Enterprise Architecture As Strategy

"Enterprise Architecture As Strategy: Creating a foundation for business execution" presents a compelling case for adopting, advancing, and maturing Enterprise Architecture as a key component in the business strategy. This tightly-written book provides actionable guidance without being overly prescriptive. Jeanne Ross, Peter Weil, and David Roberson base their guidance on extensive business research, academic study, and statistical analysis of real-world business results. The authors illustrate their findings through readable business case studies that business professionals will appreciate. The authors make a clear case that companies adopting enterprise architecture to build their foundation for business execution can achieve stellar results, and avoid the undesirable consequence of agility-favoring natural selection in the marketplace. They provide a concise and understandable framework for building the foundation for business execution, and remind us to apply patience and provide support while we build architecture maturity and learn from each step in the framework. The authors set the high-watermark for enterprise architecture books. They reveal how enterprise architecture is at the nexus of business and technology, and how it can and should be used to align IT with the business operating model. This alignment builds synergy throughout the organization. Though not said in as many words, the point is clearly made that even professionals in the IT department must consider themselves as business professionals first and foremost. They are business professionals who know and apply information technology to enable business capabilities. I highly recommend this book. __Joseph Starwood

This is a worthwhile book to read for every IT leaders. It should set the right trajectory of changing the IT operational and business model to deliver the maximum business value. This book lacks, however, thorough empirical research and has almost no quantifiable data to backup its suppositions. It also lacks details on "how" to achieve the objectives set by the authors. For example, at Optimized Core level, the authors say that different business units should share data and use standardized processes. But what does "shared" data mean? Does it mean to use the same data warehouse? or just have a master OLTP data that is derived across enterprise? They never get to much detail. This is a book great overview of the Enterprise Architecture with real great insights and suggestions on IT can better deliver value. Just don't expect them to exactly outline how you can do that. Pros: 1)Well thought out book on the big picture strategic thinking of how IT can better deliver better business value. 2)Stays away from explaining technical conceptual frameworks (no SOA, data warehousing etc) that detracts from the big picture message. Cons: 1)No technical details on how to build a better IT. 2)No evidence of any empirical research or quantifiable data to backup the suppositions.

This is a must read for anyone interested in the Enterprise Architecture domain. Enterprise Architecture As Strategy cuts to the core of the enterprise architecture. Enterprise Architecture is still an emerging practice and there is a lot of literature out there on this subject, but this book does what other books could not do - which is to put the enterprise architecture in the center of a business. Enterprise architecture enables a business to sustain its core competencies and to capitalize on market opportunities in a changing marketplace. The key concept used in the book is the "Operating Model" concept. An enterprise cannot effectively define its enterprise architecture without understanding its operating model. The central idea of the book is to understand the operating model of an enterprise, which is defined as understanding how an enterprise delivers goods and services to its customers. The operating model of an enterprise then guides the business process and process integration standardization requirements. The book defines four operating models - diversification, unification, replication, and coordination. Operating models should be defined by the business and, once defined, they provide a bedrock to the enterprise architecture effots.

This book should be on the reading list for CXOs of all types unless your business is untouched by technology. This is a must read for both IT & business folks alike. The issues discussed in this book resonate strongly with the daily grind at my company. Add to that the fact that this is based on some thorough research from Harvard lends a lot more credibility to this book & I do not hesitate in recommending it to my non technical peers. It provides a good frame of reference to help you understand the different organizational / IT ecosystems & what sort of characteristics differentiate them. Something to remember before embarking on any enterprise architecture strategy. It then follows with real life case studies / examples of various such scenarios. I really like the fact that this book is written in a very matter of fact way without the hype that is driving the Enterprise Architects of today insane. I did reflect a lot upon everything it talks about & also found the core diagrams that it mentions (I think chapter 2/3) really useful. They have served as great discussion starters with business for Tech/Business alignment. IMO, this book is like a good single grain malt, one that you want to sip very slowly & savor.

Although this book is a tad dated (written in 2006), it is really an excellent resource for managers and non-Enterprise Architects (NOTE: the book states the intended audience is management. I disagree: the lowliest analyst to the senior manager can use this book as a foundation or introduction to EA). The language is very plain and easy to understand. The examples are very straightforward and relevant. Unlike some other EA books that get lost in technical mumbo-jumbo, this books moves at a very fast past. I read all 200+ pages in two sittings. No joke. It draws you in and keeps you interested until the final pages. What I also like about this book is that it peppers business cases throughout and illustrates EAs from real companies such as 7-Eleven, UPS, CEMEX, and Delta Air Lines (instead of using hypothetical companies such as NewCo or BigManufacturingCo, and the like). You will not become an EA expert after reading this book. But you will have a greater awareness and understanding of enterprise architecture and process optimization.

Enterprise Architecture As Strategy is perhaps the most quoted book on the topics. Online forums on the topic quote this as one of the few really good references on the topic; and I agree. The authors do a great job of introducing and packaging concepts in Enterprise Architecture – operating model, maturity model, core diagrams, IT engagement model – that are referenced by EA practitioners, consultants and academics alike. The case studies based on academic research of over “200 companies” keeps the narrative grounded. Who is this book for? • Practicing Enterprise Architects and EA consultants will find the topics and case studies refreshing. It certainly got me reflecting on my employer’s target operating model • The book speaks to business executives as much as it does to EA practitioners. Executives will also find it a handy reference that can equip them to “govern” IT strategies • Those looking to get into EA (many IS/Technical Architects, business analysts and process consultants) will find the book a good introduction to EA “big picture” topics; and perhaps an introduction to some consulting jargon The book is not an EA “cook book” or a “how to” guide. Unfortunately, learning how-to-do-EA will only come with experience and a few grey hair.

Jeanne Ross and her associates Peter Weill and David Robertson started out with a research study back in 1995. Intending to to publish technology infrastructure transformations but instead have put together a great insightful read which describes how to design an enterprise architecture and help drive success in your business. This book described the vision and steps to design a solid transformation and how to mature your IT organization to align with your business goals. With the support of the MIT/Sloan center for information systems research these folks conducted a study covers over 2 dozen brand name firms and over 100 surveys conducted in which they drew body of evidence to build a foundation for execution. It's a recommended read for IT managers, Senior managers, strategists and enterprise architects. If you want your IT organization to work smarter and not harder, read this book and spread the word.

Enterprise architecture is the fusion of business and technology. As practiced EA is composed of several "layers" (NIST framework, FEAF framework) which often constitute different sub-disciplines of EA: business architecture, data architecture, software architecture, technology (infrastructure) architecture, sometimes more... The problem with this book is that it defines enterprise architecture as business architecture alone. The authors have clearly missed the point. If you disagree, look at NIST SP 500-167, the first published paper to define Enterprise Architecture. Is that an academic position? Too bad, because these authors are all PhD academics. While MIT, the home of two of the authors, is Mecca for technology geeks, these folks are not technology geeks. They are BUSINESS people from the Sloan School. Their argument is to USURP the proper definition of EA based on proper academic references to support their thesis, taking technology out and substituting a business-only view of the term. If these folks did that in a doctoral thesis they would be in trouble, and these folks are academics- NOT practitioners of EA as far as I know. If they were practitioners they would be acquainted with the basis of the term and the way it is practiced. This fundamental flaw moves the book from very good to mediocre. I give it a solid C. Otherwise, the rest of the material in the book is good.

A simpler approach to enterprise architecture at a higher level. Enables a practical top down concept for determining which of four categories a particular enterprise's operations model falls; the enterprise architecture follows from this. Also enables a hierarchical view of different divisions within the enterprise, leading to a fairly comprehensive view of the enterprise architecture of the entire enterprise. A maturity model is also described, quite simple and practically applicable to any enterprise or its units.

I loved this book. I've found it easy to read, pleasant and instructive. You may or may not agree with the Authors' point of view. I also think that there are very few people who play the Enterprise Architect role as described here, but it makes good points on what are strategic choices and what are not. The most interesting point is that Business Strategy changes more frequently that many people realise. I learnt it the hard way!

The best part is that it largely avoids IT speak and uses copious case studies to illustrate the concepts. I am currently using it as one of the guiding handbooks in an introduction of EA in an international company. Great book to get "The Business" on board.

Libro en muy buenas condiciones, prácticamente nuevo. Algunas páginas subrayadas que no estaban indicadas en la descripción del artículo, aunque no afecta a su lectura.

Muito bom