Enterprise architecture is a systematic procedure that enables companies and organizations to understand their own structure, functioning and align their business processes and IT infrastructure with their strategy and goals. Think of it as a detailed plan for any business, in which every component has its place and purpose.
How to proceed?
At the beginning, an initial architectural vision will be created, which will describe in managerial language what will be the result of the implementation process of the Enterprise architecture project. The aim of such a document is to convince the key players in the company that it makes sense to invest human and financial resources in the project, and that such a project will bring value.
Subsequently, the initial architectural vision is elaborated into a detailed Enterprise architecture in all its motivational aspects and domains.
Motivational aspects describe → who the new architecture will affect, and what goals it is supposed to achieve, i.e. why and for whom it is actually being done. This will result in requirements for the company's new desired target Enterprise architecture.
There are three architectural domains: → business, → application and data (together referred to as information systems architecture) and → technological.
You can decide where to start, whether by analyzing the current state ("As-Is") and then continuing with the design of the desired state ("To-Be"). This procedure is referred to as "Baseline First" → this is usually the procedure of an existing company that wants to improve its processes and has a good foundation. On the other hand, a new, emerging company or a company that no longer wants to build on its current foundation starts from the proposal of the target state ("To-Be"). This approach is referred to as "Target First".
The individual steps are usually as follows:
• Analysis of the current state ("As-Is Analysis") → Mapping of existing processes, systems and technologies, as the organization functions at the time of the analysis.
• Definition of the target state ("To-Be Analysis") → Determination, or if they already exist, identification of future goals, requirements and desired state. For example, how the organization wants to function in a year, two, five years. What results does he want to have, how does he want to operate.
• Difference analysis ("Gap Analysis") → Identification of differences between the current and target state.
• Change planning → Designing steps and a roadmap based on the identified differences (gaps) between the current and desired state. Designing a plan how to get from the current state to the target state in which we will fulfill the set goals.
• Implementation and monitoring → The organization implements the identified steps and continuously, with the support of the Enterprise architect, monitors the achieved progress.
Well, yes, you say, this looks like a standard improvement process. What is the benefit? Why should we use Enterprise architecture in our company? Well, it is also in the procedures and tools that will be used for the steps described above.
• Of course, personal meetings with key players, users, employees, clients.
• Brainstorming to generate ideas and thoughts.
• Analysis of the legislation governing the given business, analysis of internal procedures, internal information systems, their functions, etc.
• Well, it will be necessary to draw many diagrams and describe them in text. This makes sense for further communication with all key players.
How long does such a process take?
• Short-term initiatives, focused on a specific area → these can last several weeks to months.
• Complex and complex initiatives for complex organizations (banks, ministries, manufacturing plants) → can take 6 to 12 months or more, depending on size and complexity.
By what standards does it all follow?
• TOGAF → stands for the complicated name "The Open Group Architecture Framework". It is actually a guide that is followed when preparing or changing the Enterprise architecture. In addition to the procedures, it also defines which people, in which roles, should participate in the preparation of the Enterprise architecture. It is important to know that for the success of the project it is necessary for the project team to include people from business, operations, company management, as well as people with detailed knowledge of the existing infrastructure. Enterprise architecture concerns the entire organization cross-sectionally.
• Archimate → a graphical modeling language that is used in modeling, visualizing and analyzing Enterprise architecture. Unlike other technical modeling languages, its advantage is that it combines both technical and business modeling in one model. When using other modeling languages, it is necessary to make compromises in this area. It was designed to be understandable not only to technical people.
And what business scenarios does it suit us for?
• Our company operated in the paper world, but wants to significantly optimize and digitize its services to clients, or its own processes.
• Our company is expanding significantly, or has bought another company, or we have been bought by a company with a similar or different product portfolio.
• In the long term, we fail to fulfill important strategic goals, for example, we fail to reduce costs or increase the margin, despite the fact that on paper it should be successful.
• A fundamental change has occurred in the market, which requires a radical change in the functioning of the company (for example, a global pandemic, or the introduction of new technology - for example, generative artificial intelligence, or local or global conflicts).
And what does the customer get in the end?
• An understandable model of the future state of the company according to its goals.
• Everything processed so that it is understandable to everyone for whom this information is intended (this can be achieved precisely by using the mentioned standards).
The result can be, for example, optimization of processes, reduction of costs, acceleration of innovations, but also a better idea of which processes, activities, information systems the organization should invest in and what benefits such an investment will bring. But also on the contrary, a look at what will happen if some investments are not made, what impact it will have on the business.
🪄 OK, I understand that it makes sense in business, but what can you take from it for yourself?
The described principles of creating Enterprise architecture are not completely easy to apply in personal life, Enterprise architecture was designed for large companies and organizations with a lot of processes and employees. However, in our personal life, we can certainly verify the functioning of the improvement process from the analysis of the current state to the achievement of goals by the following steps.
• Assess your current situation → Take inventory of your skills, knowledge and resources.
• Define your goals → Set clear and measurable goals for your career or personal growth.
• Identify gaps → Find out what you lack to achieve your goals.
• Plan your trip → Create a plan with specific steps and ideally dates.
• Realize and evaluate progress → Actively work towards your goals and regularly evaluate your progress.
What tools to use for this?
• In personal life without complicated software tools, you can also start with paper and pen, for example with a paper planner (https://timemstr.com/sk/).
• Planning applications → the easiest way to start is with Todoist (https://todoist.com) for task planning.
• Tools for analyzing the current and future state → software for creating mind maps, for example MindMeister (https://www.mindmeister.com) or Miro, can be suitable.
• Personal development is continuous, but you can achieve specific goals within a few months to years, depending on their difficulty and your commitment, so you have a lot of time, so you also need to plan steps for the near future J.
The process can result in a personal "architecture" that will provide you with clear direction, efficient use of time and resources, and a higher chance of success in your personal or professional ambitions.
If you are interested in this topic and want to know what specific tools and methodologies we can use together to create your Enterprise architecture, or how long the transformation would take in your case, do not hesitate to contact us at MH THREE TECHNOLOGIES.
We are here to help you turn complex challenges into clear solutions and your visions into reality!
