The Key to a Successful EA Practice

Russ Gibfried

Enterprise Architect, CareFusion

Presented at the Open Group Conference, San Francisco 2012

EA Challenges ◦ EA Industry Trends

◦ Improving the EA Message

Best Practices ◦ EA Charter

◦ Architecture Principles

◦ Communication Plan

Q & A

Session Objectives ◦ Techniques to gain stakeholder buy-in during EA

practice start up.

◦ How to utilize the EA Charter and Architecture Principles to provide stakeholder guidance.

◦ Communication strategies for retaining and managing stakeholder support.

My Takeaway ◦ Gain information and hands-on methods to manage

EA Stakeholders to improve EA success.

The Future of EA in 2020; EA Is Integral to Strategic Planning, published by Gartner, 4 November 2011

How the Future of Corporate IT Impacts Skills, CIO Executive Board, 8 November 2011

Hype Cycle for Enterprise Architecture 2011, Gartner, 26 July 2011

12%

Delivering Business Strategic Value Drives EA Demand

62%

22%

1%

4%

40%

55%

Distinct EA Practice EA engaged with Business IT Focused EA

2011 2020 (Estimated)

95%

4%

66%

Although EA adoption trends

increasing dramatically, a

large percentage will not meet Stakeholder

expectations.

1. New Leadership Team 2. “All Hands on Deck”

3. Roles and Responsibilities not clearly defined

4. Overly IT Focused - Lack Business Knowledge

5. Communication Gaps

Executive leadership

Technical leads

6. Ivory Tower

7. Governance Police

8. EA Self Focus

Clear line of sight linking business objectives to expected outcomes.

Demonstrate balance between short-term value and long-term visioning.

EA Charter: Define Scope, Roles and Responsibilities.

Architecture Principles: Decision Framework.

Communication Plan: Action Plan for Communications.

7

COMMUNICATION

PLAN

ARCHITECTURE

PRINCIPLES

EA CHARTER

EA Scope

Decision Guidance

Value

• Define EA Charter

• Identify Stakeholders and

confirm commitments

• Establish Architecture

Principles

• Identify Stakeholders

(Stakeholder Map)

• Communications Plan

Business Objectives

◦ Review Organizational Context.

◦ Confirm Business Operating Model.

EA Scope and Priorities

◦ Define ‘Architecture Footprint’.

EA Team and Method

◦ Define EA Team and Roles.

Governance and Support Framework.

◦ Set up governance and business

support process through ADM.

Sponsor/Stakeholder Commitment!

Core set of values, rules and

best practices that influence a

range of considerations relevant

to business strategies.

Framework to make decisions.

Evaluation criteria guiding

investments.

Drive the definition of future state

architectures.

Improve the Value Proposition - IT is expensive! IT budgets are not increasing dramatically. Firms using a principles-based strategy

generated higher returns on IT investments.

Optimizes Core Capabilities - IT is pervasive! A lot of IT spend is not in IT budget.

New technologies available as rapidly as current assets decay.

Focus on core capabilities to build a global, extensible and scalable IT model.

Source: IT Governance , Copyright 2008 Jeanne W. Ross and Peter Weill

What do you want? Will this work?

• Starts with the presumption of customization

• Significant time spent building current state process flows.

• Blank white boards cause the group freeze and/or “nice to have wish list” piling on

• Presumption that 80% of requirements already met.

• No time spent overcoming group freeze and common vocabulary

• Time spent focusing on the true gaps (< 20%).

• Prevents “nice to have wish list” requirement creep

REQUIREMENTS

& DESIGN

APPROACH

TYPICAL

BEHAVIOR

OUTCOME

Reuse - Out Of The Box Build - Customized

• Difficult “up hill” climb to achieve any benefit from leveraging OOTB

• Easy “down hill” movement, when required, to gain benefit from customization

1

2

Audience Analysis

◦ Identify target audiences and classify

their motivations, preferences, needs

and expectations. (RACI Chart)

Message Strategy

◦ Define specific messages that need to

be developed for each target

audience.

Communications Plan

◦ Capture action plan for

communicating with each target

audience.

Event

Date

Audience(s) Description of

Event

Owner Feedback

Target

Date or

Event

Target

audience or

group

Describe the

communications

event, objective

and expected

outcome.

Responsible

for Message

Identify how

communications

and feedback

will be solicited.

1/25/2012 Stakeholder Confirm Roadmap

Activities

EA Reoccurring

Monthly

1-1 Meeting

2/1/2012 Core Team

(Consulted)

Status update

Upcoming

milestones

Group topics

Action Items

EA Reoccurring

Weekly

Meeting/Web

Conference

EA is not a spectator sport! ◦ Gain executive buy-in early.

◦ Demonstrate EA value with quick-win projects.

◦ Continually focus on business goals and long-term strategic vision and.

Don’t let EA be left out!