Stakeholder

Intro

A stakeholder is any person or group with an interest in, or impact from, an initiative or architecture. In EA, understanding stakeholders ensures designs meet real needs.

Key points:

• Identifies concerns and decision rights.
• Improves buy‑in and reduces delivery risk.
• Common use cases across EA/BPM/Data/App/Tech include stakeholder maps, viewpoints, and communication plans.
• Pitfall: ignoring critical stakeholders until late in delivery.

Examples:

• Operations leaders shaping support requirements.
• Compliance officers defining data controls.
• Customer success teams informing process changes.

In practice:

Map stakeholders and their concerns; tailor views and decisions to address them.

Related terms: Viewpoint; View; Governance

FAQs:

Q: Are stakeholders only internal?
A: No; they can be external partners, customers, or regulators.

Q: How often should we engage them?
A: Regularly at key decision and review points.

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