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Get the Business Engaged in Enterprise Architecture Processes

Keep the “E” in “EA.”

More Details

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Your Challenge

In many organizations, business participation in Enterprise Architecture (EA) is negligible. These organizations miss roughly half of the benefits associated with EA.
Business managers and leaders view EA as an IT function, failing to recognize the value that comes from analytical methods and modeling techniques. EA, like its counterpart in building design and construction, involves diagrams and drawings using standard notations. However, for business leaders unfamiliar with applying architectural science to an enterprise, EA seems like it was invented by IT solely for IT purposes.
Business leader attention is further confused by other business analysis methods such as Business Process Reengineering (BPR), Six Sigma, or Lean Production.
EA demands a significant commitment from business management who struggle to understand the value in dedicating scarce resources to formal analysis of business activities.
This research will recommend ways to communicate the value of EA and gain business support and commitment to EA.

Our Advice

Critical Insight

Business engagement in enterprise architecture is important. Business participation in EA processes doubles the likelihood of experiencing EA benefits.
In most cases, avoid the temptation to use IT discretionary funding to pay for an EA initiative. When the business pays for it, it is more likely to engage in it down the road.
Don’t think it’s your job to introduce business leaders to the practice of modeling: that’s what they learn to do in business school. Business models may not look like EA models, but you have to find the link between the two paradigms to engage business leadership.

Impact and Result

Optimize business engagement for your own situation.
Use Info-Tech’s tactics to build business engagement in the appropriate processes.

Get to Action

Build a strategy for business engagement in key EA processes
Maximize the net benefit of business engagement.
- Storyboard: Get the Business Engaged in Enterprise Architecture Processes
Learn about business engagement in EA
Discover the key elements of EA business engagement.
- Get the Business Engaged in EA Processes
Present EA benefits and an initiative plan to senior business leaders
Gain business sponsorship for the initiative.
- Proposal for an Enterprise Architecture Initiative Presentation Template
Plan your strategy for business engagement
Maximize net benefits of your EA initiative.
- Business Engagement in Enterprise Architecture Strategy Tool

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