Developing EA Blueprints
Overview of Concepts
EA Methodology Vs Framework
Current & Future EA Development
In-depth Concepts of above
Understanding the Relationships between EA
Methodology & Framework
Remember this lecture 1 slide?
An EA Methodology defines:
• The work breakdown steps to
manage & execute EA work,
for example TOGAF
An EA Framework classifies the
types of EA documents produced
in the course of executing EA
work.
Also note that EA3 calls the:
• Classification types of EA documents as “EA components” . The EA3 diagram
we frequently use shows the classification taxonomy (structure) of how
Bernard views classifying the types of EA documents.
• Actual documented specs “EA artefacts”. Because they are classified by EA components,
they are also tagged appropriately when stored in the EA repository to aid easy
retrieval.
EA Methodology Guidelines
for Current & Future EA Development
Remember this lecture 1 slide?
An EA Methodology defines:
• The work breakdown steps to
manage & execute EA work,
for example TOGAF
An EA Framework classifies the
types of EA documents produced
in the course of executing EA
work.
An EA methodology will also involves modelling the current and future blueprints of EA,
to provide a snapshot of:
1. How today’s (ie current) strategic, business and ICT services integrate to profile the
organisation’s service capabilities and marketable products;
2. How future strategic, business and ICT services integrate to profile the organisation’s
service capabilities and marketable products, relating to a selected future or a series
of future scenarios.
EA Methodology Guidelines
for Current & Future EA Development
Remember this lecture 1 slide?
An EA Methodology defines:
• The work breakdown steps to
manage & execute EA work,
for example TOGAF
An EA Framework classifies the
types of EA documents produced
in the course of executing EA
work.
Once the current and future EA blueprints are defined (ie all the artefacts are documented to
profile the organisation’s current and future EA views, the EA team has to work out how to
change/transform the current EA blueprint to the desired future one or mix of future EA
scenarios.
An EA methodology will continue to describe the steps in preparing and executing an EA
transition plan to realise the desired future EA scenario.
Summary of Current & Future EA Dev Concepts
1. What EA artefacts to produced based on the
classification taxonomy specified in an EA framework?
2. How to develop current & future EA blueprints?
3. How to prepare & execute a transition plan that
describes how to change a EA blueprint to realise a
desired future EA blueprint or a series of future EA
scenarios
Past tut slide
Methodology
Tut2: Lay Language: is an industry
wide or an open system
community agreement of a
standard
Tut2: Sometimes
they are the same
Framework
Tut2: Lay Language: is a level of quality attainment that is used as
measure, norm or model in comparison evaluations
Developing EA Blueprints
Learning Deeper Concepts
discussed in lecture 5
Varying EA Frameworks & Visual Interpretations
Lecture Slide – EA3 Framework
BE WARE THAT:
1. Different EA Standards recommend different
“analysis and design” documentation frameworks
Zachman EA Framework
2. Even within a Standard, academic and practitioners can
visualise the same standard’s documentation framework
differently, however still agreeing the same EA
classification taxonomy concepts.
Therefore, as a proficient architect, you should check that a
given EA framework diagram carries the same semantics as
the intended original EA framework, before using it.
How EA3 Framework structures
the classification of EA documentation
Business Env
Classified by
Strategic
Operational
ICT Env
Strategic
Operational
EA Component
See it as:
EA Doc
Template
applies
Template
Section
Breakdown
KPI
uses
Performance
Measures
Instantiated in
EA Artefacts
Links
Applied by
Modelled by
EA Modelling
Method
Eg
UML Methods
Structured Methods
etc
Simply put, view
•
An EA3 component
describes & structures the
elements of an org’s
business & ICT
environments (aka EA doc
content-descriptors)
•
An EA3 artefact is a type
of EA documentation that
contain information about
EA components (aka EA
doc content-instances)
How EA3 Framework structures
the classification of EA documentation
Business Env
Classified by
Strategic
Operational
EA Component
See it as:
ICT Env
Strategic
Operational
EA Doc
Template
applies
Template
Section
Breakdown
KPI
uses
Performance
Measures
Instantiated in
If you want to further
understand where EA
artefacts are stored,
depending on what EA
documentation software
tools are used
EA
Repository
stores
Links
Sources
from
EA Sware
Tool’s DB
EA Artefacts
populates
EA Sware
Tool
Applied by
Modelled by
EA Modelling
Method
enables
Enabled by
Strategic (Goals & Initiatives) Level
EA3 Component-Artefact Examples
Data & Information Level
Product/Service Level
No example
given
System & Application Level
Network & Infrastructure Level
Strategic (Goals & Initiatives) Level
EA3 Component-Artefact Examples
Data & Information Level
Product/Service Level
No example
given
System & Application Level
Network & Infrastructure Level
Zooming deeper into an example of Component & Artefact Relationship
Strategic Plan as a “component” formats
what is in an actual strategy plan
Vision Statement
Mission Statement
Strategic Directions Description
•
•
Using a number of software
tools
Includes a number of KPI
and performance
measures info
SWOT Analysis Findings
Concept of Operations
Future Scenario 1
Current
Scenario
Future Scenario 2….
Future Scenario N
Concept of Operations Visual Diagram
Competitive Strategy Sub-Plan
Strategic Positioning Goals
Strategic Org Projects Breakdown
KPI & Measures
Content populated
strategy plan artefact
containing vision stmt,
mission stmt………..
Purpose of Management Graphic Views of EA Artefacts
EA3 component structure enables:
All management stakeholders – strategy,
business & ICT managers cam hold interest
in EA program  less risks to EA program
management:
An EA Methodology also involves
Current & Future EA Blueprints development
Current EA
Best Case Scenario of
Blueprint Development:
Future EA
Blueprint Development:
Documented EA
modelling of current
business & ICT
environments
Several Future
Business & ICT
scenarios formulated
& evaluated
involves
Documented EA modelling
of selected future scenario
of business & ICT
environments
An EA Methodology also involves
Current & Future EA Blueprints development
Identify the ICT resources linked to supporting
current strategy & business work & products
Current EA Blueprint
Development:
Documented EA modelling of
current business & ICT
environments
Identify the ICT resources linked to supporting future
scenarios of strategy & business work & products
Future EA
Blueprint Development:
Documented EA modelling
of selected future scenario
of business & ICT
environments
Range of Analysis & Design / Modelling Methods
IDEF Activity Modelling
Lecture shows many
Swim Lane Modelling
graphic diagrams of
Business Process Flow Modelling
outcomes
Project Management methods
Business case development methods
Data & information modelling methods eg ER, DFD, ontology modelling
SoA Modelling methods…….. etc
An EA Methodology also involves
Current & Future EA Blueprints development
Step 1: Develop Current & Future EA blueprints
Current EA Blueprint
Development:
Documented EA modelling of
current business & ICT
environments
Step 2: Develop the Arch
Management Plan
Transition Plan
Future EA
Blueprint Development:
Documented EA modelling
of selected future scenario
of business & ICT
environments
Tutorial Tasks
MCQ 10 – Special Focus Discission
Which one of the following is most Incorrect?
The management view of EA artefacts helps to increase:
a) Communicating the high level management-friendly view of EA
b) Gaining and maintaining the support from EA executive sponsors
and other stakeholders
c) Showing the scope boundary of the organisation’s EA
documentation
d) Combining EA and other IRM artefacts into actionable
information for managing and decision-making purposes
Which is the
correct answer
& why?
Section 2 Questions
1. What is the purpose of current views of EA components?
2. How do artifacts relate to EA components?
3. Provide some examples of artifacts at the Goals & Initiatives level of the EA³ Cube
Framework.
4. What is IDEF-0 modelling and how can it be used to document EA components at
the Products & Services level of EA³ Cube Framework?
5. What are the differences between traditional (ERD and DFD) data modelling
techniques and object oriented data modelling techniques (UML)?
6. Provide some examples of artifacts at the Applications & Services level of the EA³
framework
7. Is vendor-supplied documentation on software and hardware products important
to retain as EA artifacts? Why?
8. What are some of the EA artifacts that would be desired at the Network &
Infrastructure level of the EA³ Cube Framework?
Section 2 Questions
9. Find a public or private sector enterprises and identify the following current EA
components/artefacts at each level of the EA³ Cube Framework:
a. Identify current strategic goals, initiatives, and outcome measures.
b. Identify current LOBs, business services, and associated activity/flow
diagrams.
c. Identify current information flows and data documentation in each LOB.
d. Identify the current IT systems and applications that support information
flows for each LOB.
e. Identify the current IT infrastructure and networks that host IT systems and
applications.
2 ways of handling this:
(a) A Simple one is to link to the Danforth case study (scene 4) to identify the
possible artefacts under each of the EA3 levels by using the EA3.2 list of
artefacts – the answer is pretty straight forward if you read the book - – this
can shape an answer that you would expected in the example
(b) A real life case study – which an example will be given in next week – this is
NOT an answer you would expected in the example, but more appropriate for
an assignment
Case Study Scene 4 – Explaining the EA3 Methodology
“Thank you for coming to today’s meeting of the Enterprise Architecture Working Group” said
Sam. We are going to talk about the method for developing current and future views of the two
segments of the company’s enterprise architecture we are developing. These segments cover
manufacturing and production, which are the lines of business identified by Kate and Jim that
require more IT support. At the last meeting we developed the detailed implementation
methodology that will guide our efforts and reduce the risk that we will not be successful. Vince
Albright, our Chief Architect, will describe the documentation of current and future views.”
“In accordance with our implementation methodology, we will be using the EA framework to organize and
guide the documentation of current and future views of these segments of the DMC architecture.
Following the framework’s structure, we will gather existing artefacts of information on the lines of
business in the following order: strategic goals and initiatives, business services, information flows and data
elements, systems and support services, and the network infrastructure. These documentation artefacts
come in many forms including reports, policy memos, manuals, spreadsheets, briefing slides, diagrams, and
video files. By organizing these artefacts in the online EA repository into categories that match the levels
and areas of the framework, we can establish links between the information to produce robust new views
of the lines of business. This also establishes a baseline of EA information for future planning and decisionmaking.
Architect
Vince
The Albright
As for documenting the future views, we will start by establishing several future operating scenarios with
Jim, Kate and their staff members. These scenarios are short stories about possible future activities in a
variety of friendly and hostile business climates. The scenarios help us to identify important planning
assumptions about their future line of business activities, depending on the environment. Once the most
probable scenario is selected, we will use the planning assumptions to guide discussions in our Working
Group, and decisions by Jim and Kate on what they want to invest in to best position themselves for
success in the future. Finally, we will identify how these decisions cause changes to the current EA at each
level of the framework, and will document those changes in new artefacts that are saved in the EA
repository in a separate future EA section