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August 21, 2006
Enterprise Architecture As Strategy
I have just started read a new book by Ross, Weill and Roberts called Enterprise Architecture As Strategy. I think the book will give EA a lot of momentum - like IT-Governance gained momentum after Ross and Weill’s book IT-Governance. But, the managerial presentation of EA in the book also echoes in form and substance the traditional definitions of Management Information Systems (MIS) – and the early work of Zachman and Spewak. This kind of research and consulting activity associated with strategic IT alignment does not deal with two fundamental questions:
- IT planning has been around for many years. But alignment is still a problem – why is it so difficult?
- Successful Strategic Information Systems seem to show that tinkering, not conscious alignment, was behind successfully aligned IT-applications – can we really find one right medicine?
Sceptically open-minded, I will read the rest of the book and get back with my evaluation. I recommend thinking about the two questions above if you read the book. And please do not jump the buzz wagon tomorrow – EA has a lot of potential, but it is no silver bullet!
Posted by khm at 07:44 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
August 07, 2006
Four misunderstandings about Enterprise Architecture
Modernizing government institutions with Enterprise Architecture (EA) has proven much more difficult than the evangelists have claimed. EA is not a clear-cut movement that can be adopted by any organization with similar results. EA implementation is context dependent and typically comes with as much frustrations and desperation as accomplishments and joy. Against the background of cultural theory – and the writings of Hood – four misunderstandings about EA can be identified:
1) EA is a clear-cut movement
2) EA is unavoidable and irreversible
3) EA will lead to convergence, with the same ’methods’ appearing everywhere
4) EA is beneficent and welcomed by all
My practical and academic expertises with EA have told me that people often want to be deceived. We worship new things that we can associate with progress and/or innovation. But, powerful forces of path-dependency and self-disequilibration – that is the, the capacity of management reform initiatives to produce the opposite of their intended results – often come in our way. If we can clear up the four misunderstandings I outlined above we might achieve more accomplishments and joy than frustrations and desperation in our EA endeavours. Lets give it a try!
Posted by khm at 05:45 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack