Strategi - EA Flashcards
EA
Forklar EA i simple termer.
Forestil dig en virksomhed som et stort puslespil. Enterprisearkitektur (EA) handler om at forstå, hvordan alle brikkerne i dette puslespil passer sammen og hvordan de arbejder sammen for at nå virksomhedens mål.
EA omfatter:
- Forretningsstrategi: Hvad ønsker virksomheden at opnå?
- Forretningsprocesser: Hvordan opnår virksomheden sine mål?
- Informationsarkitektur: Hvilke data og informationer har virksomheden brug for?
- Teknologiar arkitektur: Hvilke systemer og teknologier bruger virksomheden?
- Forandringsledelse: Hvordan håndterer virksomheden forandringer?
EA er et løbende arbejde, og det er vigtigt at have en klar plan for, hvordan man udvikler og vedligeholder en EA-ramme.
Jason - Three important points
and a fourth
- Recognize that EA documents essentially describe the organization from two perspectives: Business and Technology
- Point Two: Stakeholders come with their own agendas for how to create and use EA.
- Point Three: usage of EA artifacts involves leveraging EA artifacts for communication and decision-making purposes
- EA requires aligning Business and IT strategy - IT CONNECTS PEOPLE, PROCESS AND TECHNOLOGY WITHIN THE FIRM
Kotusev et al - 2021.
How de we explain the point that EA requires aligning Business and IT strategy (IT CONNECTS PEOPLE, PROCESS AND TECHNOLOGY WITHIN THE FIRM)
Kotusev looks at EA theories - 10 of them - and groups them into:
- Role Theories: explain the general role of artifacts as communication tools (horizontal & vertical). Contributing to better alignment between business and IT.
- Usability Theories: explain what makes artifacts helpful or not for decision-making. By considering cognitive fit, information processing limitations, and the uncertainty principle, EA practitioners can design artifacts that are clear, concise, and relevant to specific planning needs.
- Stakeholder Theories: explain how stakeholders interact with and use artifacts. Guides how knowledge is captured and used, informs the choice of communication methods for different artifacts and emphasizes the importance of stakeholder involvement in shaping the future course of action reflected in EA artifacts.
- Contrast Theories: highlights the difference between how artifacts are prescribed to be used and how they are used in practice.
Kotusev et al - 2021. Explain Role Theories.
Boundary Objects & Actor-Network Theories in EA - highlight how EA artifacts facilitate communication and alignment between business and IT.
- Bridge the Gap: Explain how EA artifacts (models, principles) act as bridges between diverse stakeholders (business & IT) with different goals.
- Adaptability & Inscription: These artifacts adapt to different viewpoints while maintaining a core meaning. Stakeholder interests are “inscribed” within them, influencing decisions across the organization.
Kotusev et al - 2021. Explain Usability Theories.
Usability Theories for Effective EA Artifacts ensures clear, concise, and relevant EA artifacts for better decision-making:
Cognitive Fit: Information presentation in artifacts should match how users think about the task.
- Business capability models align with decision-making by using a hierarchical structure.
- Landscape diagrams use spatial layouts to visualize IT integration for easier planning.
Information Processing: Recognize limitations of human short-term memory.
- Design simple artifacts with minimal complexity.
- Group information or present it in separate artifacts for different audiences.
- Avoid complex notations, favor clear icons, and highlight key information.
Uncertainty Principle: Balance scope and detail due to business environment uncertainty.
- Focus on broader scope with less detail for longer horizons (future plans).
- Narrow the scope and increase detail for shorter horizons (immediate needs).
- Highly detailed long-range plans are impractical due to business dynamism.
Kotusev et al - 2021. Explain Stakeholder Theories.
Knowledge Management Theory, Media Richness Theory and Decision Making Theory guide creating and using EA artifacts that inform strategic decision-making.:
- Knowledge Management: Capture both explicit knowledge (documents) and tacit knowledge (expert interaction) for better EA artifacts.
- Media Richness: Tailor communication methods to the complexity of artifacts. Use electronic formats for clear information and richer media (meetings) for open-ended discussions.
- Decision-Making: Develop EA artifacts through stakeholder participation, mirroring the decision-making process. This ensures commitment and well-rounded plans.
Kotusev et al - 2021. Explain Contrast Theories.
Management Fashion Theory highlights the potential disconnect between theoretical frameworks and the practical realities of implementing EA.:
- Overhyped Frameworks? Management Fashion Theory suggests popular EA frameworks, despite lacking proven effectiveness, gain widespread adoption due to promotion by influential groups (consultancies, gurus).
- Theory vs. Reality: Real-world EA practices are often more pragmatic and less structured than frameworks prescribe. Frameworks may not reflect actual implementation.
- False Perception: The dominance of frameworks creates a misleading impression of understanding about EA practices.
Kotusev et al - 2021. What is the overall purpose of the study?
The study challenges the dominance of popular EA frameworks and highlights the importance of considering broader theoretical perspectives to understand and improve real-world EA practices.
Jason - What is the problem with Kotusev et al - 2021?
External trends will change the theories anyway…
- Globalization
- Rise of the Mobile and Information-Based Economy
- Emergence of the Platformed Firm
- Transformation of the Business Enterprise
- Emerging changes in technology (ML, LLM, and Artificial Intelligence)
Tamm et al - 2022. What is the overall purpose of the study?
We must stop talking about what theory explains EA success and let’s unpack the mechanisms that help EA enable firm success.
This is done through a new model Enterprise Architecture Benefit Mechanisms Model (EABMM) that focuses on how well EA services are provided as the key factor for benefits
Tamm et al - 2022. What are the overall findings?
Three EA benefit mechanisms: The study identifies three mechanisms that explain how EA leads to benefits:
- Improving IS decision-making (through better processes, data, and education)
- Guiding IS project delivery (by ensuring alignment with EA principles)
- Building a better IS platform (through standardization and optimization)
Importance of EA service provision: The quality of EA service provision, which refers to how effectively EA communicates and delivers advice, is crucial for maximizing benefits from EA.
The EA value conundrum: It can be difficult to demonstrate the value of EA because the benefits are often intangible or take a long time to materialize. Project support can be a good way to show value in the short term.
Tamm et al - 2022. What are the overall recommendations?
- Position EA as an advisory service: EA teams should focus on providing relevant information and advice to decision-makers in a way that is tailored to their needs.
- Acknowledge the interdependence of EA and projects: EA and project teams should work together to achieve shared goals. Project support can be a valuable way for EA to demonstrate its worth.
- Recognize the long-term nature of platform-based benefits: Top management should acknowledge that the biggest benefits from EA come from building a strong and flexible IS platform, which takes time to achieve.
Tamm et al - 2022. Explain the Importance of a service mindset.
- Traditionally, EA focused on creating documents and plans (product view).
- The study suggests a more effective approach is to view EA as a service (advisory function).
- This means providing relevant information and advice to decision-makers in a way that is tailored to their needs.
Tamm et al - 2022. Explain Quality of EA Service Provision.
The left of the model
- This is the new concept introduced by the study, representing the effectiveness of EA in providing advice.
- It has three sub-dimensions:
– Communication Quality (how clearly information is conveyed)
– Content Quality (accuracy and relevance of information)
– Process Quality (efficiency of the EA team) - High-quality service is crucial for maximizing benefits from EA.
Tamm et al - 2022. Explain Organisational Benefits from EA.
The right of the model
- These are the positive outcomes experienced by the organization due to EA.
- The study categorizes them into three main types:
– Better return on IS investment (reduced costs, improved resource utilization)
– Improved strategic agility (faster response to change)
– Competitive differentiation (better alignment between business and IT)
Tamm et al - 2022. Explain Causal mechanisms.
Model - husk limitationen med sammenhæng imellem lag
Jason - Enterprise Architecture Framework
