In the ”Stable area” we aim for: (”future proofing the situation”)

1. Stable architecture building blocks so we ease change management by the use of target architectures that span years and multiple initiatives. This enables us to be in control of an agile future.
2. Stable solutions building blocks so we can assure that the solutions build upon the SBB we have decided. This enables us to run many solution projects concurrently and still be able to have complete control over the outcome.

In the ”Dynamic area” we aim for: (”adaptability to any situation”)

1. Dynamic behaviour in our architecture buildingblocks so that we easily can reconcider the use and re-use of our ABBs to match the needs of the business.
2. Dynamic behaviour in our solution buildningblocks so that we easily can bundle SBBs in innovative ways that maximize the potentials within our Enterprise architecture and Business situation

In the ”Agile area” we aim for: (”simple to work with”)

1. Agility in the selection, configuration and lifecycle of ABBs such that the design of composite ABBs can be done as fast as possible
2. Agility in the SBBs such that the design of SBBs from the specification of ABBs can be done as fast as possible

Do you like your Enterprise Architecture?

Have you ever considered the possibility that you might like your Enterprise Architecture. Do you go to work with a smile on your face every day? Could it be that it means that your happy with the way things are going. Or are you dissatisfied with the current situation? Maybe it’s just an itch that you can’t really scratch. Then what is the problem, what is it that stands in your way?

Have you asked your self the right questions?

• Do we really want the EA we’ve got?
• What illustrious vision is it that could change our EA from where it is to be the key differentiator?
• How can we move our EA vision from idea to reality?

Make a list of all the positive things

Have you ever made a list of all the positive things that the EA work and the architecture has brought with it? Try to be realistic and at the same time dare to care for the results implied.

• What is good with our EA today?
• What is positively bad with our EA today? (you know it’s bad but it’s good, like principles and the way people react to them).
• Make your selves and others see the value in our EA by asking people to express the value they perceive.
• Make a top ten list of all the things people disliked before we had our EA.

Change happens, dare to evolve

Every day change happens, the scope changes, the environment changes and time races on. You have to become part of the flow so set your goals high, but not higher than could be realistically reached.

• Make your selves and others see the value in our EA by asking people to express the value they would like to see.
• Re-prioritize your efforts to match those strengths and capabilities your really possess.
• Move out of your own box and spend some time working with the non-EA folks on non-EA issues in the enterprise.

Enough is when your proud of your results

You have to know what you know and you have to know what you don’t know and you have to know what you cannot possibly know. If you know all that, then its possible to be proud in success as well as in the face of apparent failure.

• Consider the pieces that you are really pleased with and communicate those to other people.
• Don’t try to do more than can be done.
• Remember that if the stakeholders are happy with the outcome then you have done a great job no matter what.

Less is more

Sometimes less can actually be more, it’s not that you simply get away with not doing the important things, rather it’s doing the important stuff, the stuff that really makes a difference and letting the other stuff be the fluff it was supposed to be. Is it so then that you can take something like TOGAF or Modaf and configure it in a really lean and practical way and hope to succeed in all matters of Enterprise architecture? I don’t think so, and hopefully neither do you.

How much is enough?

Enough is when you have done as little as possible but satisfied all stakeholders and feel proud of what you have achieved.

Securing your enoughness

How then can we make sure that we hit the “enough” target? First, you have to realize that there is no single way to carry you forward to all possible goals. Second, you can base your effort in any single framework you like. Third, you are dealing in change and as such things will have to adopt to change. Simply said, every engagement needs to be tailored and it  is easier to tailor some generica(Togaf, Modaf, Dodaf) you have tailored many times before.

Simple rules to guide you

1. The bigger the effort, the greater extent of the generica needed
2. The faster from idea-to-solution, the more specific the extent of the generica need to be
3. The more regulated, the greater the extent of the generica needed

Had any fun with EA methods lately? It appears that The Open Group way back in 2007  thought we should have some fun whilst learning stuff about TOGAF, so they released two puzzles to play with.

http://www.togaf.info/puzzles/index.html

http://www.togaf.info/puzzles/another.html

I’ve been thinking about the articles I’d like to read if there where an Enterprise architecture magazine on the stands. Maybe this will inspire some to write some good articles, maybe it will inspire me to write a post or two. Whatever, here is the outline as I envision it.

Section: Editors dialogue

In this section the chief editor writes on the main theme of the issue.

Title: The time race

Outline:In a world where the business spins its magic ever faster to attract the customers, the enterprise architects wield the tool of visual business models…

Section: Contributors

In this section the correspondence with the magazine is published

Section: Tidbits

In this section there would be two main themes alternating to reflect the main subject of each issue. The main themes would be: Breaking bad habits and Celebrating best practice.

Title: Breaking bad habits

Outline: 5 mistakes and how to fix them. Numbers on bad habits, a show of the most recent poll stats. A couple of small statements to provoke thinking.

Section: Business

In this section we would collect the latest business related news.

What happens in the business world of EA. Mergers and acquisitions. Layoffs and trade-offs. The major players corner. Financial.

Title: How to add value without increasing expenses

Outline: What can your team do to add value to your customers without increasing expenses?

Section: Technology

In this section there would be tests, presentations and commentary on the technology that supports working with, communicating on and creating enterprise architecture.

Title: From blueprints to dashboards, the new era of enterprise architecture tools has started.

Outline: Even more than before the tools supporting enterprise architecture are called upon to be enterprise centric. It used to be that the tools where used by no more than a handful experts. Now the tools are diverging into specialized areas like modelling, presentation, measuring, collecting, integrating and managing to name but a few…

Section: Profession

This section would support the profession of enterprise architects and work towards establishing some kind of baseline on what enterprise architects do. It would bring about the culture, sub-culture and pop-culture of enterprise architecture. It would celebrate at least one hero of enterprise architecture and possibly one team in a subsection named Standing ovations.

Title: Thinking up-side down

Outline:In the land of down-under enterprise architects think the other way round. When the inhabitants of the northern hemisphere divide the problem space they…

The planned launch of the next version of TOGAF will take place at the Open Group’s 21st EA Practitioners Conference which will be held in San Diego , California from 2nd February 2009.

http://www.opengroup.org/sandiego2009-apc/

Västerås, Sweden, June 02, 2008 — Enterprise architecture, Zachmans Framework, Methodologies for Enterprise architecture and Enterprise architecture communication tools are amongst the nine most non disruptive business tools that will shape the business landscape over the next five years, according to research and advisory person Jörgen Dahlberg.

1. Enterprise architecture as a practice
2. Zachmans Framework envisaged as the periodic table of EA
3. Methodologies for Enterprise architecture, such as EACOE, modaf, togaf and agileEA
4. Enterprise architecture communication tools, such byggplast, post-it notes, wiki, blog, portal, dashboard
5. Enterprise architecture repository and modeling tools such as aris, qualiware,
6. Enterprise architects
7. Other architect specialists such as information architects, technology architects and business architects…
8. The solidification of EA as a practice used to create configurable enterprises
9. The certification of people as enterprise architects by organizations such as universities, togaf, EACOE…

All the while Gartner insist on identifying the top ten most disruptive technologies, read more about that here http://www.gartner.com/it/page.jsp?id=681107

Apparently good things are happening in the field of enterprise architecture.

“The board of the ArchiMate Foundation and the board of The Open Group have expressed their intentions to adopt ArchiMate as an independent standard for enterprise architecture modelling and analysis under the aegis of The Open Group”

You can read the ArchiMate newsletter here.

Adrian has some good thoughts on this topic

For years I’ve been fascinated by the usage of EA as a means to document and structure all aspects of an enterprise. There are many good sources of information out there today that will show you how to do that. But what about reasoning about the enterprise, what models exists to do that. I’ve put together a presentation (see below) which may awake some to the issue of modeling just enough of the enterprise for documentation. Perhaps we can move our EA focus towards using models for reasoning and strategizing. This would enable EA to act as a guide towards understanding the emerging strategy within the organization and its value network.