What is Enterprise Architecture?
The following equation is the ‘sound bite’ version of what EA is all about, and is intended to help readers remember the distinct difference between EA and other types of IT planning… that EA is driven by strategic goals and business requirements.
EA = S + B + T
Enterprise Architecture = Strategy + Business + Technology
This is a straight-forward, simple representation of the unique holistic value of EA, as is the geometry of the “cube” framework that it derives from. I am a believer in the principle captured by Occam’s Razor, which in the philosopher Occam’s original 14th Century form states that “entities should not be multiplied unnecessarily”. It is my hope that the equation EA = S + B + T and the EA3 Cube Framework are easy to understand and highly useful in many contexts because they adhere to this principle and capture the essential elements that characterize human organizations.
EA is primarily about designing virtual things – organizations and their capabilities, whereas traditional architecture is primarily about designing physical things. There are many parallels in these two disciplines and there are a number of intersecting areas such as creating work environments that promote productivity and support agility. EA is both a noun and a verb. The architecture of an enterprise is a thing – a collection of models and information. Creating an enterprise-wide architecture is accomplished through a standardized process that is sustained through an ongoing management program. EA provides a strategy and businessdriven approach to policy, planning, decision-making, and resource development that is useful to executives, line managers, and support staff. To be effective, an EA program must be part of a group of management practices that form an integrated governance structure, as is shown in Figure 1-2 on the next page.