To borrow from the introduction to The Restaurant at the End
of the Universe (a book by Douglas Adams)…
There is a theory which
states that if ever anyone discovers exactly what EA is for and why it is here,
it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and
inexplicable.
There is another theory
which states that this has already happened!
This graphic shows three fundamental areas of
Transformation; X, Y and Z.
Many people say it is not the labels that are important but
the things that those labels represent. This is true to a certain extent,
however, as POET tells us in the Introduction - language is key. Since we speak
in labels all the time, it is vitally important to have a common understanding
of what we mean when we use them, or at the very least, the ability to realise
when we are not using the labels to mean the same thing and to act
appropriately. This is especially true when a label (name or acronym) is used
widely and extensively. Enterprise Architecture (EA) is definitely in that
category.
There is (and has been for a long time) endless debate about
what EA is. All those debates revolve around everyone putting forward their
definition and then arguing about it. This approach has not taken us forward
over the last 20 years, and is unlikely to do so over the next 20
years.Therefore, a more Pragmatic approach is
needed. Instead of just stating what we believe EA to be, let’s consider the
question from another direction.
Each of these definitions defines something useful and each
of these things is defined both in terms of itself and, but more importantly in
terms of its context - because as POET teaches us - Context
is King™.
|
|
The Architecture of…
|
…set in the context of…
|
|
X
|
the whole of the
Enterprise (including but not limited to IT and not limited to the things
currently connected to IT)
|
the things outside
the Enterprise
|
|
Y
|
the IT of the whole
of the Enterprise
|
the things in the
Enterprise that are connected to IT and the Business strategy
|
|
Z
|
a very large IT
project
|
the things in the
Enterprise that are connected to that IT project and the IT roadmap
|
The table below shows which definition PEAF allocates the EA
label to, along with the labels it uses to refer to the other important
definitions. We also show two alternative camps representing views expressed by
others. If you do not agree with PEAF’s allocation of labels, you are
completely free to allocate whatever labels you wish.
|
|
|
Camp A
(PEAF)
|
Camp B
|
Camp C
|
|
X
|
The Architecture
of… the whole of the Enterprise (including but not
limited to IT) …set in the context of… the things outside the Enterprise
|
EA
|
?
|
?
|
|
Y
|
The Architecture
of… the IT of the whole of the Enterprise
…set in the context of… the things in the
Enterprise that are connected to IT and the Business strategy
|
EITA
|
EA
|
?
|
|
Z
|
The Architecture
of… a very large IT project …set in
the context of… the things in the Enterprise that
are connected to that IT project and the IT roadmap
|
PITA
|
?
|
EA
|
|
If you cannot allocate the
“EA” moniker to X, Y or Z, what box would you draw on the diagram to
represent it?
|
|
What names do you use to refer
to X, Y and Z?
|
|
Does everyone within your
Enterprise agree? If not, what needs to be done?
|
