Enterprise Architecture Imperatives

Recently I read "The art of enterprise information architecture: A systems based approach for unlocking business insight". There is a trend that most progressive companies are going through for defining their strategies for enterprise architecture. Enterprise architecture is tossed around so much, that it makes sense that before getting into a meaningful conversation to settle on a common meaning of what is this role and what are its competencies. IT focus though correct but as can be imagined is not complete. Earlier focus of architecture was typically make IT efficient, and standardized which are good goals but mean very little to business. IT doesn't define complete enterprise.

Enterprise architecture in simple words is understanding business objectives, mapping them to IT capabilities. Determining the baseline, establishing the end state and then mapping the path from now to then.

Some well known frameworks that corporations can choose from are mentioned below.

• The Open Group Architectural Framework (TOGAF)
• The Zachman Framework for Enterprise Architectures
• The Federal Enterprise Architecture
• The Gartner Methodology (formerly Meta Framework)

Here is a Gartner video that shed some light about enterprise architecture.

TOGAF framework - The Open Group Architecture Framework (TOGAF) is a framework - a detailed method and a set of supporting tools - for developing an enterprise architecture. It may be used freely by any organization wishing to develop an enterprise architecture for use within that organization