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A discipline aligning business strategy with holistic design of processes, information, applications, and technology across the enterprise.
DESCRIPTION
Enterprise Architecture structures how an organization’s business, information, applications, and technology fit together to achieve strategy. Frameworks like TOGAF and Zachman provide methods, viewpoints, and governance for developing and maintaining architectures. EA informs roadmaps, standards, and investment decisions, balancing agility, reuse, and risk. It clarifies capabilities, target states, and transition architectures. Effective EA engages stakeholders, uses reference architectures, and integrates with portfolio management. Modern EA emphasizes product-centric operating models and federated practices.
ALTERNATIVE DEFINITIONS
Wikipedia
Enterprise architecture is the practice of analyzing, designing, planning and implementing enterprise analysis to successfully execute on business strategies.
Highlights EA as a practice driving strategic execution through analysis and design.
MIT CISR
Enterprise architecture is “the organizing logic for business processes and IT infrastructure reflecting the integration and standardization requirements of the company’s operating model.”
Emphasizes integration and standardization aligned with the operating model.
RELATED TERMS
TOGAF Zachman Framework Architecture Principles Business Architecture Application Architecture Technology Architecture Reference Architecture Architecture Governance Capability Mapping
COMPETING TERMS
Solution Architecture Software Architecture
KNOWLEDGE AREAS
Data Architecture Software Modeling Transformation Process Collaboration Domain & Business Context Data Management
TARGET AUDIENCE
Enterprise Architect Chief Information Officer Chief Technology Officer Data Architect Solution Architect Digital Transformation Manager Chief Data Officer IT Manager Software Architect
EXTERNAL SOURCES
- Wikipedia - Enterprise architecture
- The Open Group - TOGAF standard and method
- US Federal CIO Council - Common Approach to Federal EA
- Zachman International - Zachman framework overview
TOP QUESTIONS
Why is Enterprise Architecture still relevant?
EA aligns technology investments with business outcomes, reduces duplication, and enables scalable, interoperable solutions across the enterprise.
Category: Relevancy
How is Enterprise Architecture governed?
Through principles, standards, architecture boards, and lifecycle checkpoints ensuring consistency and risk management.
Category: Management
What are common mistakes in Enterprise Architecture initiatives?
Over-documentation, lack of stakeholder engagement, and rigid enforcement hinder adoption and agility.
Category: Mistakes
What frameworks support Enterprise Architecture?
TOGAF, Zachman, and Federal Enterprise Architecture provide structure, artifacts, and governance practices.
Category: Requirements
What is a hot topic around Enterprise Architecture today?
Product-centric operating models, data mesh alignment, and federated architecture practices for autonomy.
Category: Topic
How does Enterprise Architecture differ from Solution Architecture?
EA spans the enterprise with standards and target states; Solution Architecture addresses specific projects and implementations.
Category: Alternatives
Where should teams start with Enterprise Architecture?
Define principles, current-state maps, and capability models, then establish governance and target-state roadmaps.
Category: Learning
What risks arise from neglecting Enterprise Architecture?
Technology sprawl, integration debt, inconsistent data, and higher costs from redundant solutions.
Category: Risks
What is the biggest misunderstanding about Enterprise Architecture?
Treating EA as solely documentation; it is a strategic practice guiding decisions and change.
Category: Misunderstanding