A lot of this semester's focus has been on the different aspects of an EA program or initiative. In this blog, I am going to pull together some elements and discuss assessing and organizations foundations for execution. A lot of these thoughts have been a result of reading the book assigned to us for EA 872,
"Enterprise Architecture As Strategy" by Ross, Weill, and Robertson.
The book discusses many warning signs of a company that doesn't have a foundation to support its strategy. A foundation is critical to developing an increased effectiveness of Marketing, Sales & Service Operations from the perspective of the enterprise. It should provide for increased standardization within and across all operational centers from the standpoint of the leadership team. It must also improve the integration of strategic objectives from the Stakeholders’ perspective.
I've attempted to show this by utilizing one of the techniques discussed in my week five post, SWOT with storyboards;
http://joec3s.blogspot.com/2016/02/ea-872-week-5-getting-on-same-page.html
The SWOT analysis will show that Enterprise commitment to EA is critical for successful deployment and acceptance, thus creating a framework for execution. We can then follow the issues that arise when looking to establish enterprise level programs like EA. To recap, colors used below map as follows:
- Strengths = GREEN
- Weakness = YELLOW
- Opportunity = BLUE
- Threats = RED
EA Programs start with enterprise commitment
STRENGTH MUST start from the top with Executive ownership and Leadership.
EA Programs Promise Business Value Realization
This leads to OPPORTUNITIES THAT CAN remove Silos ( Organization, Data, and Processes) which allows one to stay a step ahead and improve Competitive Positioning and Customer Service.
Obstacles to Success Exist within Enterprises
Major WEAKNESSES such as too much data/information or the incorrect type of information necessary to respond quickly and efficiently in a rapidly changing business environment typically sabotage opportunities.
The Price of Failure is High
The Price of failure is apparent. These THREATS lead to loss of revenue, decreased profitability and eventual loss of customers.
You can overcome
Determining ‘the Right’ foundation for your EA program can mitigate these risks and help it succeed.
However, to do so, the foundation must take into account PROCESS, ORGANIZATION and ARCHITECTURE.
Thanks again for reading. Again, I hope this starts to tie together my past posts into a more useful framework.
Hi Joe,
ReplyDeleteI like your post for this week and the way you used the SWOT analysis with the storyboards. I am a fan of one slide tells-it-all, so the last diagram showing the different colors of the SWOT is a great example that can be used when building foundation for the EA program. I would probably add a couple of entries on the Strength touching on enterprise culture building (around EA), customer retention and journey on the Opportunity, and technology and business vertical shifting trends to Obstacles.
Thanks for the comments!
DeleteI have found this to be a very useful approach. Getting to that one view is often a big help with the C suite. If you look at the link for week 5 I take this artifact and break it out into CSF work flows, all with tie back to the main storyboard.
Thanks again,
JC
This is interesting how you linked the SWOT to other artifacts. I found this tip on this site
ReplyDeletehttps://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTMC_05.htm
A useful approach when looking at opportunities is to look at your strengths and ask yourself whether these open up any opportunities. Alternatively, look at your weaknesses and ask yourself whether you could open up opportunities by eliminating them.
When we look at opportunities, we classify them according to Information, Technology, Process, or Organizational impact. I'm wondering if we need to do the same for our Strengths, Weaknesses, and Threats. Thanks for the interesting perspective.
Thanks for commenting Susan. That link is excellent BTW. I liked the TOWS matrix to focus the conversation more externally vs internally with the SWOT.
DeleteI have found this approach to be very useful with the C suite. In doing the workshop session I just index cards with these same colors and then white paper sprayed with tack glue so we can easily move them around. When the group is back the next day I generally have that final flow worked out on the wall of the meeting room. I think you have to analyze the impact in every lane. At least when talking through it. That way when you build out the CSF flows noted in the week 5 link you can expand upon those areas you mention.
Thanks again!
JC
A really nice post. I can't agree with you more on the "weakness". Our company has suffered a lot by losing out on a lot of opportunities because of too much data and too little focus. So I am glad you touched on that.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the comment! I have been there and done that dance more than once unfortunately. Focus is the key, without, efforts can derail quickly.
DeleteJC
Thank you for sharing this useful application of the SWOT model to Enterprise Architecture. In my past experience, we have used SWOT in a slightly different way where we categorized Opportunities and Threats as External Environment and/or Competitor related items, while strengths and weaknesses were considered internal factors. We did define the relationships between internal and external items for example an external opportunity supported by an internal strength or countered by an internal weakness. Reading your post, I realize now that opportunities and threats can also be internally focused.
ReplyDelete