enterprise architecture and data modeling · 2018. 4. 18. · c) review your current architecture...
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WHITE PAPER
Enterprise Architecture and Data ModelingPractical steps to collect, connect and share your enterprise data for better business outcomes
WHITE PAPER: ENTERPRISE ARCHITECTURE AND DATA MODELING | 2
Forget everything that you may have heard or read about еnterprise аrchitecture. It does not have to take too long or cost too much. The problems are not with the concept of enterprise architecture, but with how it has been taught, applied and executed.
All too often, enterprise architecture has been executed by IT groups for IT groups, and has involved the idea that everything in the current state has to be drawn and modeled before you can start to derive value. This approach has caused wasted effort, taken too long to show results, and provided insufficient added value to the organization.
Use a data-driven enterprise
architecture to deliver
better business outcomes.
Section 1
For many organizations, this has led to erosion in the perceived value of enterprise architecture. For others, it has led to the breakup of еnterprise аrchitecture groups, with separate management of the constituent parts: business architecture, information architecture, solutions architecture, technical architecture and, in some cases, security architecture. This has led to fragmentation of architecture, duplication and potential sub-optimization of processes, systems and information.
Taking a business-outcome approach has led to renewed interest in the value of enterprise architecture. But such interest will only remain if еnterprise аrchitecture groups remember that effective architecture is about smarter decision-making, enabling management to make decisions more quickly because they have access to the right information in the right format at the right time. Of course, focusing on future state first (desired business outcome), helps to reduce the scope of current-state analysis and speed up the delivery of value. This increases perceived value, while reducing organizational resistance to architecture.
Enterprise architecture is the all-encompassing
wrapper of which the other disciplines should be a part.
The four key inputs to a well crafted business
outcome statement
ENTE
RPRISE ARCHITECTURESecurity Architecture
Business Architecture
Information Architecture
Technical Architecture
Solution Architecture
BUSINESS OUTCOME
STATEMENT
What is the problem?
When do they need it solved?
What are the success measures?
Who has the problem?
WHITE PAPER: ENTERPRISE ARCHITECTURE AND DATA MODELING | 3
Section 1 (continued) Taking a business-outcome approach means you should:
a) Understand who the real stakeholders involved in and benefitingfrom the enterprise architecture are in your organization. Whilemany stakeholders may still be within the IT organization, it is thebusiness and C-level stakeholders who should be able to gain themost.
b) Understand their goals, objectives and pain points, and then helpthem to express them in clear business-outcome terms. This will taketime and skill, as many business users simply ask for system changeswithout clearly stating their actual objectives.
c) Review your current architecture efforts and tooling. Questionwhether you are providing or managing data the business does notneed, whether you are working too deeply in areas that may not beadding value, or whether you have your vital architecture data spreadacross too many disconnected tools.
WHITE PAPER: ENTERPRISE ARCHITECTURE AND DATA MODELING | 4
Enterprise and data
architects who relate what they
are doing back to what the
C-suite reallywants find iteasier to get
budget and stay relevant.
Section 2 Often when architects (or indeed vendors) talk about the C-suite, they are referring to the role of CXO, which is a reminder that executives have different needs and agendas as compared to most people in the IT domain. But to think of them as a homogeneous group is a mistake. Take a look at the table below and you see that commonalities exist among the top five priorities of various members of the C-suite, but there are also many differences. This affords architecture groups greater opportunity to demonstrate their value to a broader audience.
Only when the connection between architecture and priority is explicitly stated in ways and terms that address the specific concern of the specific “C” role will this become apparent.
CEO CFO CIO CDOStronger client focus
Cost optimization
Improving business processes
Leverage existing data to advance business
Fostering innovation
Process optimization
Reducing costs and driving efficiency
Find new revenue streams by monetizing data
Minimizing cybersecurity risks
Cash and liquidity management
Maintaining IT systems
Enrich data by linking with other data
Implementing disruptive technology
Financial risk management
Managing cybersecurity
Maintain quality and relevance of data
Responding effectively to regulatory change
ERP implementation
Business innovation
Protecting data as an asset
WHITE PAPER: ENTERPRISE ARCHITECTURE AND DATA MODELING | 5
Section 2 (continued) In summary, while the needs of C-level executives may be different, they are all trying to make smarter decisions that enable them to achieve their desired business outcomes.
To make those decisions, they require actionable insights, and it is up to the architecture team to provide those insights. When we do, we help others connect their projects, programs and initiatives to those outcomes, then everyone understands why we need to do the things we do – putting the data in context and thus providing actionable information.
To make your architecture efforts relevant, add value from a C-suite perspective, and increase your chances of getting or keeping budget:
a) Use benefit trees to illustrate how your projects or architectureinitiatives connect to the desired C-suite outcome.
b) Focus architecture efforts on presenting the data management needsto make decisions, rather than the maps and models technical staff use.This may mean maintaining multiple views of the same information,such as a business presentation version and a more technical model-based view.
c) When collecting or connecting data, think broadly. A catalog ofprocesses, a list of standards, or a common dictionary of businessterms are all forms of data. And data about the organization is just asimportant as business performance, customer, product or accountingdata that forms part of the everyday fabric of the organization.
An example benefits tree illustrates how a “desktop upgrade” is not an IT project that
costs, but a mechanism to help the organization achieve one of its key business outcomes.
PROJECT OR INITIATIVE BUSINESS BENEFIT DESIRED BUSINESS
OUTCOMES
POTENTIAL IT OR PMO-LED INIAITIVES OR
PROJECTS
TYPICAL BUSINESS LINE MANAGER OBJECTIVE
TYPICAL CXO TOP-LEVEL DESIRE OR
STRATEGIC IMPERATIVE
Upgrade desktop operating system
Create HTML mashup views for
support staff
Develop and share detailed FAQ
databaseIncrease customer
satisfaction to 95% by 2018
Merge ERP and CRM systems
Reduce time staff takes to answer
customer questions
Combine systems to provide single view of customer
WHITE PAPER: ENTERPRISE ARCHITECTURE AND DATA MODELING | 6
Traditional enterprise architecture approaches have focused on analyzing and creating current-state representations first, and only then consider future states. This is a little like creating an entire tube map, when all I wanted to know was how to get from place A to place B. Worse still, we sometimes get so wedded to those representations that we fail to see alternatives because they were not pictured. Understanding where you want to go, when you want to get there and any limitations on time, budget or means, enables us to plan our journey better.
Demonstrating that we understand the desired future state instills greater confidence that we are working toward something the business needs, takes less time to produce some tangible results, and makes it harder for the business to resist our proposals. With a future-state model inplace, not funding the projects or proposals can be seen as giving up on the desired business outcome – not something many executives and managers feel comfortable with.
Initial future-state architecture does not have to take long or require complex tooling. The key to its success lies in painting a picture of the future in such a compelling way (either with actual visuals or words) that people can’t resist wanting to go there. Focus your efforts to:
a) Work with key stakeholders to understand the where and when ofthe future and on how success will be measured. Any visualizationsyou create are best delivered as either sketches or highly graphicalviews that are readily accessible, masking any technical details.
b) Ensure you note information that might support achievement ofthe future when the time comes, or data that might be useful inevaluating alternative paths. This is also a good time to learn howthe key stakeholders prefer to see information presented, ensuringmaximum success when you present results at a later stage.
c) Create business capability models and roadmaps that can beconnected to the future state’s use for gap and project analysis.
Architects who create
future-state models
first find it easier to get
management to invest in
their efforts.
Section 3
MAYOR OF LONDON
Tube map
Key to lines
Metropolitan
Victoria
Circle
Central
Bakerloo
DLR
London Overground
TfL Rail
London Trams
Piccadilly
Waterloo & City
Jubilee
Hammersmith & City
Northern
District
District open weekends and on some public holidays
Emirates Air Linecable car (special fares apply)
Check before you travel§ Custom House for ExCeL
Station closed from January until late December 2017.
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Restricted step-free access from January until March 2017.
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No step-free access to northbound platform until March 2017.
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Step-free access for manual wheelchairs only.---------------------------------------------------------------------------§ Lambeth North
Station closed until February 2017.---------------------------------------------------------------------------§ Lancaster Gate
Station closed from Tuesday 3 January until August 2017.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------§ Services for these stations are subject
to variation.Please search ‘TfL stations’ for full details.
Gospel Oak to BarkingNo service until February 2017.Check online for rail replacement bus information.
London Overground
Brentwood to ShenfieldNo service from early January until late May 2017. Check online for rail replacement bus information.
TfL Rail
Transport for London December 2016
Key to symbols Explanation of zones
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Interchange stations
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Lloyd Park
Coombe Lane
King Henry’sDriveFieldway
NewAddington
GravelHill
AddingtonVillage
Regent’s Park
GoodgeStreetBayswater
Warren Street
Aldgate
Farringdon
BarbicanRussellSquare
High Street Kensington
Old Street
Green Park
BakerStreet
NottingHill Gate
Victoria
Mansion House
Temple
OxfordCircus
BondStreet
TowerHill
Westminster
PiccadillyCircus
CharingCross
Holborn
Tower Gateway
Monument
Moorgate
Leicester SquareSt. Paul’s
Hyde Park Corner
Knightsbridge
Angel
Queensway
Marble Arch
SouthKensington
SloaneSquare
Covent Garden
LiverpoolStreet
Great PortlandStreet
Bank
Chancery Lane
LancasterGateHolland
Park
Cannon Street
Fenchurch Street
GloucesterRoad St. James’s
Park
EustonSquareEdgware
Road
Edgware Road
Embankment
Blackfriars
TottenhamCourt Road
King’s CrossSt. Pancras
MarylebonePaddington
Watford High Street
Watford Junction
Bushey
Carpenders Park
Hatch End
North Wembley
South Kenton
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Wembley Central
Kensal Green
Queen’s Park
Stonebridge Park
Bethnal Green
Cambridge Heath
London Fields
Harlesden
Willesden Junction
Headstone Lane
Harrow &Wealdstone
Kilburn Park
WarwickAvenue
Maida ValeEuston
NewCross Gate
Imperial Wharf
ClaphamJunction
Crystal Palace Norwood Junction
Sydenham
Forest Hill
Anerley
Penge West
Honor Oak Park
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Wapping
New Cross
Queens RoadPeckham
Peckham Rye
Denmark Hill
Surrey Quays
Whitechapel
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CanadaWater
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West Brompton
Parsons Green
Putney Bridge
East Putney
Southfields
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Kensington(Olympia)
AldgateEast
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Dalston Kingsland
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Homerton
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Theydon Bois
Epping
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Wood StreetBruce Grove
White Hart Lane
Silver Street
Edmonton Green
Southbury
Turkey Street
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Cheshunt
Enfield Town
StamfordHill
Bush HillPark
Highams Park
Chingford
Leyton
Woodford
South Woodford
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Hainault
Fairlop
Barkingside
Newbury Park
Stratford
RodingValley
GrangeHill
Chigwell
Redbridge
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Wanstead
Dalston Junction
Canonbury
Stepney Green
SevenSisters
Highbury &Islington
TottenhamHale
Clapton
St. James Street
StokeNewington
Dagenham East
Dagenham Heathway
Becontree
Upney
Upminster
Upminster Bridge
Hornchurch
Elm Park
Ilford
Goodmayes
Chadwell Heath
Romford
Gidea Park
Harold Wood
Shenfield
Brentwood
Seven Kings
HarringayGreenLanes
LeytonstoneHigh Road
LeytonMidland Road
Emerson ParkSouth Tottenham
Barking
East Ham
Plaistow
Upton Park
Upper Holloway
CrouchHill
GospelOak
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WestHam
BowRoad
Bromley-by-Bow
Island Gardens
Greenwich
Deptford Bridge
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Devons Road
Langdon Park
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Cutty Sark for Maritime Greenwich
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LondonCity Airport
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King George V
Custom House for ExCeL
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Cyprus
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RoyalVictoria
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EastIndia
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NorthGreenwich
Maryland
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Oakwood
Cockfosters
Southgate
Arnos Grove
Bounds Green
Turnpike Lane
Wood Green
Manor House
FinsburyPark
Arsenal
KentishTown West
Holloway Road
Caledonian Road
Mill Hill East
Edgware
Burnt Oak
Colindale
Hendon Central
Brent Cross
Golders Green
Hampstead
Belsize Park
Chalk Farm
Camden Town
High Barnet
Totteridge & Whetstone
Woodside Park
West Finchley
Finchley Central
East Finchley
Highgate
Archway
Tufnell Park
Kentish Town
MorningtonCrescent
CamdenRoad
CaledonianRoad &
Barnsbury
Amersham
Chorleywood
Rickmansworth
Chalfont &Latimer
Chesham
Moor Park
Croxley
Watford
Northwood
Northwood Hills
Pinner
North Harrow
Harrow-on-the-Hill
NorthwickPark
PrestonRoad
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Rayners Lane
Stanmore
Canons Park
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KilburnWestHampstead
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Hillingdon RuislipRuislip Manor
Eastcote
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Boston Manor
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ChiswickPark
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RavenscourtPark
WestKensington
BaronsCourt
Earl’sCourt
Shepherd’sBush Market
Goldhawk Road
Hammersmith
Wood Lane
WhiteCity
Finchley Road& Frognal
KensalRise
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Brondesbury
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SouthHampstead
WestActon
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Southwark
Waterloo
London Bridge Bermondsey
Vauxhall
Lambeth NorthPimlico
Stockwell
Brixton
Elephant & Castle
Oval
Kennington
Borough
Clapham North
Clapham High Street
Clapham Common
Clapham South
Balham
Tooting Bec
Tooting Broadway
Colliers Wood
South Wimbledon
Morden
Latimer Road
Ladbroke Grove
Royal Oak
Westbourne Park
PuddingMill Lane
Acton Central
South Acton
HampsteadHeath
Stratford High Street
Abbey Road
WoodgrangePark
WalthamstowQueen’s Road
West Croydon
BeckenhamJunction
Elmers End
Harrington Road
Arena
DundonaldRoad
Merton Park Woodside
Blackhorse Lane
Addiscombe
AvenueRoad
Sandilands
WellesleyRoad
Reeves Corner
Mitcham BeddingtonLane
AmpereWay
WandlePark
Centrale
ChurchStreet
BelgraveWalk
PhippsBridge
MordenRoad
TherapiaLane
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GeorgeStreet
LebanonRoad
EastCroydon
BeckenhamRoad
MitchamJunction
Birkbeck
WalthamstowCentral
WansteadPark
Blackhorse Road
Forest Gate
The London Tube map is just a different representation of architecture.
WHITE PAPER: ENTERPRISE ARCHITECTURE AND DATA MODELING | 7
Having identified our desired future-state architecture, then we start to create a current-state architecture to add detail and richness to our roadmaps, undertake detailed gap analysis and, where required, comprehensive impact analysis.
As we have already mentioned, approaching the current state in this manner has significantly reduced the scope of current-state analysis. This becomes important when you consider the interconnectivity of information.
In the diagram above, we can see the connections between process, organization, location, data, application, technology and security. Let’s look at this a bit more closely. If customer satisfaction is identified as an outcome, and the implementation of a CRM system is a stated project, then we already have a lot of work to do in identifying all the POLDAT pieces that will be relevant to that implementation. We cannot afford to waste time collecting information about processes that will not be impacted, or worrying about other systems that will not be connected with the CRM implementation.
We do, however, want to gather as much information about the POLDAT pieces that will be impacted. In this respect, architects that work with their data management colleagues will find that they can help extract relevant information from other data sources that will accelerate the creation of the current-state architecture. Organizations that adopt the “just enough just in time” approach to current-state architecture, and capture both current and future state architectures in a common tool, will reach a point where the entire enterprise architecture of their organization is captured and documented – without adding overhead to projects.
Enterprise architects
who leverage the skills and
knowledge of their data
management colleagues can build relevant current-state architectures
quicker.
Section 4
POS
T
A D
L
It’s All Connected
Based upon the POLDAT
approach cited in the
CSC Catalyst methodology
(extended to add “S” for security)
WHITE PAPER: ENTERPRISE ARCHITECTURE AND DATA MODELING | 8
Section 4 (continued) As we can see, there are faster ways to create relevant current-state architecture. You don’t have to start with a blank page, but when you do start:
a) Question all current-state activities being undertaken and considerscaling them back if they cannot help achieve a desired future statethat is linked to a business outcome.
b) Consider employing a common enterprise architecture tool, with afocus on its repository and data connectivity capabilities. Ensure thatthe tool can automatically create views from the data you populateit with and that it supports multiple concurrent users.
c) Produce impact and gap analysis reports before detailed diagrams,as most decisions are based on grids, tables and reports. It is oftenonly the solution designers and technical architects that actuallyneed the wiring diagrams we normally associate with enterprisearchitecture.
WHITE PAPER: ENTERPRISE ARCHITECTURE AND DATA MODELING | 9
Data modelers working closely with enterprise
architects can manage data
in context and deliver the
information that management
needs.
Section 5 In many organizations, data modelers appear to work in a vacuum. Initial database setup may be part of the solution architecture or technical architecture and linked to the implementation of a project. But then it seems to be handed off or forgotten.
As the world starts to change more quickly, system updates become even more interconnected. And system replacement cycles accelerate this problem. In particular, metadata management is no longer limited to inside the firewall but also extends to systems in the cloud, as well as to systems that support or are connected to customers.
To effectively manage data quality, data security and data integration in a changing world, the data modeling and data management teams need to understand the context of their work.
This context needs to be provided on an ongoing basis, not merely as a one-off exercise. Furthermore, the use of standards in the areas of information and data security are becoming more important.
Application, auditing and compliance with these standards will typically be handled by the enterprise architecture team. But the applications of standards will reside with data management, so close partnership is essential.
Context is also a key word when it comes to delivering value to business managers and customers. In most cases, they don’t want or care about the data, but they do require accurate and timely information that is in context. This is where data modeling and management teams need to work more closely with enterprise architecture teams. Together, they can provide the clear context needed on the business issues and strategies of the organization.
Data modelers that work more closely with enterprise architecture position themselves as stepping out from the weeds and into the broader area of information architecture. Although information architecture is one of the major constituents of an enterprise architecture, many organizations don’t have someone perform the role, in part because many data modelers resist looking at the bigger picture.
WHITE PAPER: ENTERPRISE ARCHITECTURE AND DATA MODELING | 10
Section 5 (continued) a) Integrate your data management functions into your overall enterprisearchitecture initiatives to avoid exacerbating the current siloed thinkingthat exists in organizations. It is easier to understand context andaddress risks as part of enterprise architecture.
b) Focus data management efforts on providing and protecting keyinformation by focusing more on required management actions anddecisions to add greater value to the organization.
c) Consider ways to integrate enterprise architecture and data modelingtools to ensure consistency and context. If you are unable to leveragea common toolset, then you should at least consider leveraging acommon repository approach for models. Process and data modelsare two sides of the same coin. To manage them separately is towaste time, effort and money.
WHITE PAPER: ENTERPRISE ARCHITECTURE AND DATA MODELING | 11
Enterprise and data architecture teams that fail to
fully realize the impact of digital business on the
IT landscape are putting their
organizations at risk.
Section 6 There is no doubt the digital business wave will affect businesses large and small across all industry sectors and geographies. The disruptions it has caused so far are nothing compared to the disruptions that are coming. While self-driving cars, digital assistants, and drone delivery are grabbing headlines, the real impact goes far beyond these new technologies.
The internet of things (IoT) will drive vast amounts of sensor data on a minute-by-minute or second-by-second basis. That information will need to be sorted, cataloged and acted upon, often in the blink of an eye. Your applications and systems may no longer serve people but instead respond to requests from other systems. These systems will not be able to correct mistakes or be willing to wait a few more minutes while you work on things. The inability to respond accurately in real time may well spell the death of your business, and responding to the challenge will require close coordination between data management and enterprise architecture teams.
As organizations seek to leverage data to create and sell new digital products, often via APIs, enterprise and data architects will need to learn the skills of product managers. Once data or an API becomes a commercial product, new rules apply when it comes to quality, regularity of updates, and timeliness of availability. You will be required to take a customer-first approach and understand revenue risks. You may also need multi-lingual documentation, product support functions, and ways to deliver these new digital products. In these respects, neither data management nor enterprise architecture can afford to work alone – the risk of historical myopic thinking is just too great.
Closer to home, enterprise architects and data modelers are wrestling with the fact that much of their closed data may soon need to be exposed as open data via APIs. While in the past, systems and the data processed have all been within the control of the IT groups, it is now increasingly held in third-party applications based in the cloud or via APIs from other members of your ecosystem. The interactions and integrations between applications, inside and outside the firewall, means that enterprise architecture and data modeling teams must work closer together. They need to coordinate more effectively to ensure that data quality and data security is given greater emphasis, that they can collect and coordinate data that may not all be under their direct control, and be capable of operating not just as IT managers but also as product managers.
WHITE PAPER: ENTERPRISE ARCHITECTURE AND DATA MODELING | 12
Section 6 (continued) Enterprise architecture and data management teams should:
a) Get together to discuss what digital initiatives are planned or alreadyunderway and assess how they might be held back by current datapractices.
b) Work to ensure that, in addition to solid physical model documentationfor maintenance, there are comprehensive logical and conceptualmodels available for all parties affected by digital business. Thismay include business analysts, systems analysts, solution architects,business architects and, if your organization has one, the chief digitalofficer.
c) Be proactive in identifying ways that their organizations might packagedata to create new digital products, either on their own or as part ofanother ecosystem.
WHITE PAPER: ENTERPRISE ARCHITECTURE AND DATA MODELING | 13
Enterprise architects that focus more on
the outputs and audience for architecture
increase their standing and value
to the organization.
Section 7
Architecture is data too, and needs to be exercised to justify keeping it up to date and relevant. While the creation of architecture might reside with specialist teams, the value only comes when broad audiences within the organization use it and come to rely on it.
While we have been talking about addressing the needs of the C-suite and delivering the information they need in a timely manner, there is another group we need to consider. That group includes everyone in the IT organization, from architects to designers, from relationship managers to business analysts, from ERP teams to infrastructure teams. All these people are making decisions and implementing activities that are informed by and impact your enterprise architecture. To be credible with the non-IT audience, we first should demonstrate common use of the architecture within our organization.
WHITE PAPER: ENTERPRISE ARCHITECTURE AND DATA MODELING | 14
Section 7 (continued)
This paper has focused on practical steps and actions that will enable you to collect, connect and share the right data at the right time to increase your chances of success. The steps outlined here also will enable you to gain greater acceptance of architecture and its value within your organization, but there is one other important point for you to consider.
Much of the work in modern IT groups focuses on application portfolio management, de-duping overlapping systems, and reducing the number of suppliers. To be credible, IT groups need to do more to apply the same principals themselves. For example, you can’t use five different vendors and tools for modeling and architecture with the argument that every individual group is different. You can’t talk credibly to the business about consolidating data, while holding IT data in more systems than you need. And you can’t justify to the business why it needs to change its processes, switch off favorite systems, or try new ways of working – while you are not willing to change yourself. So consider how you can consolidate your modeling and architecture tools, the way you approach architecture, and how to achieve pragmatic, data-driven, outcome-based approaches that elevate the perceived value of your architecture initiatives.
A Last Thought
Just as with non-IT users, this broad acceptance of architecture will only happen if the architectural information that is shared is relevant, easy to access and current. Talk to the different constituencies who could or should use the information, and ensure the delivery of architecture information is tailored to suit their needs.
a) Socialize your architecture efforts, so that they become the business-decision tool of choice for the entire organization. This applies notjust to disseminating information but also to collecting it. The morepeople are heard, then the more they will listen.
b) Take time to understand the information needs of different roleswithin the IT organization, and present that information to them insuch a way that enterprise architecture becomes a powerful tool thathelps them do their jobs.
c) Do not force architectural views on people who do not needthem. Accept that multiple views on data for different purposesshould be welcomed if it increases the use of architecture data.
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erwin, Inc. makes the world’s No. 1 data modeling software, trusted by more than 50,000 data professionals in 60+ countries. Combined with business process modeling, enterprise architecture, data governance and collaboration solutions, erwin provides the industry’s only unified data management platform that uses any data from anywhere to drive operational improvements and growth. The erwin Data Management Platform is the foundation of mission-critical data programs in government agencies and leading financial institutions, retailers and healthcare companies around the world. The company is headquartered in Melville, New York.
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