This is a Rational Unified Process Business Architecture from the Enterprise Architecture context view. The value of this particular view is that it includes the actors/users, the roles, the process and the artifacts.
Business Architects – In the Driver’s Seat
Do they Finally Get It? “By 2008, 40% of enterprise architects will have primary expertise in business strategy or process engineering” 2004 Meta Group, Inc. They get it. It took some time, but they get it now. I might generalize and say that most medium size businesses have some sort of architecture function in their midst. I’d go further an say every large business now believes that architecture is the…
IT Architect Training – Changes to Our Course Catalog
As leaves change color, so do our interests. We’ve been pretty busy carefully planning a new course catalog, scheduling upcoming IT Architect Workshops, and updating and enhancing our class lab exercises. The book edits have gone on the back burner, and a complete change to the Architect Boot Camp website are imminent. We try to do the best we can to respond to the needs of those who want to…
Enterprise Architecture Strategy – Do I Need A Strategy to Get One?
It’s nearing end of summer and slowly, folks are getting back from vacation or they are out shopping for school supplies. Maybe a last minute golf game with friends, or perhaps colleagues. A day at the beach if weather permits. As we see the first signs of the leaves turn color, we turn to that busy planning month of September. We all get back from the lazy (lazier?) days of…
Enterprise IT Architecture Support or Sponsorship?
And What’s the Difference? It’s been a long time since I wrote part 1, but I’ll try to get the next few parts out asap. If you recall, I was writing about the purpose and reasons for Enterprise Architecture. Along with planning and strategy, execution is critical. We must create and tailor our messages for our audiences in the most appropriate manners, and continually educate and grow support for the…
A New Day for Great IT Architects
Monday is as good as any to do something new. For most, above average. Well – today I figured I’d **make** the time to move this blog to the Architect Boot Camp site. Here it is – hope you benefit from it and I do have plans (hopes) to post much more regularly. What’s new? I’ve been really busy getting the fall Architect Boot Camp Workshop schedule completed, as well…
The Enterprise Architect Purpose…
Part 1 of 5 part article… The primary purpose of an Enterprise Architecture (EA) is to inform, guide, and constrain the decisions for the enterprise, especially those related to IT investments. The true challenge of enterprise engineering is to maintain the architecture as a primary authoritative resource for enterprise IT planning. This goal is not met via enforced policy, but by the value and utility of the information provided…
SOA for the Technology Architect
Hello from the eve of yet another EA Conference Here I sit in Calgary, pondering some thoughts with respect to the topics at hand at tomorrow’s EA Directions “Critical Issues In Enterprise Architecture and Strategic Alignment” two day conference. I have the great honour to present on several EA topics including some in the area of SOA. Last week, at one of my Architecture Boot Camps, the Technology Architect Boot…
Technical Architecture Landscape – Your Best Target?
In putting some efforts towards my fall seminar schedule, I have been focused on my Technical Architecture Workshops and had a thought today worth sharing. As enterprise architects, we attempt to capture business strategy and put some alignment to our IT Strategy, and formulate an IT Current State and IT Target State architecture. The IT plan is the people, process and technology initiatives that we plan for the year, and…
Setting the Scope for Enterprise IT Architecture
Recently, one of the people I have been coaching in the area of Enterprise Architecture asked me a great question – one worth posting here. He said “what is the scope of the Enterprise Architect?” in context to the head of Application Development, the Lead Analyst or the Solution Architect. I responded within the parameters of Enterprise Architecture at a company. EA provides IT governance and stewardship for any future…
What’s New with the Zachman Framework?
Someone asked me a philosophical, yet, appropriate question the other day. Why do I still continue to use a very simple framework in my coaching and consulting with Enterprise Architecture? I began using something called BAIT (business, application, information and technology), and turned to something else – BOAIT (business, organization, application, information and technology). I thought for quite a while, and went through what has changed since I started working…
Architecture Requirement or System Requirement – What’s the Difference?
Lately, I’ve been working on the Architect Boot Camp info site and trying to lay out some really basic architecture information and some more advanced stuff. It dawned on me that there might be some who don’t understand the difference between system requirements and architectural requirements. If this is news to you – stick with me. If not, I won’t waste your time – catch you later. Architecture requirements are…
Architecture Decisions
Long time, no type. I’ve been busy – but now have the time that this deserves. I’ve just spend a near year acting as the Chief Architect at a large Canadian insurance company, and have many thoughts and insights I’ve love to share. Here is one of the first. Often, an architect, especially the chief architect, is asked to make an architectural decision. Typically, an IT resource is asking him…
Quick Wins with Enterprise Architecture Methodology
Happy New Year! It’s nice to be back again and writing about my favorite topic. This spring I’m speaking at the Enterprise Architectures Conference on Quick Wins in Enterprise Architecture so I thought I’d share a bit of the content. Enterprise Architecture as a new program within a company or an organization is difficult to kick off. Often there are so many things that need to get done, that we…
Too Many Cooks in the Kitchen – Enterprise Architecture Compliance Required
Does it ever seem that as an Enterprise Architect, we have many dragons to slay? Our organizations confuse the Chief Architect with chief technology problem solver, and it isn’t their fault. Often the current technology hot spot of the day is something that lives in the EA realm, and we are the captain of the ship. We’ve had many metaphors – the Builder, the Architect of a house, the City…
Architecture Governance – Abusing the Buzz Word
Well – it’s been far too long since I wrote – but I am committed to writing more. I’ve just been exposed to “governance Overload”. What is it you say? Well – after a weekend in Boston and time with the ultimate of buzz word abusers (this generic professional group shall remain nameless), I’m sick of “get it done”, “dropping the ball”, etc. etc. Instead – I come home to…