How to get started with Enterprise Architecture? Part 1/4: Business

Enterprise architecture (EA) is a hot topic both in public and private sector organizations. One of the reasons why interest for enterprise architecture is rising, is that world has become quite a complex place. Complexity costs, especially unplanned complexity, and therefore many organizations are seeking holistic, and systematic thinking approaches to clarify and simplify things. The promise and essence of enterprise architecture is to provide that kind of thinking and a tool for business planning and management.

A problem many organizations face when starting enterprise architecture work is where to start, and how to get started? Here is my simple three-point starting list how to begin your EA work regardless of your role in that work:

1. Understand. Start to understand your organization’s business. Read annual reports, investigate operating plans and have a look at your organization’s strategy and goals: what value and mission does your organization drive for? Ask, discuss, and look for more information about how your organization does its business.

2. Communicate. Have a dialogue with business and supporting units. When discussing about business, use common business language. If you are not familiar with business language, you need to learn the basic terms related to your business. Discuss with business people what are their thoughts, concerns and worries about running the business.

3. Network. Discuss and share thoughts with people in your organization who are the customers and suppliers of your organization, and find out if there are other interest groups your organization is collaborating with. Analyze the value network of your organization. If you don’t know something, ask people who knows. People in your organization are surely willing to answer if you just ask.

No matter if you are CEO, CIO, Enterprise architect, IT manager or a line worker in your organization; the same list applies to you all. If you are a consultant trying to help other organizations, again, the same list applies. Capture all your learnings, and you have a good starting point to create your first EA deliverable called Business Architecture. So, start your EA work from the things that really matter, that is, business.
 
Ari Anturaniemi
Chief Consultant, Enterprise Architecture

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