Enterprise Architecture Graveyard
Crash and burn stories
We all know too many EA teams are low functioning. Literally hanging on by their fingernails. If you see these practices, stop! Stop now! Do your part to professionalize enterprise architecture.
Every enterprise architecture trap outlines what we see and then explores how to overcome the challenge and become a better architect.
Enterprise Architecture Trap #195 Not following the conversation
Architecture concerns are the criteria to assess acceptability. Enterprise architects' highest value is assisting stakeholders identify the best path to improving their organization. Then provide the governance tool for the stakeholder to gain the expected improvement.
Enterprise Architecture Trap #7 Asking the Easy Question
Enterprise architects are in the room to address hard questions. Questions whose answers serve divergent outcomes. Crash and burn stories Too many EA teams are low functioning.
Enterprise Architecture Trap #53 Starting from Scratch
High functioning EA Teams are efficient. They aggressively use other people’s reference architectures. They leverage an EA repository. Crash and burn stories Low-functioning EA Teams. One anti-pattern after another.
Enterprise Architecture Trap #67 Confusing Roles
Enterprise architects know their role is to facilitate a better decision. Their value proposition comes from analysis. They support people who own complex decisions – the stakeholder.
Enterprise Architecture Trap #16 Just the Architecture Diagram
Enterprise architects at the top of their game develop architecture. An enterprise architecture is useful while it is being developed, and after the stakeholder approves it. We use diagrams.
Enterprise Architecture Trap #2 Not Making Progress
There is a frankly alarming trend in the EA profession: short-lived EA Teams. High functioning EA teams align their deliverables to the business cycle and use a structured repository.
Enterprise Architecture Trap #1 Trying to Own Decision Rights
Stakeholders own the enterprise architecture and all decision rights. They approve the target architecture. They decide how to address compliance failures. Crash and burn stories Low-functioning EA Teams.
EA Graveyard
We develop EA Teams every day. We see what works. We see what crashes. We see what crashes and burns.
Learn the failure patterns to avoid
You can find positive examples and case studies in TOGAF Examples
Best-practice guidance is available in Conexiam free resources.
Our free EA Community includes more tangible and actionable material.
Be a better architect
Free 90-day Personal Enterprise Architect Kickstart to be a better architect.
Weekly recorded webinar, with downloads
Free EA Community Membership
Free training, guidance, tools and techniques from Conexiam Consulting