Enterprise Architecture as a function

#ArchitectureTeam #ArchitectureRoles

The Function and Its Purpose

Establishing an enterprise architecture function is an organizational change, sharing many of the same characteristics as introducing any new initiative in an organization. The fundamental questions remain the same:

• What does this new EA function do? Why would we need it, and will it benefit us? If so, in what ways?

• Does this EA function replace or significantly change any of our existing development functions?

• Will this be visible to our end customers, or is it more of an internal matter for us?

• Does this new EA function collaborate with our other functions? With whom, and what kind of collaboration?

• Does this EA function produce specific outputs or services? For whom?

• How resource-intensive will this new work be? Do we need to hire new people, and if so, how many? Will this reduce workload elsewhere, thereby improving efficiency?

• What kind of people will be assigned to this EA function? Will it fill the working days of enterprise architects entirely, or can it be part of other job descriptions?

• What are the skill requirements for this role? Can we manage on our own, or will we need external consultants? What about training needs?

• Does architecture work require any purchases? For example, software?
  

The enterprise architecture function primarily produces various architectural deliverables (creating architectural diagrams and creating various documents). These outputs are used for:

• Planning – producing descriptions of the target state and transition paths toward it at various levels of detail. These descriptions can range from rough sketches of the target state to more detailed solution descriptions. To be a “plan,” these descriptions must be followed in subsequent phases of development.

• Supporting decision-making – when deciding whether to proceed with approach A or B, enterprise architecture provides analysis to support decision-making. Supporting decision-making isn’t easy: outputs must be understandable, available on time, and the organization’s culture must be such that decision-makers rely on these analyses.
  

Enterprise architecture is also a service – it’s unrealistic to expect that the rest of the organization reads and interprets architectural descriptions on their own. The chief architect, therefore, acts as a right-hand person to decision-makers, though it's important to avoid becoming a general assistant.

The maturity level of the enterprise architecture function develops over time. In the early stages, a lot of attention will be focused on getting the function up and running, but architectural content should still be produced also in this early phase. The function typically becomes fully operational after two to three years. Although it’s important to focus on doing valuable work from the start, professionalizing the function takes time. The maturity level indicates whether the EA function is sufficiently controlled and stable in your organization. Achieving adequate stability doesn’t require the world’s best modelling tool or highly detailed architectural outputs. It’s enough to understand your own needs and make the necessary choices based on them.

For measuring maturity, Coala offers an EA Maturity Assesment, the results of which are immediately available to you in PDF format.

At Coala, we position the enterprise architecture function using the "Coala Flower." Admittedly, the image does resemble a flower.

The petals of the flower represent the functions in your organization, typically those related to development. It's a good idea to name the petals using terms that are already used in your organization. You can add or remove petals as needed.

Next, consider the role of each petal in relation to the other petals.

MATERIALS

EA maturity assesment by Coala