It is extremely tempting when designing the framework supporting an Enterprise Architecture to embed functionality that requires the inclusion of so much detail that it makes its application within the business nonviable.
An Enterprise Architecture, when used effectively, supports
- the establishment of end-to-end views of the business, its capabilities and how it operates;
- a return on business and IT investments by more closely aligning them with business needs;
- the identification of priority areas for consolidating and reducing costs,
- executive decision making;
- an increased realisation of benefit from innovation;
- the identification and quantification of change impacts to support the delivery of strategic change initiatives and the
- management and socialisation of business transformation activities.
An Enterprise Architecture is not the
- Information and Data Management tool;
- Configuration Management tool;
- Change Management tool or the
- Process Management tool
The Enterprise Architecture can and does support each of these activities. It should not however subsume their functionality.
By loading the Enterprise Architecture toolset with functionality outside of it primary objective the level of complexity of included information must necessarily increase.
Increased complexity comes with a cost.
- Increased management overheads;
- Increased resourcing overheads;
- Impact on information currency;
- Impact on information accuracy and
- Decreased operational effectiveness.
A business should resist the temptation to put ‘all of their eggs in one basket’
The Knowledge Economy 