Enterprise architecture and the business: how the enterprise architecture team must interact with non-architects.

Enterprise architecture and the business: how the enterprise architecture team must interact with non-architects.

Enterprise Architecture (EA), contrary to popular belief, is not about designing systems, processes, information flows or new technology, as stated above, but it is about communication, risk and managing change in the organization. When I hear the complaint from the business that “the EA team is locked in their ivory tower again” I immediately jump to the conclusion that the EA team is treating the business (or enterprise) as a software system and that the team members have not made the transition from IT Architecture to Enterprise Architecture.

Apart from being technically proficient, a good Enterprise Architect must also have the ability to communicate his ideas and designs to a broad range of stakeholders inside and outside of the organization. Before you share information with someone in the organization, you need to be sure of the following facts; who you need to commutate with, when to organize a communication session, what needs to be shared, how to represent the content you want to share, why you are sharing the specific content and lastly where you will store the content for future reference.

Several frameworks and techniques exist to help an architect identify people inside and outside the organization (also known as stakeholders) that have a vested interest in the architecture. This white paper focuses on some useful frameworks.

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