ILLUMINATION Book Chapters
A Modern Enterprise Architecture Approach — Chapter 1
Transform the enterprise with Mobility, Cloud, IoT & Big Data
The purpose of this book is in the attached article.
Chapter 1: Fundamentals of Enterprise Architecture
Introduction
This chapter covers the fundamentals of enterprise architecture.
In any business venture, fundamentals must be met first so that further progress goes on. For this reason, I start with defining enterprise architecture within the modernization context and introduce the fundamental techniques to deal with enterprise complexity.
In consecutive chapters, as another fundamental aspect, I touch on the Enterprise Architects’ changing and essential roles and responsibilities for leading successful modernization initiatives.
Finally, after setting these fundamentals, I emphasize other necessary pillars in this unique framework.
Definition of Enterprise Architecture
The Enterprise Architecture (EA) discipline in Information Technology (IT) defines a macro-level IT architecture at the enterprise level. It focuses on mapping IT capabilities to business needs using a governance method.
Traditionally, enterprise thought leaders introduced the town planning metaphor to define and visualize EA.
So far, this town planning metaphor is the most noticeable explanation to provide a common understanding of EA. Therefore, now and then in this book, I use this metaphor to convey the message and clarify the abstract points.
The focus of EA has been defining and describing the relationships, logical flows, and implementation of business processes, activities, functions, data, information, applications, underlying technology, and supportive tools in the enterprise.
Vision, process, and planning are the fundamental aspects of EA. These three aspects –vision, process, and planning- are driven by and closely aligned with business needs, capability, and requirements at the enterprise level.
EA has five distinct phases. In order of maturity, the phases are initial, baseline, target, integrated, and optimized. Therefore, enterprise modernization initiatives must consider these phases and deal with them individually and in an integrated manner.
EA has several reference models to explain its fundamental domains. The most common models are:
BRM (Business Reference Model),
CRM (The Components Reference Model),
TRM (The Technical Reference Model),
DRM (The Data Reference Model),
PRM (Performance Reference Model).
These models cover business capabilities, functionality, technology standards, IT systems, data descriptions, and quality measurements. These models are well-established. For example, one of the most common EA methods, FEA (Federal Enterprise Architecture), uses these models.
There are many traditional methods used for Enterprise Architecture. The popular ones are TOGAF, Zachman, and FEA.
In addition, some large organizations have their established proprietary methodologies, which are used for internal purposes and not shared publicly.
However, by learning an established method and understanding enterprise architecture principles broadly, Enterprise Architects can quickly learn other proprietary techniques. They can review them and work with the actual work products in a relatively short time.
Managing Enterprise Complexity
Enterprise environments can be highly complex, covering multiple layers of systems, technologies, tools, and processes. Thus, one of the critical roles of Enterprise Architects is to manage complexity. We can use different approaches and techniques to manage complexity in enterprises.
A common simplification technique is a partitioning approach. Some Enterprise Architects may use different terms for partitioning, such as dividing, subdividing, segregating, and apportioning.
These terms all mean the same thing. The process of partitioning refers to making smaller parts of a significant point.
For example, when dealing with a network system, first, we partition the overall network into smaller groups, such as a wide-area network or a local-area network. Next, we can partition the wide-area network from tools perspectives such as routers, switches, and other devices.
Once we partition a predominant system, then we can start simplifying. Simplification is an expansive technique. We can customize the process of simplification for different scenarios and activities.
An effective way of simplifying a system is by reducing its quantity. Take the number of servers, for example. Looking at a thousand units of servers compared to ten servers can make an enormous difference.
Another technique can be moving an item from a large group of clustered items but still keeping the relationship to maintain its core identity. This book offers a chapter on the importance of simplification for enterprise modernization as it is a critical factor.
After partitioning and simplifying, the third critical method is iterating. Iteration is progressing activities in smaller steps and chunks. Iteration is one of the best approaches to dealing with complexity and uncertainty.
Moving with iterative steps, we achieve specific results. If the effect is positive, we make progress and go to the next iteration. If the impact is negative, we fail but learn not to do it and try another iteration.
The positive side of this negative result is that we fail cheaply and quickly. Failing cheaply and promptly doesn’t make a big difference from a financial and project schedule perspective. What I mean is we don’t consume a lot of budgets.
As iteration is critical in enterprise modernization, this book offers a chapter on Agile methods and approaches for successful modernization initiatives.
In short, we can remember these three basic methods using daily examples. We have separate teams for different functions at work. This is the partitioning of groups. We belong to a single nation. This is a simplification. We plan for a school or certification exam chapter by chapter. This is iteration.
There are also different tools that we use for these techniques. In various chapters of this book, we will cover them.
Enterprise Solutions Costs
Everything in enterprise transformation generates high costs. We call them known and hidden costs. It is more comfortable to deal with the known costs. However, the challenge is to deal with the hidden costs.
Hidden costs resemble the more significant part of the iceberg. Even though financial teams manage the cost, Enterprise Architects need to find ways to make enterprise modernization solutions inexpensive. We need to gradually lower the price without compromising quality. Quality considerations are the critical necessities of enterprise modernization initiatives.
People believe that making solutions cost-effective without compromising quality cannot be possible because of many trade-offs in the architecture development phase. There are, of course, many challenges and factors to be considered to achieve this goal.
However, the solution cost can be reduced by making trade-offs with a systematic approach. We can obtain collaborative input from the business and technology departments.
We can also use the agile process. It is possible to increase the quality of the solutions by applying professional diligence, architectural rigor, delivery agility, and intelligent collaboration. These approaches are critical to maintaining and improving quality.
Interestingly, Enterprise Architects need to participate in cost model development. For example, they can develop a solution Bill of Materials (BOM) once they set the solution strategy and complete all high-level design artifacts.
It is important to note that there may be tremendous pressure from project managers and procurement staff to generate an upfront BOM. However, we can point out that no BOM can be formalized without an approved architecture.
This assertive and forthright input from the Enterprise Architects can save a considerable amount of funds for the programs and save tight budgets.
General infrastructure and maintenance costs are associated with large data centers, server farms, Mobile BI, Big Data, and Cloud infrastructure. However, these foundational infrastructure components can make enterprise solutions more viable from a cost perspective.
It is critical to understand that a single failure or defect in a device or a group of devices serving the consumers can affect the service levels and lead to high costs for the service providers.
Availability and performance of the systems play significant roles in punitive service levels. Automated SLAs (Service Level Agreements) can identify low availability and poor performance.
These automated SLAs trigger the rules and force the organizations breaching the agreements to pay the contractually agreed penalties.
The downtime is the most critical factor for generating excessive fines. The longer the systems are down, the higher the penalties. Therefore, service downtime costs can be very high based on agreed rates and cause excessive penalties when accumulated for service-level breaches by organizations.
Service Level breaches create a strategic adverse effect on an organization’s products and services. For example, downtimes in services or defects in products can result in poor client satisfaction. If we also look at this from the consumer perspective, they lose business due to service downtimes. It is an undesirable scenario even though the consumer organizations are compensated with SLA penalties paid by the service providers.
Enterprise Architects need to focus on the SLAs from the early modernization solution life cycle phases.
The higher the quality of the solutions, the easier it can be for SLAs to meet when the solutions go into production and the operational state. The rigor for quality in each phase can positively contribute to mitigating SLA risks.
Some of the key considerations to address SLA issues could be autonomous condition monitoring and remote maintenance.
There are unique solutions to these techniques. It can be helpful to engage automation specialists to design these features in our modernization solutions.
Service level management is also crucial in enterprise modernization initiatives. One of the prevalent fears of business executives is that performance and availability problems may damage their organizations’ client satisfaction and compromise business revenues.
To mitigate the risks associated with this business fear, Enterprise Architects need to pay special attention to SLA strategy, planning, design, and implementation in an integrated way as early as possible.
Enterprise Modernization Approach
Enterprise modernization is a long journey moving the enterprise from chaos to coherence. The process includes every aspect of the enterprise. For the scope of this book, I focus on enterprise IT systems.
Even though enterprise IT systems look like a tiny bit of an organization in an overarching enterprise, this domain by itself can be enormous, especially for large business organizations.
Enterprise IT systems include business IT processes, business data, business applications, IT infrastructure, and IT service delivery.
These domains can even be even more complicated by adding geographical factors such as multiple countries. However, these primary domains can be modernized iteratively in parallel.
Both a top-down and bottom-up approach can be applied to modernization initiatives. For example, at the top tier business, IT processes and at the bottom tier IT infrastructure.
These two domains can independently be modernized using parallel activities. However, an integrated approach is crucial as there can always be dependencies and inter-dependencies from multiple angles.
Once the business and architecture team sets the modernization strategy, Enterprise Architects refine it and convert it to a new structure. The strategy document is a critical artifact in bringing all parties and stakeholders on the same page.
Then the Enterprise Architects identify the necessary dependencies among these domains based on short-term, midterm, and long-term considerations.
Using the strategy and considering the dependencies, Enterprise Architects develop a high-level roadmap to inform the sponsoring executives.
This roadmap can indicate the key outcomes, timelines, and an estimated cost for the overall modernization. These indications can be very high-level as there may be many factors affecting project timelines and costs.
Once the roadmap for the enterprise modernization is set, the Enterprise Architects need to make a comprehensive viability assessment considering the current state of the scoped initiatives, their indicative future state, and the strategies to reach the end state.
This viability assessment must include critical risks, assumptions, constraints, and dependencies. The viability assessment is an explanatory tool an Enterprise Architect can provide to the sponsoring executives to make informed decisions.
After review and approval of the viability assessment, Enterprise Architects investigate the environment by collecting the high-level requirements of the solutions based on the domains mentioned earlier.
As dealing with the requirements of those domains can be overwhelming, Enterprise Architects need to delegate the requirements collection process to the domain specialists, program architects, and business analysts.
In this requirement collection phase, the role of the Enterprise Architect is to coordinate and facilitate the requirements management team. The team consists of multiple architects and business analysts.
After requirements are collected and analyzed reasonably, the next important activity is prioritizing the needs based on business impact.
Enterprise Architects need to develop a set of criteria to prioritize the requirements based on factors portrayed in the strategy, roadmap documents, and the financial and business priorities set by the sponsoring executives.
Thank you for reading my perspectives. I wish you a healthy and happy life.
I plan to submit a chapter a day. Here are the other chapters.
The book is available in digital and paperback formats.
Related Technology Articles on Medium
A Layer by Layer Security Review Approach for Internet of Things
Impact of Massive And Hidden IoT Data On Performance of Digital Venture Production Systems
Business Value and Architectural Overview of Robotics Process Automation — RPA
Learning AI, Cognitive, Data Science, Programming, & Cloud Computing
Digital Scent Technology And AI Machines Can Smell Now. So What!
How Artificial Intelligence Tools Transform Small Business In America
Digital Twin Solutions: An architectural overview and business value for industry
Digital Intelligence: An Overview and Comparison with Physical Intelligence
Importance of Simplicity In Technology Excellence: A paradoxical situation
Big Data as a Service: Business Value and an Architectural Overview
Simplifying Enterprise Architecture: Redefining to add clarity
Viability Assessment for IoT Solutions: A critical architectural and design requirement
Managing Complexity And Constraints Of IoT Sensors, Endpoints, Gateways, & Network Bottlenecks
Managing Complexity Of IoT Sensors, Endpoints, Gateways, And Network Bottlenecks
Rapid Development And Integrated Automation For IoT Solutions
The Emergence and Convergence of Artificial Intelligence in the Business World
Business Growth, Ethics, Governance & Law of Technology for the Future of Nebraska
How Technology Accelerators & Innovation Bills Spark Business Passion for Alabama Entrepreneurs
How Artificial Intelligence Tools Transform Small Business In America
As a new reader, you might check my holistic health and well-being stories reflecting on my reviews, observations, and decades of sensible experiments.
Other Sample Book Chapters I Published on Medium
As a new reader, you might check my holistic health and well-being stories reflecting on my reviews, observations, and decades of sensible experiments. I write about health as it matters. I believe health is all about homeostasis.
Sample Health Improvement Articles for New Readers
I write about various hormones and neurotransmitters such as dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, GABA, acetylcholine, norepinephrine, adrenaline, glutamate, and histamine.
One of my goals as a writer is to raise awareness about the causes and risk factors of prevalent diseases that can lead to suffering and death for a large portion of the population.
To raise awareness about health issues, I have written several articles that present my holistic health findings from research, personal observations, and unique experiences. Below are links to these articles for easy access.
Metabolic Syndrome, Type II Diabetes, Fatty Liver Disease, Heart Disease, Strokes, Obesity, Liver Cancer, Autoimmune Disorders, Homocysteine, Lungs Health, Pancreas Health, Kidneys Health, NCDs, Infectious Diseases, Brain Health, Dementia, Depression, Brain Atrophy, Neonatal Disorders, Skin Health, Dental Health, Bone Health, Leaky Gut, Leaky Brain, Brain Fog, Chronic Inflammation, Insulin Resistance, Elevated Cortisol, Leptin Resistance, Anabolic Resistance, Cholesterol, High Triglycerides, Metabolic Disorders, Gastrointestinal Disorders, Thyroid Disorders, Anemia, Dysautonomia, cardiac output, and major disorders.
I also wrote about valuable nutrients. Here are the links for easy access:
Lutein/Zeaxanthin, Phosphatidylserine, Boron, Urolithin, taurine, citrulline malate, biotin, lithium orotate, alpha-lipoic acid, n-acetyl-cysteine, acetyl-l-carnitine, CoQ10, PQQ, NADH, TMG, creatine, choline, digestive enzymes, magnesium, zinc, hydrolyzed collagen, nootropics, pure nicotine, activated charcoal, Vitamin B12, Vitamin B1, Vitamin D, Vitamin K2, Omega-3 Fatty Acids, N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine, Cod Liver Oil, and other nutrients to improve metabolism and mental health.
Disclaimer: My posts do not include professional or health advice. I document my reviews, observations, experience, and perspectives only to provide information and create awareness.
I publish my lifestyle, health, and well-being stories on EUPHORIA. My focus is on metabolic, cellular, mitochondrial, and mental health. Here is my collection of Insightful Life Lessons from Personal Stories.
If you enjoy writing and storytelling, you can join Medium, NewsBreak, and Vocal as a creator to find your voice, reach out to a broad audience, and monetize your content.
You may also check my blog posts about my articles and articles of other writers contributing to my publications on Medium. I share them on my website digitalmehmet.com. Here is my professional bio. You can contact me via weblink.
You might join my six publications on Medium as a writer by sending a request via this link. 19K+ writers contribute to my publications. You might find more information about my professional background.
If you enjoy reading, you may join Medium with my referral link for limitless access to my stories and other writers.
