The Digital Enterprise and Enterprise Architecture
The need for companies to evolve into digital enterprises can be linked to a variety of drivers, least of which is the rapid change in technologies that lend themselves to new ways of working, socializing, and entertaining. The Enterprise Architecture capability and the TOGAF Standard support Agile software delivery environments.
An Enterprise Architecture should be seen as supporting and enabling the Agile environment in delivering and enhancing digital products and services quicker and easier by providing insight into various areas; including:
- Reactively managing technical debt as the result of sprints in a cohesive and connected fashion
- Proactively managing technical debt and anticipating Agile development needs by:
- Identifying standards and reusable standard components that support shortened Agile development cycles
- Appropriate governance or guardrails to oversee the re-use of components
- Managing matured digital products and delivering operational excellence by:
- Simplifying complexity in the digital ecosystem using the TOGAF Architecture Development Method (ADM)
- Establishing an Enterprise Architecture Capability that drives operational excellence in the management of digital products and services
- Institutionalising Agile development methods by enabling them as another framework used in the organisation
It is important to consider that for organisations to become digital they must improve their digital offerings with products and services that offer additional value not considered by competitors. It achieve this, experimentation is important, using iterative test-and-learn approaches to identify new digital products. Enterprise Architecture is well-suited to support this experimentation, providing the alignment of business objectives to the digital vision; for example, by applying techniques like design thinking. The use of architecture alternatives to select different potential implementation roadmaps is also a plus.