Light Enterprise Architecture

by

John Chi-Zong Wupeaitce@yahoo.com

www.liteea.com

It is futile to design Enterprise blueprint

EA was initiated to overcome the challenge of silos system via the engineering of reuse and consolidation.

However, inherited from silo system culture, EA is better known as enterprise wide solution architecture blueprint.

It requires significant investment of time and resources for large organization with resources .

The enterprise blueprint become obsolete before ink dry because Enterprise is organic.

EA is an emerging paradigm rather than large scale solution architecture effort.

Light EA on Enterprise primitives Light EA is a light approach

to focus on enterprise primitives by learning experiences of the others.

Enterprise primitives are the common knowledge infrastructure which is relatively static.

Parallel to Industry direction on SOA, virtualization and cloud computing

In John Zachman' words “ Enterprise Architecture is the set of primitive, descriptive artifacts that constitute the knowledge infrastructure of the Enterprise.”

The purpose of EA Architecture is a mean rather an end, it is a

journey instead of a destination. LEA serve as: As a visible master plan, LEA see the unseen

enterprise big picture and the master plan on how to take advantage of technology evolution.

As a process, LEA is a approach to overcome the challenge of silo system which does not only occurred in IT but also in human resource, budgeting and security.

As a stage for agile to dance. As a strategy, LEA guide the right strategic

direction to predict and adopt change holistically.

Basic Idea LEA establish a visible master plan and focus on establishing

enterprise primitive to resolve silo system, in the mean time, it enable agility to adapt change. It close the business performance gaps with segment architecture and solution architecture.

EnterpriseMaster Plan

Learning Experience of

others

ArchitectEnterprise Primitives

Business Performance Gap analysis

DetermineArea of Under

performance

Segment Architecture

Solution Architecture

CloseBusiness

Performance Gap analysis

Light EA is not a big bang Light EA is not a big bang approach to design the Enterprise

blueprint, because it is futile under an organic enterprise environment. Instead, it takes the following three level approach.

The master plan to see the unseen enterprise. The segment architecture as the architecture plan to adapt

change. The solution architecture to address a specific requirement.

Strategy to adapt change LEA invest on static master plan

and enterprise primitives to adapt change.

Although enterprise change constantly, there are some area change rapidly and some change gradually similar to water flow in a channel.

Solution architecture is unique to a set specific requirements at a specific time.

Master plan and enterprise primitive are relatively static.

Paradigm Shift The EA professional need a paradigm shift

to understand EA. It is a hard way to understand EA from the

top down approach which created silo system to start with.

EA is a paradigm shift from the vertical architecture to cross cutting architecture in horizontal direction.

It is also step into the paradigm of holism from the ontology of hierarchical being.

Definition Enterprise primitives: Enterprise primitives which is

derived from enterprise reuse pattern are the build blocks of the enterprise.

Enterprise topology: The visual presentation of the unseen enterprise big picture where every one in the enterprise can find a place for themselves.

Alignment Architecture: Facilitate business community to take advantage of technology evolution

Agility architecture : A cross cut architecture approach for the engineering of reuse, consolidation and interoperability to derive the enterprise primitives.

Coherence Architecture : To plan right architecture for the right people on the right place at the right time.

Principles EA is the glue not the guru. Learning experience of the others. Focus on EA as a set of enterprise primitives. Human centric. Enterprise is organic. Holistic. Agility to adapt change. Serve both business and engineering

community. Facilitate collaboration and reconciliation. For large and small organization.

Strategy

See the unseen enterprise big picture with collaboration and reconciliation.

Learn the right experiences of the other via reference models. Establish the enterprise primitives instead of bluepirnt. Resolve silo system and enable agility via the engineering of

reuse, consolidation and interoperation. A three way approach:

Alignment via vertical way. Agility via horizontal way.

Coherence in circular way.

Light EA model

Enterprise Business Architecture

Adapting Change coherently

References

Reuse

Consolidation

Standardization

Compliance

Align Business Processes

Align Information Technologies

Align Human Resources

Align Budget

Align Security

Enterprise is organic. Business architecture to

see the unseen Enterprise big picture.

Light EA resolve silo systems and adapting change via:

Vertical Alignment architecture.

Horizontal Agility Architecture.

Circular Coherence Architecture.

The Light EA in perspective

Light EA Method

Segment Scope

Business Arch.

Alignment Arch.

Enterprise Topology

Coherence Architecture

Segment Architecture

The visible master plan LEA establish visible enterprise

master plan to see the unseen enterprise big picture.

The enterprise topology The high level business architecture The alignment architecture

Learning experience of the others for the same line of business and technology category.

The Agility Architecture Agility architecture design

the enterprise primitives to resolve silo system and enable agility.

It is a cross cutting architecture approach in horizontal direction.

Agility architecture via: Engineering of reuse and

consolidation. Governance and

compliance. The out come to establish

the enterprise knowledge infrastructure.

The Coherence Architecture

Coherence Architecture is the just in time and just right architecture approach.

It is inspired by ancient holistic philosophy.

Segment Architecture is the EA on demand.

Enterprise primitives enable the simplicity and agility.

Empower by the wisdom of seeing the whole and harness with the knowledge of enterprise patterns, it serve well to support enterprise vision and strategic planning.

The Coherence Architecture Coherence model illustrate the

concept of right architecture for the right people on the right place at the right time during the change.

It leverage on ancient Chinese five elements (Wu Xing) model with the notional primitives of Metal, Wood, Water Fire and Earth.

The model serve as a strategic and diagnosis tool on the complex system:

Politics. Business. Medicine Society. Martial Art.

Organic addition to Zachman

Framework Both the Zachman framework and the Coherent framework serve

as a thinking tool which complementary to each other. The Zachman framework is a thinking tool for the enterprise

primitives. The Coherent framework add organic consideration.

Light EA roadmap

LEA Time Line

Agility Architecture

Notional Target Architecture

High level Business Architecture

Enterprise Topology

Planning

Transition plan

Modernization

Business Performance Gap

Segment Architecture

LEA see the whole and conduct the holistic analysis at the Initial EA effort ; and establish the common building blocks to enable agility; analyze business performance gap and initiate segment architecture to close business performance gap via transition planning and modernization. It is a continuous architecture effort as shown in the following loop.

Organization should be able to establish the initial EA in the first years

Year 1

The EA Discipline Enterprise architect serve a glue for all the parts to

function together rather a guru to know all. It consist of a specific set of discipline to distinguish

from the other established paradigms. See the unseen enterprise big picture. Facilitate collaboration and reconciliation The engineering of reuse, consolidation and

interoperability. The discipline to learn the right experience of the others. Stream line governance and compliance processes. Support strategic planning.