Enterprise Architecture for Real

Got a chance to revamp a big EA program recently, a good opportunity to do things right. It seems most EA programs were started with “mechanical” components and processes, while lacking of real “meat” or expertise to develop the architectural content. Many “architects” involved in EA don’t really know what “architecture” means, how the architecture can be effectively described, or had experience to accomplish a working architecture. There are not many opportunities for such kind of training neither in school nor at work. All TOGAF, DoDAF, and Zachman Framework have suggested some best practice references, however, you have to know how to abstract and describe architecture at the 1^st place, as a fundamental skill.

I’m starting from architecture guidelines and reference architectures across EA sub-domains to enable an effective, disciplined, and cohesive architecture description mechanism across organizations. The governance practice will be consolidated after. Guidance before governance, like legislation before judiciary.

Will see how it goes.