The meaning of Enterprise Architecture for other April 18, 2008
Posted by rettema in Free Thoughts.Tags: enterprise architecture, Lean and Six Sigma, Lean Six Sigma, Soa
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SOA is a huge paradigm shift for organizations. We have learned that it does not only impact the IT department , but also the business. They are confronted with a situation where technology links departments and functions within a formal business process flow. The SOA paradigm forces us to rethink how we ‘reorder’ the information handling in the SOA organization. This recognition has led to increasing interest to another concept: Enterprise Architecture.
Enterprise Architecture is a formal process of analyzing and articulating a company’s multi layered structure (business processes, applications, infrastructure). Consultancy firms, customer organizations and universities have already embraced Enterprise Architecture. Now a new era begins wherin we start to explore the added value of the Enterprise Architecture perspective for other paradigms and methodologies.
For example the exciting idea that Enterprise Architecture could enhance the ‘holistic’ approach of Lean Six Sigma. Another idea is to study the role of Enterprise Architecture during the change to SOA. I like to point on two ongoing initiatives on both fields of play:
- EA and Lean Six Sigma : MIT LAI – Lean Advancement Initiative
- EA and SOA: JISC a pilot of four initiatives
Hey Roland,
Just some quick notes.
The possibilities you mention are related to the question: who drives change? I am still looking for an in-depth study of organisational and cultural changes associated with the use of SOA. I can find loads of papers detailing the necessities of implementing organisational changes to implement SOA. The paucity of data analysing business changes due to the use of SOA worries me.
For instance, ownership of business processes and the tools to implement business process changes shift towards the business community upon implementing SOA. I assume this means that the business will drive process optimization to reduce costs and take advantage of commercial opportunities.
What does that mean for the interaction between the business and the ICT department? And how does EA figure in this dynamic arena?
Hi Ronald,
Inspiring for me to learn about SOA are the laws and evolution in logistics. The cross-dock (my former post) is about a breakthrough concept in logistics which is in a high degree comparable. In the pre cross-dock era goods where stored in warehouses and silo’s and remained there for long times. Corresponding lean management this is waste. New concepts where needed and business and logistic partners needed to align.
On archetype level this relationship is similar with Business – IT and also they need to align in concerns. SOA is a new concept likewise cross-dock. It is inspiring to read these articles to learn which arguments and the way they aligned their concerns. Enterprise Architecture delivers the necessary insight about the field of play and is a functional instrument to address and discuss aspects and concerns with your stakeholders.
This is maybe a strange answer but it breaks the pattern to battle for SOA with IT arguments. My tip: Learn from worlds where also alignment processes -between partners- evolve.
regards…