Section 10
References
References
Bender S. (2014). What is Enterprise Architecture? Retrieved Oct. 10, 2016, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1MPEmMBqc0
Bender talks about The 3 definition of enterprise architecture: It’s the architecture of enterprise. (the basis elements of build business). EA is the mapping of present and future state of business. (EA is the plan of transition). EA is a management method. EA aims to bridge the gap between management decision stakeholders and operational teams.
Arora H. Enterprise Architecture Pitfalls. (2012). Retrieved Oct. 11, 2016 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVdu51OrfLk
This is the story of Mary, the cross-selling manager and Mike, the enterprise architect and their relationship. They were having challenges. Mike talks about how he can help Mary review and prove everything through EA. He introduces EA ’s steps: 1. document as business processes, technology data, modules and infrastructure. 2. define as business processes, technology data, modules and infrastructure. 3. gap analysis. Finally they got an agreement to try both cross-selling and EA. Enterprise Architecture is the ability to describe the elements that make up your organisation and how those elements relate to each other. Once you know that you can manage change to that organisation/elements more effectively.
Moore M. (2012). Jeanne Ross of MIT CISR on Enterprise Architecture Retrieved Oct. 12, 2016 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=feI6_-v10Dk
Jeanne Ross and her team has done research for 15 years about EA and confirmed that EA is essentially successful for digitally economy. She game an example of J & J. The company met an architecture problem and which is a lot of companies facing now. We need EA, which provides the map we need.
Definition of EA: The organising logic for business process. Data and IT capacity. Standard requirements of the first operating model.
high level digitise platform, coherent self of standard business process. UPS’ digitalised platform for package delivery, low cost and high stability
EA journey: 4 stages
1.business silos, 2. standardised technology 3. operational core 4. business modality
EA journey will be uncomfortable because it never goes back
How to get to the 4 stages:
1st stage: operation within IT.
2nd stage: know the standardised technology
3rd stage: standardised process technology, core transaction system
4th stage: understand the critical component and how they can be reused.
Schelp J. & Stutz M. (2007). A Balanced Scorecard Approach to Measure The Value of Enter prise Architecture. Retrieved Oct. 14, 2016, from
https://www.alexandria.unisg.ch/213190/1/SchelpStutz.2007-BalancedScorecardApproach.pdf
In this paper, authors aimed to provide a framework and method that helps to measure the benefits of EA. It suggested a multi-perspective framework based on the concept of Balanced Scorecard (BSC), for providing guidance about where to identify and quantify the value of EA from the perspective of management.
It talks the main contributions of EA can be classified in five benefits, all of which can be realised by implementing an EA programme.
reducing IT costs
increase IT responsiveness
reducing risk and fulfil regulation requirements
increase value delivery
enable strategic business goals
To measure the benefits of EA, measurements techniques detailed enough to be useful enough do not exist yet, the paper talks about some approaches and frameworks: BSC (balanced scorecard) approach for EA. There are four perspectives: 1) customer perspective: services. 2) internal business perspective: processes. 3) innovation and learning perspective: assets 4) financial perspective.
There are critical measurement categories for EA: 1. Plan, 2. Manage, 3. Monitor, 4. Adjust. A few selected KPI’s have been shown to illustrate the applicability of the framework elaborated.
Langenberg K., & Wegmann A. (2004). Enterprise Architecture: What Aspect is Current Research Targeting? Retrieved Oct. 14, 2016, from https://infoscience.epfl.ch/record/52669/files/IC_TECH_REPORT_200477.pdf
This paper focused on the research methodology defines the analysis criteria including the distribution of the papers over time, topics, authors, reference disciplines and their dispersion over the lifecycle activities. The results of their survey are: EA is a young discipline, but the interest in EA is growing, and focus more on the adoption. It also needs and is lacking basic research. The main contributions to EA are consulting companies and academics, but academics don’t contribute very much to the basic research in EA. It also suggests to have more basic and substantial basic research made. From the dispersion of publication over time, we can conclude the immaturity of the discipline. EA can draw from other disciplines.
Wikipedia (2012). Enterprise Architecture Retrieved on Oct. 13, 2016, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enterprise_architecture
It introduced EA. First they talked about the overview of EA (it’s a discipline where an enterprise is led through change). A lot of definitions. Then it talks about the EA topics: The terms; scope of EA; architectural description of an enterprise. The benefits of EA: through it’s direct and indirect contribution to organisation goals. Benefits include: Organisation design, process and process standards, project portfolio management, project management, etc. The examples of EA use: CPIC (The Capital Planning and Investment Control) process. The relationship to other disciplines: EA interacts with a wide array of other disciplines commonly found in business setting. Notable EA tools: ABACUS, ADOit, Bizzdesign Architect, ARIS, SAMU, QPR EA, System Architect, etc. Criticism: A lot EA programs stopped; most EA initiatives failed; a key concern about EA has been the difficulty in arriving at metrics of success, because of the broad-brush and often opaque nature of EA projects.
Reflection
The first critical discovery I got from this course is that I understand that EA is the architecture of enterprise, covers the basis elements to build program together. All the departments including technology, finance, HR, infrustrature cannot be separated from the whole education enterprise. It’s a whole, cannot be singled out. EEA aims to bridge the gap between management decision stakeholders and operational team. My current organization, WAB has a long term 5 year ecosystem plan which include the school education plan and the technology plan together. I interviewed the elementary school principal, who strongly support the education plan should involve technology plan together, instead of separate them out. It’s because technology is everywhere in education, including academics (they have powerschool, tiger video, 1:1 iPad and 1:1 iMac, blogs, etc.), transportation, lunch, finance, HR, etc. So they cannot separate technology from the whole education plan. The whole education plan has 10 different fields that support all facets in school such as attendance, technology, bus, finance, teaching and learning, etc. EA helps us to see all the fields together, instead of separate them into small pieces. Therefore, developing the enterprise architecture is not a solitary activity and the enterprise architects need to recognize the interoperability between their frameworks and the rest of the business.
The second most critical discovery I found is I know The Open Group Architecture Framework Capability Framework (TOGAF). It’s the most popular framework, used for a process capable of modelling EA, other elements used include governance, the ADM’s business architecture, TOGAF Standard elements were mainly used as a process for building the technology layer. I think TOGAF is the most beneficial to my school WAB. From the video of the Architecture Cycle, I know TOGAF needs objectives, inputs, outputs, approach and steps. The Architecture Development Method (ADM) is the core part and it is always likely to be adapted to meet your specific needs. ADM contains from phase A-H, and each phase has a specific goal or mission. It helps schools use the holistic and entire business/strategic framework to guide the school technology and business decision process. Each phase has its goal and process, working toward the architecture mission. TOGAF is strong on the Business Architecture and Technical Architecture aspects. It is one of the most comprehensive with regards to the actual process involved. This framework provides guidance towards principles for decision making, guidance of IT resources, and I have done an analysis research about using TOGAF at WAB.
Another critical discovery from this EA course is that I have learned that knowing current state and setting future goals is important as an educational technology leader. These questions address many of the important considerations for districts to learn technology. I have learned new things such as to set up our vision for learning with technology, think about questions like what digital learning content, tools, and resources will be supported? What’s your current network capacity? and physical infrastructure? etc. These questions will impact me as a leader and give me vision and thought ahead of time.
From this course, I also have learned many other things such as EA governance, EA business, technology and data application and research, as well as EA framework and methodology. I have enjoyed learning so much new things that I haven’t known before. I appreciate this valuable opportunity to read, research and discuss with my professors and colleagues so much.
As an educational leader, I will continue learning more about EA, having the experience of building this valuable EA framework for my current educational organization, WAB, provides both me and WAB the foundation and I'll continue contribute into this framework and edit it whenever needed or change it accordingly to other educational organization in the future. There are still much more to learn with EA and educational leadership.
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