions for the enterprise architecture. It includes current, target, transition, and candidate states. Managing these states effectively is crucial for ensuring that the architecture aligns with the organization’s strategic goals and operational needs5.
3. Reference Library
The Reference Library provides guidelines, templates, patterns, and other reference materials that accelerate the creation of new architectures for the enterprise. It includes reference models, architectures, and patterns that provide proven approaches and simplify communication within the EA team5.
4. Standards Library
The Standards Library contains the standards that the architecture must comply with, as well as the standards imposed on all implementations by the architecture. It ensures that the architecture and its implementations meet regulatory and organizational requirements5.
5. Architecture Requirements Repository
The Architecture Requirements Repository manages requirements across the EA Landscape. It captures and maintains requirements related to strategy, portfolio, project, and solution delivery, ensuring that all architectural decisions align with stakeholder concerns and organizational objectives5.
6. Compliance Assessments
Compliance Assessments evaluate the adherence of implementation projects to the architecture requirements and standards. They ensure that the projects deliver the expected value and meet the defined constraints and guidelines5.
Best Practices for Coordination Across the EA Landscape
1. Use of Modeling and Analytic Software
A high-functioning EA team relies on modeling and analytic software to manage the Architecture Repository and EA Landscape. These tools provide the necessary functionality to maintain and analyze architectural descriptions, ensuring that the EA team can effectively support decision-making processes5.
2. Ruthless Minimization of Information
To avoid information overload, it is essential to minimize the information gathered and maintained in the Architecture Repository. Only information required for the current Architecture Project or supporting minimal traceability should be captured. This approach helps in maintaining a sustainable and manageable repository5.
3. Effective Communication
Clear and effective communication is crucial for coordination across the EA landscape. Visualization tools and techniques should be used to represent complex situations and support communication with stakeholders, decision-makers, and implementers. Hand sketches can be useful for ideation, but well-thought-out visualizations should be presented to stakeholders5.
4. Traceability and Governance
Establishing traceability between architectural descriptions, requirements, and compliance assessments is essential for effective governance. The Architecture Contract provides a linkage between the value and the implementation, ensuring that the complete work required is defined and executed5.
5. Stakeholder Management
Engaging stakeholders and addressing their concerns is a critical aspect of coordination across the EA landscape. Stakeholder management ensures that all stakeholders’ concerns are addressed, and their expectations are met throughout the architecture development process5.
Summary of Work Product Alignment with Key Processes
| Practice Supports | Architecture to Support Strategy | Architecture to Support Portfolio | Architecture to Support Project | Architecture to Support Solution Delivery |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phase A Work Product: Vision | Key deliverable Before framing of a strategic planning session Refresh before initiation of program budgeting |
Key deliverable Before start of budget planning |
Often not used Activity to produce a vision overlaps with portfolio/program candidate architecture and roadmap Technique may be used at initiation of business case |
Limited use Primary use is early in implementation cycle (via internal providers or execution partners) |
| Phase E Work Product: Candidate Architecture | During strategic planning session Refresh as required in program budgeting |
Key deliverable Before start of budget planning Primary use is stakeholder acceptance of target and definition of gap |
Before project initiation and finalization of business case Primary use is creation of Architecture Requirements Specification |
Before engagement of execution partners (including internal providers) Primary use is creation of Architecture Requirements Specification |
| Roadmap | During strategic planning session Refresh as required in program budgeting |
Before start of budget planning Refresh as required to support budgeting and program management |
Limited use Can be used as an input to projects with multiple interactive changes |
Before engagement of execution partners (including internal providers) Primary use is identification of required change, and preferences of how to execute change, to manage solution delivery partner selection and engagement |
| Phase F Work Product: Architecture Contract & Architecture Requirements Specification | Likely not used | Limited use | Key deliverable Before completion of project initiation |
Key deliverable Before engagement and contracting |
| Implementation & Migration Plan | Likely not used | During portfolio budgeting Refresh as required to support budgeting and program management |
Key deliverable Before project start |
Key deliverable Before engagement and contracting |
| Phase G Work Product: Compliance Assessment | Likely not used | Likely not used | Key deliverable At key points in project that allow reporting to stakeholders and obtaining decisions for non-conformance |
Key deliverable At key points in project that allow reporting to stakeholders and obtaining decisions for non-conformance |
| Phase H Work Product: Value Assessment | Before governance review, framing a strategic planning session and program budget Key deliverable Before governance review and program budgeting Refresh as required to support program management |
Limited use Scope of significant architecture change and value often does not cleanly align to projects |
Limited use Scope of significant architecture change and value often does not cleanly align to solution deployment |
Best Practices for Architecture Development Phases
- Successful Practitioners will strictly follow the first step of the architecture development phases (Phase B, Phase C, and Phase D) that says to select appropriate viewpoints.
- To select viewpoints, the Practitioner needs to know the stakeholder and concern.
- The viewpoint that addresses the stakeholder/concern pair will identify the information necessary to address the stakeholder’s concern.
- Any information that is not required to address a stakeholder concern should not be gathered and analyzed.
- Extra information is pointless.
- When the Practitioner focuses on effective communication with stakeholders, implementers, and decision-makers, pointless activity is eliminated.
Practical Examples of Coordination Across the EA Landscape
Example 1: Digital Transformation Initiative
Objective: Enhance customer experience and operational efficiency through digital transformation.
EA Team Role:
- Architecture Repository: Maintain a centralized repository containing all digital transformation-related architectural descriptions, requirements, and compliance assessments.
- EA Landscape: Manage the current, target, transition, and candidate states of the digital transformation initiative, ensuring alignment with strategic goals.
- Reference Library: Utilize guidelines, templates, and patterns to accelerate the creation of new architectures for digital transformation.
- Standards Library: Ensure compliance with regulatory and organizational standards related to digital transformation.
- Architecture Requirements Repository: Capture and maintain requirements related to customer experience, operational efficiency, and digital transformation.
- Compliance Assessments: Evaluate the adherence of implementation projects to the defined architecture requirements and standards, ensuring that the expected value is delivered.
Example 2: Technology Upgrade Project
Objective: Improve technological capabilities to support future growth.
EA Team Role:
- Architecture Repository: Maintain a centralized repository containing all technology upgrade-related architectural descriptions, requirements, and compliance assessments.
- EA Landscape: Manage the current, target, transition, and candidate states of the technology upgrade project, ensuring alignment with strategic goals.
- Reference Library: Utilize guidelines, templates, and patterns to accelerate the creation of new architectures for technology upgrades.
- Standards Library: Ensure compliance with regulatory and organizational standards related to technology upgrades.
- Architecture Requirements Repository: Capture and maintain requirements related to technological capabilities, future growth, and technology upgrades.
- Compliance Assessments: Evaluate the adherence of implementation projects to the defined architecture requirements and standards, ensuring that the expected value is delivered.
Example 3: Sustainability Initiatives
Objective: Reduce the organization’s carbon footprint and promote sustainability.
EA Team Role:
- Architecture Repository: Maintain a centralized repository containing all sustainability-related architectural descriptions, requirements, and compliance assessments.
- EA Landscape: Manage the current, target, transition, and candidate states of the sustainability initiatives, ensuring alignment with strategic goals.
- Reference Library: Utilize guidelines, templates, and patterns to accelerate the creation of new architectures for sustainability initiatives.
- Standards Library: Ensure compliance with regulatory and organizational standards related to sustainability.
- Architecture Requirements Repository: Capture and maintain requirements related to carbon footprint reduction, sustainability, and environmental impact.
- Compliance Assessments: Evaluate the adherence of implementation projects to the defined architecture requirements and standards, ensuring that the expected value is delivered.
Conclusion
Coordination across the EA landscape and EA team is essential for the successful implementation and management of enterprise architecture. By following best practices and utilizing key concepts such as the Architecture Repository, EA Landscape, Reference Library, Standards Library, Architecture Requirements Repository, and Compliance Assessments, organizations can ensure effective coordination and management of their enterprise architecture initiatives. Practical examples, such as digital transformation initiatives, technology upgrade projects, and sustainability initiatives, demonstrate the application of these concepts in real-world scenarios. By adopting these best practices and leveraging the capabilities of modeling and analytic software, organizations can achieve strategic alignment, efficient resource allocation, and successful implementation of their enterprise architecture goals.