Q1.

What are some of the differences between enterprise architecture (EA) and a systems-level
planning approach?

 EA provide a holistic and integrated view of the strategic direction, business practices,
information flows, and technology resources.

 EA is driven by strategic goals and business requirement, as the EA equation emphasize:

EA = S + B + T
Enterprise Architecture = Strategy + Business + Technology
 EA serve as an authoritative reference for standards and practices, having a single source of
reference is essential to avoiding waste and duplication in large, complex organizations.
 EA integrated view enable the enterprise to manage the transition from current to future operating
states.
 EA ensure enterprise-wide solutions, rather than individual systems and programs, optimizing
strategic use of resources to get the most from business, technology, and human resources
required.

Q2. Why is EA described as both a management program and an analysis and design method?

Enterprise architecture is accomplished through a management program and an analysis and design
method that is repeatable at various levels of scope. Together the EA program and method provide an
ongoing capability and actionable, coordinated views of an enterprise’s strategic direction, business
services, information flows, and resource utilization.
As a management program, EA provides:
 Strategic Alignment: Connects goals, activities, and resources
 Standardized Policy: Resource governance and implementation
 Decision Support: Financial control and configuration management
 Resource Oversight: Lifecycle approach to development/management
As an analysis and design method, EA provides:
 EA Approach: The framework, analysis/design method, and artifact set
 Current Views: Views of as-is strategies, processes, and resources
 Future Views: Views of to-be strategies, processes, and resources
 EA Management Plan: A plan to move from the current to the future EA.

Q3. What are the four elements of an EA management program and the six elements of an EA
analysis and design method?

EA an ongoing management program that provides a strategic, integrated approach to capability and
resource planning / decision-making. An EA program is part of an overall governance process that
determines resource alignment, develops standardized policy, enhances decision support, and guides
development activities. EA can help to identify gaps in the performance of line of business
activities/programs and the capabilities of supporting IT services, systems, and networks.

Strategic Alignment

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EA supports strategic planning and other operational resource planning processes by providing macro and
micro views of how resources are to be leveraged in accomplishing the goals of the enterprise. This helps
to maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of these resources, which in turn will help to promote the
enterprise’s competitive capabilities. Development projects within the enterprise should be reviewed to
determine if they support one or more of the enterprise’s strategic goals. If a resource and/or project is not
aligned, then its value to the enterprise will remain in question.

Standardized Policy

EA supports the implementation of standardized management policy related to the development and
utilization of IT and other resources. By providing a holistic, hierarchical view of current and future
resources, EA supports the establishment of policy for:

 Identifying strategic and operational requirements

 Determining the strategic alignment of activities and resources
 Developing enterprise-wide business and technology resources
 Prioritizing the funding of programs and projects
 Overseeing the management of programs and projects
 Identifying performance metrics for programs and projects
 Identifying and enforcing standards and configuration management
EA policies must integrate with other policies in all governance areas, so as to create an effective overall
resource management and oversight capability.

Decision Support

EA provides support for IT resource decision-making at the executive, management, and staff levels of
the enterprise. At the executive level, EA provides visibility for large IT initiatives and supports the
determination of strategic alignment. At the management level, EA supports design and configuration
management decisions, as well as the alignment of IT initiatives with technical standards for voice, data,
video, and security. At the staff level, EA supports decisions regarding operations, maintenance, and the
development of IT resources and services.

Resource Oversight

EA supports standardized approaches for overseeing the development of capabilities and optimizing
supporting resources. Depending on the scope of the resources involved and the available timeframe for
development, various system development lifecycle methods can be used to reduce the risk that cost,
schedule, or performance parameters may not be met. EA further supports standardized, proven
approaches to project management that promote the comprehensive and effective oversight of ongoing
programs and new development projects.

EA as an Analysis and Design Method

EA analysis and design are accomplished through the following six basic elements: (1) an EA
documentation framework, and (2) an implementation methodology that support the creation of (3)
current and (4) future views of the architecture, as well as the development of (5) an EA Management

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Plan to manage the enterprise’s transition from current to future architectures. There are also several areas
common to all levels of the framework that are referred to as (6) “threads”.

Q4. What are some of the EA components and documentation artifacts what would be included in
current and future views at each level of EA3 cube framework?

EA component is one of the six basic elements of an EA analysis and design method (EA3).

EA components are changeable goals, processes, standards, and resources that may extend enterprise-
wide or be contained within a specific line of business or segment.

From the component itself’s view, examples can include strategic goals and initiatives; business products
and services; information flows, knowledge warehouses, and data objects; information systems, software
applications, enterprise resource programs, and web sites; voice, data, and video networks; and supporting
infrastructure including buildings, server rooms, wiring runs/closets, and capital equipment.

From the objective the component serves, there two types of components which are vertical component
and horizontal component. The latter is also known as crosscutting component. The vertical component is
a changeable goal, process, program, or resource (equipment, systems, data, etc.) that serves one line of
business. A horizontal (or crosscutting) component is a changeable goal, process, program, or resource
that serves several lines of business. Examples include email and administrative support systems that
serve the whole enterprise.

Q5. Can EA be used by all types of enterprise? If so, why?

Yes, EA can be used by all types of enterprise.

An enterprise is an organization or sub-activity whose boundary is defined by commonly-held goals,

processes and resources. As an integrated, strategic concept, improving the performance of enterprises
cannot be done by managing and planning of technology and other resources through a program or
systems-level perspective.

On the other hand, the strategic use of resources is increasingly important to the success of public and
private sector enterprises, including extended enterprises involving multiple internal and external
participants. How to get the most from business, technology, and human resources requires an enterprise
to think in terms of enterprise-wide solutions, rather than individual system development projects. EA is
known as an approach for this purpose. It is the one discipline that looks at systems holistically as well as
provides a strategy and business context. It was described as being as both a management process and an
analysis and design method that helps enterprises with business and technology planning, resource
management, and decision making, which are, significant for all enterprises.

Q6. How does an EA repository support the implementation methodology?

The Implementation of EA involves a framework-based documentation method. Providing easy access to

EA documentation is essential for use in planning and decision-making. The EA repository is intended to
provide a single place for the storage and retrieval of EA artifacts that are created using EA software
applications (tools). For easy access, an on-line, web-based EA repository is normally recommended. It is

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to provide easy access by being a “one-stop-shop” for all of the documents that populate the various
levels of the EA framework. This type of web “portal” for EA is normally located on the enterprise’s
internal Local Area Network to promote security of the information while still supporting access by
executives, managers, and support staff. From the home architecture’s point of view, the EA repository is
like having an electronic copy of the home’s current blueprints and future remodeling plans. This
electronic information is stored on a home PC in a web format to allow for easy navigation with a web
browser.

Q7 Choose a Real World Large Sized Enterprise and determine:

a) Is Information technology seen as a strategic asset?

b) Does an enterprise architecture program exist?

c) Are there gaps in business/technology performance that an EA program could help identify?

7a) Choose say Bandah

The answer will depend on whether an enterprise is using ICT strategically or as part of operational
services:

For example: among many other systems, Bandah have retail systems which can be

 operational systems that increase shopping service efficiency and effectiveness in customer
checkouts
 Retail systems --> strategic eg on-line shopping can increase market shares, eg people who are
invalid can purchase online and get goods delivered to homes, or live in Alkeles (who has no
shopping centres), etc.

7b) Search the Internet - eg examine NEOM website, job advertisements, etc. Figure out from the found
details if a EA program exist.

7c) Examine your search findings to infer what gaps prevail

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Q8. Do you agree with the need for an EA Program in the case study?

Students need to understand what is the problem at hand, then figure out whether EA is value adding to
the problem solving.

The case situation analysis:

 ICT systems are used for both strategic and operational purposes.
 Kate’s proposal is improving current production and building new capacity to compete. But is her
proposal aligned to the organisation’s strategy plans?
 Jim/Sam’s proposal is operational, aims to improve cost management capacity. CFO are also
money tight, they rather buy proven and cheaper solutions.
 The dilemma is Rob and Gerald have a hard time to figure what to decide.

The company is new to EA, and Sam, where knows something about EA, he is young and may not have
the hardcore experience to know what are EA adoption pitfalls, especially setup risks which may turn into
an expensive overhead with no visible benefiting outcomes to the business.

Without EA – the “as is” current situation. Leadership has no ability to generate clear and consistent
views of the enterprise on an on-going basis. This problem Danforth Manufacturing is facing will repeat
in the future when their legacy systems need replacing. Without an EA capability, they can’t effectively
compare business units and decision making will always be influenced by line managers, program or
system owner levels. Duplication and waste will always be operating problems when ICT systems are
fragmented and not totally integrated , which will also negatively affect the efficiency and effectiveness
of business functions, service provisioning and project work. If the company is worried about Sam's

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inexperience, they can always consider engaged consultants who have the experience to help setup EA
capacity building in Danforth Manufacturing and ensure knowledge and skills transfer to Danforth
Manufacturing employees.

With EA, all these problems will be mitigated, hence not repeated in the future. It also gives the enterprise
the capacity to perform ongoing controlled adaptation and optimisation to internal (eg improvements) and
external (eg business) changes. EA can also help the enterprise to better evaluate M&A opportunities as
they have the capacity to identify and clarify the target organisation’s capabilities, assets, culture, etc.

Some useful additional reading

• http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/rational/library/enterprise-architecture-resistance/

• http://www.booz.com/media/uploads/Building_Value_through_Enterprise_Architecture.pdf

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