Enterprise Architecture
Blueprint. Roadmap. Master Plan.
Whatever you choose to call it, your company needs one to succeed. As a discipline, it is called Enterprise Architecture, and at Chateaux, we have over 20 years of helping companies of all sizes create and execute the ‘big picture’.
Enterprise Architecture (EA) is the discipline and practice of using visual representations to elicit and convey the answers to the six fundamental questions laid out in the Zachman Framework that can be asked about an enterprise.
- What: Information and Material; Data Modeling
- How: Process and Procedure; Process Modeling and Re-engineering
- Where: Network, Geography and Logistics; Mapping
- Who: Organization, Roles, and Responsibility; Reorganization
- When: Calendars, Time; Scheduling
- Why: Strategy, Objectives, Rules; Planning, KPI, Rule Modeling
It is not necessary or effective to address all these questions equally; this tends to generate large numbers of useless artifacts, as well as a long lead time between starting to develop the architecture and beginning to reap its benefits. It is better to have a ‘good enough’ architecture that is extensively used, than a perfect architecture that is forever in the making. Most businesses that are successful with architecture choose an area of focus that makes sense for that enterprise - perhaps clearly understanding processes from top to bottom to enable business process management or possibly clearly defining the information in the enterprise to enable master data management or a data service hub. An experienced enterprise architect can quickly assess a business to determine the right focus and the right set of pictures or models to be able to reap the financial benefits of architecture immediately.
All businesses have architecture, but not all businesses have their architecture under control. The most useful architectures have a simple, but coherent, set of pictures and documents that reasonably represent the enterprise. The key is to build the use of that architecture into your ongoing business plan, problem-solving methods, and business improvement processes.
Data architecture that is reliable and easily understood is a key element in the success of Business Intelligence tools. At Chateaux, we have dedicated Enterprise Architects devoted specifically to this discipline. Contact us today to find out how we can guide your company in creating and executing the best possible architecture for your business.
Bio for Don Floyd, Principle of Enterprise Architecture, Chateaux Software
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