Enterprise architecture (EA) is regarded as a strategy for aligning the information technology and business within an enterprise. The maintenance, development and management of enterprise architecture is done through the implementation technology of enterprise architect. EA has developed into a core competitive advantage as business is becoming holistically occupied with coherency among organizational elements such as IT functions, business needs and strategy of organization. For business enabling to sustain in competitive advantage for enhancing decision making and increased efficient through information technology. The main concern of EA is to represent and understand the fundamental component of enterprise through notations and methods of modelling. The emergence of EA being in the beginning of 1980s with the business system planning method of IBM and later on with the development of framework of Zachman (Abraham 2013). Main focus of EA is on standardizing existing process and providing technological solutions to business. This helps in alignment between information technology and rest of business. It was recognized by some authors that the basis of initiative of EA is successful implementation of architecture.
A powerful framework has been provided to organizations through enterprise architecture for managing, planning and coordinating the organizational strategy alignment. It was reviewed by early authors that implementation is considered as essential part of process of EA. Every organizations faces few problems that can be addressed only through the architecture development. However, most of architecture project fails because of weakening interest in effort given to architecture, failure of projects to address relevant issues, perception that documentation of architecture planning is not relevant and greater time requirement for delivering such project. In the later research, authors have paid attention on implementation issues and technical challenges of organizing and producing the plan of EA. A framework was developed by Zachman in year 1987 that employed the approach of business planning system and provided emphasis on process of business, alignment of data and technology. A structure of information management of EA is provided by the original framework of Zachman. The original version of framework of Zachman for information system architecture is extended by Sowa in year 1992 that led to crystallization of concept of enterprise (Cameron and McMillan 2013). Implementation is to require to be treated as part of plan development and implementation model. An actionable and appropriate level of information of architecture can be developed by implementation challenge. There has been rapid growth in discipline of EA after 1992 with production of many methodologies, framework, models, description language description language, styles, and tool and model representation. Various factors are responsible for development of interest in EA such as disruptive change and opportunities brought to organization through EA, network technologies propagation and effort toward inter connection of functions and process of business (Simon et al. 2014)
The addressing of problems resulting in failure of EA by researchers, rate of failure of enterprise architect continues to rise and has become a cause of concern. It is revealed by recent survey on eighty nine organizations that 66% of EA efforts failed due to inadequate awareness about the benefits derived from such system, politics prevailing in organizations and distinct expectations and perspectives of architects and stakeholders. It is projected by many practitioners of information technology and business that many EA projects fails and they have little confidence. One of the primary determinant of failure of EA is cost associated with such project. In event of architecture being applied all over organizations, organization could not afford integrated and collective set of architects and as a consequence of this, in short and medium term, positive return on investments cannot be delivered by potential architect projects. Another possible factors that poses difficulties in architecture competence development is lack of stakeholder’s interest in such projects. The competence of EA is developed very slowly as evident from previous research and that results in lower success rate of efforts of EA. Organizations facing such difficulties either seek alternative strategies of enterprise architecting and greatly abandoning efforts of EA. Failure of EA is also affected by multiple and contradictory perspective of architects and stakeholders and complications in establishing requirements of business. One of the root cause of failure of EA projects is existence of gap between stakeholder’s requirement and what is designed by architects (Hoffman et al. 2014).
Arguments have been made by researcher for practically oriented methods, planning and framework of EA while other researchers have made arguments for indicated the balances to narrow existing research on technical focus and relying more on multiple perspectives. It is indicated by recent research that design tradeoffs is represented by architecture such as maintainability, usability, cost and performance. Architecture can be regarded as a process for resource negotiation and decision making that is required for system building that comprise of expert skills, personnel and funding. EA successful implementation is dependent upon cooperation between architects and stakeholders along with considering situational constraints of available technology, legacy system, monetary resources, experience and skills of staffs. Social process of EA ash some limited research that has potential outcome as the issues of concern and topics are not addressed (Hansen and Hacks 2017). It has been suggested by research that disappointing outcome of EA are mainly associated with social aspects rather than development plans. The findings of information system literature and EA social problem s are similar. Understanding of social concepts of EA helps in dealing with problems by providing useful insights.
Examination of the particular area of EA project is depicted by positivism paradigm of authors. It is researched and ascertained by many authors that there are many factors including technical factors for the failure of EA projects. Nonetheless, if an organization architect is capable of handling and dealing with such factors, then possibilities of failure is prevented. The management functions of EA is main focus of researchers and the enterprise architecture project is required to be implemented within those functions. An organization might be provided with opportunities of remaining flexible and gaining market share by EA implementation and proficiencies of exploring linkage between architect, stakeholders and function implementation effectiveness (Iacob et al. 2014). Research activities have contributed to planning, designing and management of EA knowledge.
The relationship between stakeholders and architect is established by researcher in terms of social aspect of enterprise architect implementation. Effective communication and interaction between stakeholders and architect is not encouraged because of issues of working styles of architects. It has been pointed out in research by authors that there exist difficulties in communicating between stakeholders and architects and working with each other. Failure of EA is addressed by identifying the relationship between them and sometimes different perspectives of stakeholders are not understood by architect. Stakeholders have difficulties in interacting with architect due to reclusive personalities of some of architect. Failure of projects result on part of architect failure to walk in shoes of stakeholders and development of their emphatic understanding. It is required by architect to develop stakeholder concerns and appreciating the world from their perspectives that would consequently help in birding the gap between stakeholders and themselves (Hope et al. 2017). Furthermore, the failure of A project is driven by is incapability on architect part to identify critical requirements if business and embodying it in the plans of EA implementation.
PED (Proactive enterprise development) model:
(Source: Bowie 2017)
This model demonstrate role played by stakeholders in carrying out strategic role enterprise and situational analysis. Its stakeholder that impacts the model formation in domain of architectural designs. Application of EA process is architect responsibility in process designing. The motivation derived from EA implementation and its selection should be informed to stakeholders by architects. The political perspectives forms the basis of this model that emphasizes on improvement of business performance in relation to information technology system by stakeholder involvement. Model helps in clarifying architect role in organization development. The participatory process necessitates enterprise designs by integrating the perspectives of management and stakeholders. For minimizing the loss of such projects and in order to create win-win situation, architect is required to listen to stakeholder views (Jugel et al. 2014).
Complexities and inflexibilities of technical infrastructure, business process and information technology system are dealt by large organizations by having large grip of them. An efficient collaboration between stakeholders and architect is considered as one of the critical success factors. Investigations is required by practitioners of architecture into the degree to which support and commitment of EA is influenced by them. In relation to literature discussed above, two observations have been made. This involves that many EA studies have not adopted same stakeholder label. Another observation is that the main focus of enterprise architect is technology stakeholders rather than business stakeholders that have led to conflict and clashing of stakeholders inters and ultimately EA project failure (Kasemsap 2015).
One of the significant stakeholder’s aspects is communication, commitment and collaboration of stakeholders. Participatory nature of stakeholders might get clashed with stakeholder’s individuality. Some of important shareholders in any large organization are customers, suppliers, support staffs, managers, executives and local communities and some other groups that bare associated with enterprise. Shareholders are regarded as source of knowledge and they often conflict with perception of enterprise architect. Researcher have identified alignment of socio-cultural for reflecting harmonious relationship between goals, objectives of organization and enterprise information technology system. It is required to address mutual goal commitment, values sharing and collaborative behavior in organization. An established structure is required to be accepted by both stakeholders and architects. Such alignment helps in creating harmonious contribution between internal and external stakeholders and information system (Santana et al. 2014).
Various ways have been addressed by researcher that helps in influencing the competencies of architecture resulting from enterprise meaningfulness of perspective of stakeholders and management of an organization. Notion of meaningfulness of architecture helps in providing helps in gaining a win-win effect resulting from involvement of shareholders.
Social process on enterprise architect comes with limited research and researcher has not been able to address emerging interest of practitioners and concerns. Researchers have not been successful in explaining implementing concerns of EA and role that an architect must fulfill for successful implementation of system. Concerning inefficiency of architect as one of the reason attributable to the failure of EA, research work has mainly been concentrated and confined to education and training of architects as revealed from published article and research work. As a consequence of this, it is required by researcher to conduct research work on practices of architect in implementing the system that would assist in identifying the extent of interactions and involvement between both parties and how such practices facilitates existing relationship. An implication for gaining an understanding of support and commitment of EA plans that is influenced by practices of architect is provided by findings of such research. A shared conceptualization and understanding amongst stakeholders is required for governing enterprise development. Concerning this, an overview is required to be developed for gaining shared understanding and conceptualization.
Specific aspects of organization are required to be taken into consideration while developing the process and methods of architecture designs. The process, methods and tools of architect designs necessitates incorporation of stakeholder’s perspectives and their needs. Software engineering and design and description of architecture should not be separated. In context of adoption of architectural tasks, particular stakeholders’ definition is required to be incorporated. Some of the implications of architecture practices can be listed below and they are as follows:
Organization seeking innovation should emphasize on essential activities of enterprise architecture. Sufficient communication is required between enterprise architecture and organization is needed along with contribution of identification and realization of resource synergies. If organization is placing great importance on innovation, then documentation of architecture such as blue print, principles and requirement is not important. Paper based documentation can be detrimental to the organization focusing on innovation and resource complementary beliefs is considered crucial for innovation. Innovative seeking organization should focus upon enhancing and facilitating communication among various stakeholder and architect (Trevino and Nelson 2016).
Well pursuits organizations deals with effective utilization of resources by pursing such strategy. Enterprise architecture helps in improving organization alignment by formulation of enterprise strategy and proper execution of project that are considered as essential component for reasoning alignment. High quality information helps in positively impacting internal growth and learning of organization. Nonetheless, effects of enterprise architecture will not help in improving the quality information availability. Improvement of information quality can be improved through foundation and alignment of enterprise architect (Zarvi? and Wieringa 2014). Proper execution of these two activities of EA would positively impact quality of information.
All aspects of business performance is impacted by resource portfolio optimization that is considered as benefit enabler. Integration of removing redundancies and compatible resources is considered as one of important element according to literature and thereby optimizing the portfolio of business. The pursued strategy of organization should be aligned with possibilities and opportunities of existing portfolio. Staffs of enterprise architect helps in seeking formulation of strategy of enterprise. Proper hiring of architect staffs and their appropriate training significantly influences enterprise architecture capability to optimize the portfolio of resources of organization (Huber et al. 2017).
Wide range of scope exists for improving the efficacy of enterprise architecture as indicated by current research and connecting people within organization at broad level is considered of utmost importance for delivering successful EA projects. Collaboration between architect and business organization is regarded as one of the ways fort improving enterprise architecture. The development of activities of EA can be formalized and developed through future organization architecture. Enterprise architecture often overlook architectural design social implication and such system incorporates invariable tradeoffs. EA ignores consideration of human factors such as productivity, cost, and efficiency and throughout. Architectural designs would mainly benefit several groups of stakeholders and does not provide advantage to rest of groups (Weiss 2014). For improving the effectiveness of enterprise architecture, research work should take into consideration some social implications.
Research work helps in making contribution to the practices of enterprise architecture in organization by way of providing foundation of planning and prioritizing investment in such architecture, presumed benefits validation and providing with efforts that will help in directing future benefits of enterprise architect. Academics and practitioners have demonstrated qualitative claims of EA as indicated by literature review. The assessment of relationship between activities of enterprise architect and benefits helps in identifying the planning and prioritizing the investments related to enterprise architect (Aier 2014).
Researchers are required to conduct study on enterprise architecture on broad basis as indicated by findings and literature review results. There are several pre suppositions involved in the present enterprise architecture concepts of enterprise architecture, architecture designs and their description. These pre-suppositions does not corresponds inn practice and real world of business organization. Communication and interpretation of architecture description by stakeholders is viewed as one of the practical problems associated with enterprise architecture. Other associated factors incorporates several aspects of enterprise architect, skills and experiences of architect staffs. One of the aspect that is considered at the core of designers is the objective of designing and implementing the system as per the description of architecture. Architecture description helps in creating a common ground and understanding of structure of system and technological solutions. An empirical research is required to conduct for categorizing the ways of communication enhancement in architecture designs (Haki and Legner 2013).
Description of architecture requires to make emphasis on different rationales as different stakeholders considers different intentions. Architecture is regarded as means of communication, interpretation and decision making as emphasized by stakeholder group of an organization and further on architect designs and implementation basis. This particular observation acts as a challenge to common concepts of designs of enterprise architect. Communication between diverse stakeholder groups helps in facilitating technology and complex solutions that is coped by the description and description of enterprise architect (Ferrell and Fraedrich 2015). Therefore, the main goal of enterprise architecture is shifting to create common understanding relating to non-technical rationale and technological complexities that is relevant to organization environment and business.
It is required by researcher to improve the understanding of practices of architects and improve the relationship between stakeholders and architect by emphasizing on technical aspects and social aspects of enterprise architects as per existing research and based on knowledge gaps. The success of implementation of enterprise architect by interaction between these two groups and stakeholders role in addition to being focused on technology. The coordination of program that will lead to working of EA implementation and technology selection planning is facilitated by linking of architecture multiple domain into having an integrated and articulate view on portfolio of technology of organization. However, efficacy of such studies and further research is dependent upon how well architects analyze the perspectives and concerns of stakeholders and assimilating the same into their architecture planning.
References:
Abraham, R., 2013. Enterprise Architecture Artifacts as Boundary Objects-A Framework of Properties.
Aier, S., 2014. The role of organizational culture for grounding, management, guidance and effectiveness of enterprise architecture principles. Information Systems and e-Business Management, 12(1), pp.43-70
Bowie, N.E., 2017. Business ethics: A Kantian perspective. Cambridge University Press.
Cameron, B.H. and McMillan, E., 2013. Analyzing the current trends in enterprise architecture frameworks. Journal of Enterprise Architecture, 9(1), pp.60-71.
Ferrell, O.C. and Fraedrich, J., 2015. Business ethics: Ethical decision making & cases. Nelson Education.
Foorthuis, R. and Brinkkemper, S., 2015. Best practices for business and systems analysis in projects conforming to enterprise architecture. Enterprise Modelling and Information Systems Architectures, 3(1), pp.36-47.
Haki, M.K. and Legner, C., 2013, June. Enterprise Architecture Principles In Research And Practice: Insights From An Exploratory Analysis. In ECIS (p. 204).
Hansen, P. and Hacks, S., 2017. Continuous Delivery for Enterprise Architecture Maintenance. Full-scale Software Engineering/The Art of Software Testing, p.56.
Hoffman, W.M., Frederick, R.E. and Schwartz, M.S. eds., 2014. Business ethics: Readings and cases in corporate morality. John Wiley & Sons.
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Hope, T., Chew, E. and Sharma, R., 2017, June. The Failure of Success Factors: Lessons from Success and Failure Cases of Enterprise Architecture Implementation [Best Paper Nominee]. In Proceedings of the 2017 ACM SIGMIS Conference on Computers and People Research (pp. 21-27). ACM.
Huber, M., Zimmermann, S., Rentrop, C. and Felden, C., 2017. The Influence of Shadow Information Technology Systems on Enterprise Architecture Management Concerns.
Iacob, M.E., Meertens, L.O., Jonkers, H., Quartel, D.A., Nieuwenhuis, L.J. and van Sinderen, M.J., 2014. From enterprise architecture to business models and back. Software & Systems Modeling, 13(3), pp.1059-1083.
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