Introduction

Most large businesses today have very complex information systems – or, more accurately, systems of systems. It’s difficult to manage all of this IT Infrastructure complexity under a single unified vision that supports the business model.

Since at least the 1970’s, analysts have been trying to convince businesses to invest in an Enterprise Architecture and Governance (EAG) program. Over the years, these efforts have resulted in a confusing array of overlapping standards, frameworks, and implementations. Despite thirty years of evolving best practices, IT is more fragmented than ever before. The industry is in desperate need of a “big picture” that ties all of these efforts into a unified whole.

Unfortunately, that big picture doesn’t exist. With remarkably few exceptions, I have found that almost no one has a clear idea of just what architecture and governance really are. Some can give long-winded definitions full of big words, but those definitions are often vague or limited in scope and usability

At a conference in Detroit recently, I spoke to enterprise architects from 14 different companies. They all said that setting up governance was one of their top five priorities, yet every single one of them admitted they had no clear idea what they were doing or what their end goal was.

I’ve seen vendors claim to have architecture or governance “in a box” for the low, low price of only $99.95. Due to the ambiguity of terms, this “box” can contain just about anything. Vendors get to define the problem in terms of the solution they sell, be it a workflow management product or a glossary tool. These are some great products, many of which you’re going to need as part of your overall enterprise architecture and governance program. However, EAG as a whole isn’t something you can simply buy and install.

So what is it? What’s the big picture we’re all trying to implement?

I’m convinced that conceptual clarity demands visualization. As an architect, most of my discussions quickly turn into whiteboard or paper sketches. In meetings, people will often hand me a dry-erase marker as they ask me a question. These conceptual sketches are vital to reducing complex subjects into a few easy-to-understand, high-level symbols – a “napkin drawing.”

This book will sketch a “napkin drawing” of enterprise architecture and governance. What are they, really, and how do they work at the enterprise level? How do you get them up and running and how do they work on an ongoing basis? How do you break them down into manageable chunks? How do those functions interact with each other and with the rest of your infrastructure? Where and how do all the various existing frameworks, models, and best practices out there fit in this picture?

This sketch is based on my own experience with governance and architecture. Your experience will differ from mine. That’s fine! Anyone who has ever sat in a room full of architects will attest that no two architects will ever fully agree on anything. I welcome the discussion, and I believe the result of that dialog will benefit all of us.

Flipping through this book, you might expect to find a short course on IT disciplines like data modeling, software development, and hardware acquisition. If that’s the case, you’re going to be sorely disappointed. Instead, this book will address the coordination of those functions at the enterprise level. The goal is to integrate all those functions into a cohesive whole that spans all IT functions across all the information systems in your company. The result should create a single framework for architecture and governance.

If that sounds like something you could use, read on!