At many large companies, Enterprise Architecture entails creating detailed maps and blueprints to define systems, data and technology assets—both in their current state and desired future state. As Dell has demonstrated, Enterprise Architecture involves much more that this type of routine planning exercise. At its foundation is a business vision that stems from a thorough understanding of how the company operates. This vision identifies fundamental capabilities and directs specific IT projects for realizing those capabilities and extending them throughout the enterprise in a consistent, cost effective way.
Enterprise architecture is the organizing logic for business processes and IT infrastructure, providing a long-term view of a company’s processes, systems and technologies. Based on this architecture, individual projects are undertaken to build general-purpose capabilities, not merely to fulfill an immediate need.
Dell’s transformative journey, guided by its internal Enterprise Architecture team, echoes the approach that Oracle recommends to many other large companies. Oracle enterprise architects offer a deep understanding of how technology—including Oracle’s vast product portfolio— impacts enterprise-wide alignment, governance, and business processes. Oracle’s proven principles, roadmaps, and reference architectures, drawn from many successful engagements, allow companies to enforce best practices and adhere to architectural principles as they move from one tactical project to another, always considering the overall needs of the enterprise.