Difference between revisions of "Enterprise Architecture Governance"
(Created page with "'''Content Coming Soon'''") |
|||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
| − | '' | + | Enterprise Architecture Governance is a practice encompassing the fundamental aspects of managing a business. It involves firm leadership, a complete knowledge of organizational structure, a confident direction, and the enablement of effective IT processes to promote an enterprise’s strategies. The objective of EA Governance is to harmonize the architectural requirements of an enterprise into an understandable set of policies, processes, procedures and standards—all of which to ensure an organization’s visions and standards are aligned with actual business requirements.<ref>Defining Enterprise Architecture Governance [https://blog.leanix.net/en/enterprise-architecture-governance LeanIX]</ref> |
| + | |||
| + | |||
| + | == Components of Enterprise Architecture Governance<ref>Components of Enterprise Architecture Governance [https://www.cio.com/article/2372450/the-essential-ea-toolkit-part-3---an-architecture-governance-process.html cio.com]</ref> == | ||
| + | |||
| + | There are three components of an effective EA Governance. The first two are commonly recognized as being part of "EA", while the third is an EA function in a strategic sense but is not solely owned and executed by traditional EA teams. | ||
| + | *An Architecture Review Process: This process establishes periodic reviews of solutions at various points in the technology delivery lifecycle and proposes changes to the body of architecture standards. It is tactically focused; with the objective of ensuring conformance to strategy and standards, identifying exceptions, and documenting issues with enterprise impacts. Most mature architecture organizations have some form of architecture review, however some overlook a fundamental benefit - review provides a chance to educate and seek consensus. | ||
| + | *A Standards Management Process: The Standards Management Process establishes change control over architecture standards. It defines how an organization tracks deficiencies and gaps in its body of enterprise standards and methodically works toward improvement. While the Architecture Review Process is about review of solutions and changes in the standards; the Standards Management Process is about controlling the change process and communicating the impacts. A good standards management process - | ||
| + | **Identifies and documents enterprise standards that need or present an opportunity for improvement. | ||
| + | **Assigns accountability and responsibility for improving the standards. | ||
| + | **Takes input from and proposes changes to technology and business components of an Enterprise Roadmap. | ||
| + | **Measures and reports against changes to determine effectiveness. | ||
| + | *A Roadmap Management Process: A final element of effective EA Governance is managing change against the [[IT Roadmap|Enterprise Roadmap]]. This is considered an EA process even though it is not entirely owned and executed by the EA group (depending on the organization's definition of EA.) In many IT shops, management against strategic assets such as a roadmap is the function of a business strategy and planning group. This team is, in a broad sense, part of the organization's EA function, whether so named or not. An effective roadmap management process has several elements. First, a clear definition of what the roadmap is and is not is essential; creating this definition can be tough. Is the [[Roadmap|roadmap]] a PowerPoint presentation? Is it the underlying data about the proposed investments and technology landscape? Is it statements about strategy and desired outcomes made in other communications? Once the contents of the roadmap have been defined, components that will be controlled, Rules about how changes are made and who approves them must be clearly documented. The Roadmap Management Process helps set expectations, promoting continued business and IT partnership through transparency. Without it, the benefits of the roadmap quickly vanish as uncontrolled changes make the roadmap irrelevant and governance impossible. | ||
Revision as of 13:50, 13 March 2019
Enterprise Architecture Governance is a practice encompassing the fundamental aspects of managing a business. It involves firm leadership, a complete knowledge of organizational structure, a confident direction, and the enablement of effective IT processes to promote an enterprise’s strategies. The objective of EA Governance is to harmonize the architectural requirements of an enterprise into an understandable set of policies, processes, procedures and standards—all of which to ensure an organization’s visions and standards are aligned with actual business requirements.[1]
Components of Enterprise Architecture Governance[2]
There are three components of an effective EA Governance. The first two are commonly recognized as being part of "EA", while the third is an EA function in a strategic sense but is not solely owned and executed by traditional EA teams.
- An Architecture Review Process: This process establishes periodic reviews of solutions at various points in the technology delivery lifecycle and proposes changes to the body of architecture standards. It is tactically focused; with the objective of ensuring conformance to strategy and standards, identifying exceptions, and documenting issues with enterprise impacts. Most mature architecture organizations have some form of architecture review, however some overlook a fundamental benefit - review provides a chance to educate and seek consensus.
- A Standards Management Process: The Standards Management Process establishes change control over architecture standards. It defines how an organization tracks deficiencies and gaps in its body of enterprise standards and methodically works toward improvement. While the Architecture Review Process is about review of solutions and changes in the standards; the Standards Management Process is about controlling the change process and communicating the impacts. A good standards management process -
- Identifies and documents enterprise standards that need or present an opportunity for improvement.
- Assigns accountability and responsibility for improving the standards.
- Takes input from and proposes changes to technology and business components of an Enterprise Roadmap.
- Measures and reports against changes to determine effectiveness.
- A Roadmap Management Process: A final element of effective EA Governance is managing change against the Enterprise Roadmap. This is considered an EA process even though it is not entirely owned and executed by the EA group (depending on the organization's definition of EA.) In many IT shops, management against strategic assets such as a roadmap is the function of a business strategy and planning group. This team is, in a broad sense, part of the organization's EA function, whether so named or not. An effective roadmap management process has several elements. First, a clear definition of what the roadmap is and is not is essential; creating this definition can be tough. Is the roadmap a PowerPoint presentation? Is it the underlying data about the proposed investments and technology landscape? Is it statements about strategy and desired outcomes made in other communications? Once the contents of the roadmap have been defined, components that will be controlled, Rules about how changes are made and who approves them must be clearly documented. The Roadmap Management Process helps set expectations, promoting continued business and IT partnership through transparency. Without it, the benefits of the roadmap quickly vanish as uncontrolled changes make the roadmap irrelevant and governance impossible.