Enterprise Business Architecture: The Formal Link between Strategy and Results

A critical part of any company’s successful strategic planning is the creation of an Enterprise Business Architecture (EBA) with its formal linkages. Strategic research and analysis firms have recognized the importance of integrated enterprise architectures and they have frequently reported on its increasing value to successful companies. Enterprise Business Architecture: The Formal Link between Strategy and Results explains the approach needed for the development of a formal but pragmatic EBA.

Part I introduces EBA concepts and terms, and emphasizes the importance of architectures is reaching business goals. This section challenges you to research and analyze the architectural needs of your business. This analysis enables you to understand both your chosen architecture, and the behaviors and discipline needed to maximize its potential. Part II illustrates a high-level approach for building the EBA. It provides you with a richly illustrated case study and guidance for relating the value of this approach to your enterprise. Part III provides suggestions derived from successful engagements that implemented the formal EBA approach with integrated enterprise architectures. This section demonstrates that success does not result from a one-time project, but instead emerges from a new EBA-based corporate behavior.

Features

• Develops and formalizes the EBA, providing a value-creating tool for enterprises, customers, and stakeholders
• Demonstrates how the EBA links the corporate strategy with enterprise initiatives and desired results
• Provides a formal and disciplined approach to developing the EBA through field-tested methods
• Offers a case study that serves as the genesis and foundation for building an EBA
• Emphasizes holistic and systems thinking in order to create a customer-centric focus, improve profits and build a competitive advantage

About the Authors

Ralph Whittle is a Strategic Business/IT Consultant and subject matter expert in Enterprise Business Architecture development and implementation. He has built Enterprise Business Architectures in various industries, such as manufacturing, healthcare, finance, and technology. He has worked in the IT industry for over 26 years, conducting engagements in enterprise business process modeling, strategic/tactical business planning, enterprise business requirements analysis, enterprise business architecture and IT architecture integration, strategic frameworks integration with systems development methodologies and IT service offering enhancement. He is a co-author of a patent (currently pending) for a Strategic Business/IT Planning framework.

Conrad B. Myrick has over 27 years of Information Technology (IT) background, including software and systems design, development, implementation, central and account support, systems programming, data center operations, and 6 years of Strategic IT Planning consulting and management.

Conrad has led Strategic IT Planning/Enterprise Architecture definition projects for commercial clients in multiple countries and industries (Fortune 500 to startup). He is an expert in determining client requirements, engagement management, and execution in the development of enterprise-wide strategic IT plans providing business and technology alignment. He is experienced in creating the enterprise architecture models and transition plans which integrate people, processes, and technology, and direct the strategic and tactical implementation of various IT solutions.

Conrad also provided the genesis and fostered the evolution of a strategic IT planning approach, processes, and techniques spanning the IT services continuum. He co-authored the patent (currently pending) and led the research and development effort for a comprehensive Strategic Business/IT Planning framework. Deployment of this framework in a leading IT services company greatly improved delivery consistency and reliability of those services, and enhanced the internal and client understanding and adoption of the strategic IT planning process.