Activity for Module 01

THE CONCEPT OF ENTERPRISE ARCHITECTURE (EA)

Activity 01

Last Name: Alcantra First Name: Rachelle

Course, Year and Section: BSIT 4-4 _______
Date: October 08, 2022 10
SCORE

Directions: answer the following questions in complete sentences, citing your source(s) as necessary.
.
1. Describe the EA role in the IT Planning.

Enterprise architecture planning (EAP) is a process by which organizations define how IT and
information systems will be used in a business to meet its goals. It is a hierarchical process,
starting with assessing the systems the organization uses today, how things could work in the
future, and the steps needed to implement the changes required.

2. Describe what is an Enterprise Architecture.

Enterprise architecture (EA) is the practice of analyzing, designing, planning and implementing
enterprise analysis to successfully execute on business strategies. EA helps businesses structure
IT projects and policies to achieve desired business results and to stay on top of industry trends
and disruptions using architecture principles and practices, a process also known as enterprise
architectural planning (EAP).
EA began in the 1960s, born from “various architectural manuscripts on Business Systems
Planning (BSP) by Professor Dewey Walker,” according to the Enterprise Architecture Book of
Knowledge (EABOK). John Zachmann, one of Walker’s students, helped formulate those
documents into the more structured format of EA. Both men also worked for IBM during this
time, and that’s when Zachman published the framework in the IBM Systems Journal in 1987.

3. Name 3 software used in modelling an EA.

 BiZZdesign Enterprise Studio

Bizzdesign Enterprise Studio is a certified ArchiMate 3 EA tool, which is a standard

modeling language for business architecture tools. It offers web-based collaboration
features with simple rights-management settings, heat maps, charts and graphs for
business-relevant data and scenario planning tools to analyze project change
management.

Enterprise Studio integrates with several popular EA frameworks, including TOGAF,

Zachman, ArchiMate, IAF, PEAF, DYA and Tapscott. The platform helps organizations
model, visualize, analyze and document enterprise architecture across business units.
Using the platform, businesses can import data directly from Microsoft Office

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 applications, and it also supports automatic data collection.

 Software AG Alfabet

Alfabet, which was acquired by Software AG in 2013, blends business, information,

technical and application architecture into its platform. It’s designed to help
organizations make business decisions, inform enterprise needs, develop solutions and
identify the best service bundles for business architecture.

The tool offers analytic reports across multiple IT portfolios, including application
project, technology and demand initiatives. Alfabet is GDPR-compliant and integrates
with Software AG’s Digital Business Platform, which is designed to work with multiple
industry tools and to support a wide range of software, apps, devices and users.   

 QualiWare X

QualiWare X offers cross-platform collaboration, notifications, change requests and

data visualizations. It’s designed as a space for businesses to collaborate and to share
knowledge across the organization. The platform supports several EA frameworks,
including TOGAF, EA3, DNDAF, ArchiMate, UML, DMN and more.

The platform allows users to monitor KPIs and link them directly to business initiatives,
process and goals to gain greater insight into what is and isn’t working. The software
also allows users to upload a photo of a text document, spreadsheet or whiteboard and
with the use of AI, will help you integrate that into EA models.

4. Describe the data architecture domain.

Data architecture describes the structure of an organization’s logical and physical data assets
and data management resources, according to The Open Group Architecture Framework
(TOGAF). It is an offshoot of enterprise architecture that comprises the models, policies, rules,
and standards that govern the collection, storage, arrangement, integration, and use of data in
organizations. An organization’s data architecture is the purview of data architects.

5. What is the difference between these two roles: CTO and CIO?

 CIOs want to increase bottom-line numbers, and CTOs increase top line numbers.

 CIOs mediate between internal IT teams and other departments, and CTOs develop
relationships outside the company.

But, at the end of the day, the two’s strategies are housed under the same corporate
roof, and they will have to work together to see their strategies through to a successful
finish.

The two don’t always get along, however. Their strategies come at a conflict of
interests, but the tension between the two is what helps increase innovation in the
organization.
CTOs want to keep developing technologies, bringing to the table new ones to use, are

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 constantly experimenting with new tech stacks, possibly spending money on new
projects that don’t always pan out. These are the appropriate behaviors of innovation.
Unfortunately, when judged by the bottom-line monitoring CIO, these activities can
appear reckless, costly, and as wastes of time.

The CIO will make rules to try and reign in the CTO, and make their behaviors more
efficient and align with the business goals.

To the CTO, the CIO looks to be an inhibitor of innovation. They always look at
what is instead of what could be, and their risk-averse tendencies are draining on the
innovation process, and constantly keep the development of the organization lagging
behind what its true potential could be.

The CTO/CIO feud is one of those battle-of-the-sexes conflicts that keeps an

organization alive. To make it more durable, each party should focus on what their
responsibilities are, and acknowledge the success of the whole organization when they
occur. Creation does come with tension, and the day-to-day can be a grind, with lots of
tedious bickering and negotiations.

But, by looking up once in a while and setting sights on the overall mission to see where
you’ve come from, and where you are now, and where you are headed, suddenly it is
possible to see value in the dance along the way.

6. Describe the IT Value chain.

A value chain is a series of consecutive steps that go into the creation of a finished product,
from its initial design to its arrival at a customer's door. The chain identifies each step in the
process at which value is added, including the sourcing, manufacturing, and marketing stages
of its production.

7. What are the benefits of an Enterprise Architecture?

EA provides many benefits to organizations. It enables organizations to comprehensively review

their IT status and IT objectives.

8. Describe the concept behind the three schools of thought in EA.

 Some say that EA is about improving IT. In the diagram below, this is “ Enterprise IT
Architecting.”  In the online groups, we call this EITA.   In this model, EA is a mechanism
for designing IT services and creating IT systems that address enterprise needs. It’s just
a bare step above Enterprise Application Architecture by operating outside the
constraints of funded projects, but the impact occurs in IT.  For this first group, Business
Architecture is just another name for Business Analysis.
 
 Others say EA is about aligning the business with all of its capabilities, including IT. For
these folks, Business Architecture exists, but it’s primary impact is internal. Business
Architects insure that the right initiatives are created in order to achieve business
strategy. In the diagram below, this is labeled “Enterprise Integrating.”  In this school of
thought, Business Architecture doesn’t really impact business strategy. Business

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 Architecture uses capability analysis to understand the impacts of strategy on the
business processes and systems, and helps to frame the initiatives that should be
created. Only after the initiatives are started would a business analyst even get
involved. In this model, EA provides all the benefits of the first group, AND insures that
investments are made in the right place.
 
 A third group say that EA is about Enterprise Ecological Adaptation. For these folks,
Business Architects help analyze the movements of the market, and work closely with
business leaders to develop strategies based on the capabilities and positioning of the
company that are likely to generate new revenue, improve market position, improve
customer loyalty, and reduce costs.  EA and Business Architecture help the business
adapt to the ecosystem in which it exists.  In this model, EA provides all the benefits of
the first two groups, AND insures that the business responds to the market conditions
in a logical manner.  For some in this camp, Business Architects are not even part of EA.

9. Does Enterprise Architecture only focus on IT? Share your thoughts.

Enterprise architecture not only deals with technical aspects such as IT systems and
infrastructure, but it also deals with social elements such as collaborative business processes,
organizational leadership, political dynamics, and work culture in the enterprise.

10. Describe cloud computing.

Cloud computing is a general term for anything that involves delivering hosted services over the
internet.

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References:

White, S. (2018, October 16).What is enterprise architecture? A framework for transformation.PDT.

https://www.cio.com/article/222421/what-is-enterprise-architecture-a-framework-for-transformation/

White, S. (2018, November 27).Top 11 enterprise architecture tools.Senior Writer.

idginsiderpro.com/article/3323396/top-enterprise-architecture-tools.html

https://airfocus.com/glossary/what-is-enterprise-architecture-planning/

Olavsrud, T. (2022, January 24).What is data architecture? A framework for managing data.Senior
Writer.
https://www.cio.com/article/190941/what-is-data-architecture-a-framework-for-managing-data.html

Kidd, C. & Johnson J.(2021, November 5). CIO vs CTO: What’s the Difference?BMC.

https://www.bmc.com/blogs/cio-vs-cto-whats-the-difference/

Tardi, C.(2022, September 2022).Value Chain: Definition, Model, Analysis, and Example.Investopedia.
https://www.investopedia.com/terms/v/valuechain.asp

https://loggle.io/blog/5-benefits-of-enterprise-architecture

Chai, W.(2021, December).Cloud Computing.Senior Technology Editor.

https://www.techtarget.com/searchcloudcomputing/definition/cloud-computing

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