The 7 New Rules of Enterprise Architecture
Discover all the latest insights inside the updated edition.
Ardoq Is Trusted by Digitally Forward Companies Worldwide
Why are up to 72% of organizations either starting, restarting or renewing their Enterprise Architecture efforts?
Broadly speaking, initiatives that aren't well-understood aren't well-supported: "For too long, Enterprise Architecture (EA) has existed as a black box, a mystery to the rest of the organization."
1. Enterprise Architecture for the Enterprise, Not Just the Architects
There's no great 'secret' to selling business leaders on the value of Enterprise Architecture. Simply demonstrate how the increased amount of higher-quality data helps stakeholders make better informed decisions.
As you plan your future Enterprise Architecture capabilities, consider this factor:
What are the questions my stakeholders are struggling to answer?
2. Start With Real Business Problems
Unfortunately, many traditional Enterprise Architecture efforts have resulted in widespread perceptions that the practice was too bureaucratic, technical, and a barrier to achieving business results. Your EA initiatives will only succeed if they help address hard business challenges.
As you focus your Enterprise Architecture development efforts, answer this question:
How can we frame the Enterprise Architecture value in terms of business performance measures?
3. Build Decisions on Data, Not Opinion
If your Enterprise Architecture still relies on traditional, complex tools that only a few can interpret, then your efforts will have little material impact on the organization. Begin by shoring up the accuracy of your data, then prioritize which metrics are most important, and help stakeholders better understand it through data visualizations.
4. Governance Is Good, Collaboration Is Better
Moving towards open data encourages greater collaboration and alignment between stakeholders. It also helps reduce the need for resource-draining retrospective governance.
To move forward, consider addressing this key question:
What level of engagement do we require from stakeholders to achieve the Enterprise Architecture strategic goals?
5. Turn Data Into Insight Into Action
Data is good. Insights are better. But action is best. Building strategy-focused metrics on top of Enterprise Architecture data allows you (and your stakeholders) to make sense of disparate information. This generally leads to smarter business decisions.
To move forward, address this question:
Can we create a digital twin of our organization using current tools, or do we need to consider our options?
6. The Future Is a Work-In-Progress
The future is unpredictable. That means your Enterprise Architecture function must help your business adjust strategy quickly and accurately. Automation is key here – it allows you to increase your ability to model many more futures quickly and efficiently.
Consider this important question:
Do we have a suitably flexible mindset to encourage flexibility?
For Your Enterprise Architecture Efforts to Succeed, You Must Demonstrate Value and Embrace Collaboration
To redefine Enterprise Architecture, you must invite stakeholders from across the organization to participate in – and benefit from – your efforts. Educate stakeholders about what they should expect and how they can better utilize data for strategic decision making.
