Paul Ramsay
Director
Equinox Limited
The Enterprise Architecture Conference
Tuesday 4 November 2003 (Extract)
Overview
• Some initial observations
• The unintegrated enterprise
• Selecting a framework
• Alignment to strategic goals
• Demonstrating results
• Role of supporting tools
• Long term viability
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Some initial observations
• Every organisation already has an architecture
• The choices you make today become tomorrow’s
legacies
• Must be “owned” by the organisation
• Not a “silver bullet” or an “instant solution”
• Journey not the destination - process not a product
• There is no “right answer” or no “only way” - one size
does not necessarily fit all
• Most New Zealand companies do not have the typical
IT infrastructure and organisation implied by many EA
frameworks
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The unintegrated organisation
Many organisation’s use of technology is often:
• Unplanned
• Uncoordinated
• Inconsistently applied throughout the organisation
• Reactive rather than proactive
• Driven by individual requirements
This encourages poor utilisation of resources and
results in undue complexity.
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People come first!
A common mistake is to focus on processes and tools
at the expense of people (who determine the nature and
culture of an organisation)
People make
business and
technology happen
Processes are the glue
that holds all together
Tools help to enhance
productivity and quality
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People
Processes
Tools
© Equinox Limited 2003
Selecting a framework - other issues
Generic
Framework Continuum
Less value to the organisation
Specific
More value to the organisation
• Too generic - trying to be everything to everybody
• Too prescriptive - sledge hammer to crack a nut
• Framework is subordinate to the needs of the
business - not the other way around
• Value comes in application - analogy of a smorgasbord
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Alignment
• Business-IT alignment is continually the top concern
of CIOs
• Put in place an appropriate governance mechanism:
• Representative and resourced
• Clear mandate with decision-making responsibility
• Actively engage with the business and monitor for
misalignment
• Establish appropriate checkpoints and milestones for
sign-off
“Avoid the big stick”
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Long-term viability
Business
(Organisational)
Supporting business
requirements
Leveraging new
technologies
EA
Technology
(Implementation)
Must continually endeavour to maintain this balance
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