Baseline

Intro

The Baseline is the current, approved state of architecture or process against which changes are measured. In EA, it anchors impact analysis and planning.

Key points:

• Provides a reference point before changes
• Enables comparison with target and transitional states
• Common use cases: roadmap planning, risk assessment, compliance checks, cost benchmarking, capability maturity
• Pitfall: stale baselines undermine trust and decisions

Examples:

• Baseline application inventory by lifecycle status
• Baseline technology standards and versions
• Baseline capability maturity and ownership

In practice:

Establish baselines before starting initiatives within Enterprise Architecture.

Related terms: Target Architecture; Roadmap; Impact Analysis

FAQs:

Q: How often should baselines be refreshed?
A: Align to governance cycles or when significant changes occur.

Q: What should a baseline include?
A: Core inventories, standards, and ownership across business/data/app/tech.

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