ILLUMINATION Book Chapters

The Paradox and Importance of Simplification in Enterprise Architecture — Chapter 3

Book Title: A Modern Enterprise Architecture Approach: Transform the enterprise with mobility, AI, IoT, Cloud, & Big Data

Enterprise environments are very complex. Therefore, simplicity is a crucial term in enterprise architecture frameworks. Simplicity can empower the design, development, implementation, and operation of enterprise modernization programs.

Emerging technologies such as robotics, artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), big data analytics, and Cloud computing require significant simplification. Unfortunately, the traditional approaches do not work for creating solutions in these technology domains anymore.

Simplicity is one of the critical attributes of practicing enterprise architects. It is a substantial factor affecting digital transformation goals in large business organizations.

Thus, enterprise architects must possess capability of turning complexity into simplicity in these organizations. Simplicity simply relates to every angle of enterprise modernization solutions.

Modernizing enterprise systems, especially in AI and IoT-based solutions, can be incredibly complex. These solutions require sophisticated approaches and attributes of practitioners. Hang on, did I say “sophisticated” while introducing “simplicity”. Bear with me. There is a paradox here.

Enterprise architects need comprehensive knowledge, diverse skill sets, and extensive hands-on experience in many tools and technologies to be able to create simplicity. By using these sophisticated attributes, they can simplify intricate processes, systems, tools and technologies.

Simplicity poses a paradoxical situation in enterprise environments.To create simplicity, these architects must deal with significant complexity. Yet, paradoxically, coping with complexity requires creating clarity. Simplicity requires not only a leadership view but also an eye for detail.

In addition, communication skills to articulate complex issues to all stakeholders is essential. Thus, enterprise architects are expected to articulate the most complicated matters in a simple format understandable by peers, supervisors, business stakeholders, and customers.

They should be able to customize key messages to appropriate levels in the proper context. For example, they need to simplify technical matters when dealing with technical issues and business matters for executives. This approach requires strong relationship-building skills.

In addition, enterprise architects must be intuitive, consumer-centric, and people-oriented. They should motivate team members, executive sponsors, and customers to think in simple terms on the same page when conveying key messages.

Simplifying enterprise modernization programs begins with automating systems, tools, technology, and processes at all levels, layer by layer. Automating routine assignments, repetitive tasks, and de-fragmented technology stacks is essential for progress.

Consumers demand simple and easy-to-use products and services. They don’t enjoy complexity and difficulty. They get bored with cumbersome documentation written in convoluted language.

There is a generational shift from reading voluminous documents to reading a single-page instruction. Previous generations used to read manuals to solve technology problems.

In the past, business applications used to come with large read-me files. We need to acknowledge that the new generation works with technology intuitively. They get bored by reading product manuals. They usually watch a short video on achieving a task and troubleshooting an issue when they get stuck.

Technology is transforming into service orientation. Many technology products are delivered to consumers using service models. Cloud computing is a prominent example of this. Cloud can offer infrastructure, data, and applications as a service.

Transforming from traditional to service delivery requires substantial amounts of simplification for consumers. Therefore, enterprise architects have a significant role in the simplification of services for customers.

Simplicity means adding clarity and transparency to services. Enterprise architects need to remove ambiguity and uncertainties from service components. They need to use explicit language for the consumer to understand the solutions.

The core simplicity starts at the architecture and design phases. Design simplicity has an incredible impact on the succeeding stages of the modernization lifecycle.

Without proper design, the implementation and support phases struggle to meet client requirements and expectations. Consequently, the simpler the design, the more successful the implementation and support phases can be.

Design simplification requires using design thinking and agile approaches. Agile methods endeavor simplified solutions focusing on iterative progress. Iterative progress can be simpler than progressing with undivided chunks. So, waterfall methods do not effectively support enterprise modernization.

By applying design thinking and agile methods, enterprise architects focus on use cases of personas intended to use solutions. They deconstruct complex systems into smaller parts. They simplify complex system relationships using iterative movements among multiple significant components, turning them into smaller building blocks of the systems.

Technology services are digitally offered using mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. Mobile devices require simplicity by removing clutter from screens. This is because viewing large objects on small screens can be difficult or impossible. Therefore, only essential components must be factored into mobile solutions.

Enterprise architects can use modular and service-oriented designs to simplify mobile delivery solutions. A modular approach to complex solutions is essential for the simplification of mobility solutions. The key modularity focus can be on infrastructure, applications, middle-ware, security components, network communications, and data delivery systems to mobile devices.

A modern concept known as containers can break down monolithic and interdependent components into manageable and independent elements. A container is a loosely coupled system. It can include an entire runtime environment in a software bundle. A container can consist of application dependencies, software binaries, system libraries, and configuration files.

Over the last several decades, business organizations spent significant time and energy on user specifications for software and hardware products. These convoluted specifications cost a massive amount of funds for the projects hiring engineers, technical architects, and specialists. Nevertheless, it is now evident that the investment made on those expensive specifications cannot be justified in economic terms.

While preparing infrastructure systems and application specifications, agile methods use a short documentation format known as “user stories”. They are simple templates including functionalities and capabilities of specifications from consumers’ point of view.

So, developing the user stories consists of a single-page document rather than hundreds of pages of specifications in traditional methods. For example, a simple diagram, picture, or video clip can cover thousands of words.

Enterprise architects need to simplify assumptions, issues, risks, and dependencies effectively. Simplified communication for these items can be a challenging task. However, they can apply daily interactions using specific rules and techniques.

One of the techniques in handling viability assessment items is refraining from convoluted phrases and focusing on precise language with explicit statements. Of course, enterprise architects can have an extensive vocabulary covering a broad range of technical terms. Still, they need to use simple language to convey their message to non-technical people.

Customizing language in communicating viability assessment is critical. For example, while they can use advanced business vocabulary for senior executives, they need to use technical terms to communicate with engineers and technical specialists.

The attention span of business stakeholders can be short. Therefore, enterprise architects need to get to the point quickly before losing the attention of those people. Rather than using abstract and technical terms, they may use lively words and metaphors to illustrate a situation.

In addition, simplicity in written communication is important too. Business stakeholders and customers don’t have much time and brainpower to understand intricate details in a technical viability assessment document. Therefore, the technical writers of these assessments must be sharp, precise, and to the point with clear statements. Short sentences and paragraphs are always preferable to improve readability.

The key point for verbal and written communication is to pass the intended message successfully in the shortest possible time by refraining from jargon, complex terms, and long sentences. Being able to articulate a situation in the simplest possible terms can increase the confidence of the stakeholders. In addition, the right context for simplifying the language is crucial.

Complex governance processes and procedures can be an obstacle in enterprise modernization initiatives. Convoluted governance models can cause delays, confusion, rework, and low performance.

Therefore, it is critical to simplify the governance framework as much as possible. This does not mean compromising the quality requirements in governing technology solutions.

However, while using rigor, they need to have a balance for delivering the message in the simplest possible terms and making the processes for governance in the most effective ways. So they must stay on top of technology trends and industry requirements to govern the program for modernization.

The next simplification focus must be on data. An effective way of simplifying data is to clean it, and remove duplication and errors. In addition, reducing data sources and volumes when needed is also used to simplify data management processes.

Data simplicity can be achieved through correct data analysis, data intelligence, robust data management tools, and effective data management strategies. When correctly analyzed, more data can add better intelligence for modernizing the data platforms.

Traditional data management methods cannot serve data simplification goals for emerging technologies. Therefore, enterprise architects need to consider big data management technologies, processes, and tools for such a simplification process. A practical approach to big data simplification can be the use of Cloud services with IoT plugins for big data solutions. There is a specific big data as a service model in the market.

The next important simplification method is for presentations. Enterprise architects present to numerous groups using PowerPoint slides and Visio images. They need to use these tools carefully to maintain the focus of the audience and convey critical messages.

Many customers point out that presenters must focus on conveying the central message rather than trying to impress the audience with sophisticated communication techniques. Uninterrupted discussions may cloud the essential messages. Therefore, it is critical to control the presentation process and focus sharply on the essential points in presentations.

All stakeholders value simple, straightforward, and concise presentations without compromising the quality of content and message effectiveness. Finally, obtaining feedback from the audience is vital to completing presentations successfully.

This chapter covered various aspects of simplification in modernizing enterprise architecture programs. More focus and attention to the simplification of multiple aspects of technology and processes can produce better outcomes for enterprise modernization.

Thank you for reading my perspectives.

Here are my three latest articles that can be of interest to enterprise architects.

You may find previous chapters of this book from the following links.

Introduction Chapter

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

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