Enterprise architecture: slides + notities
Les 1: Introduction
Positioning (context) – the challenge of digital transformation
• The application of IT in organizations serves the goal of digital transformation.
• The four main pillars of the digital enterprise are Social networks, Mobile
applications, Big Data Analytics and Cloud Computing – SMAC.
o Their impact is not limited to the organization itself but affects the
relationships with employees, customers and partners.
o
• We move beyond the digital enterprise by embracing digital technologies
o Digital technologies like Blockchain (e.g., cryptocurrencies, decentralized
autonomous organizations that eliminate the trusted 3rd party), Robotics
(e.g., warehouse automation), Automation of knowledge work (e.g.,
Robotic Process Automation (RPA), chatbots, virtual assistants), Internet
of Things (e.g., smart homes, smart cities, smart industries (e.g.,
healthcare, agriculture), digital twins), and Digital fabrication (e.g., 3D
printing, laser cutting) – BRAID for short, are having a profound impact on
all kinds of work processes of organizations: information processes,
service processes, knowledge-intensive processes, communication and
control processes, and manufacturing processes.
o Not to forget the so-called DARQ technologies: Distributed Ledger
Technologies (e.g., smart contracts for decentralized applications),
Artificial Intelligence (e.g., deep learning algorithms for image and speech
recognition, AI-driven recommendation systems, natural language
processing (e.g., large language models)), Extended Reality (e.g., Virtual
Reality, Augmented Reality), and Quantum Computing.
Positioning (context) – the AI rat race
• The phrase AI rat race refers to the global competition between companies,
countries, or researchers to develop and deploy artificial intelligence as quickly
as possible.
• The use of Large Language Models (via chatbots like ChatGPT) in all aspects of
management and business is nowadays the most visible sign of digital
transformation.
, • What distinguishes companies with a high-performing IT function?
o Their IT capabilities, but not only that. To be sure, these IT market leaders
are ahead of the pack when it comes to areas such as moving application
and infrastructure to the cloud, adopting agile software development
methods and embedding predictive analytics into key processes.
o However, the use of IT does not automatically result in the creation of
business value. See for instance the results of Accenture’s High
Performance IT report.
o Accenture’s High-Performance IT research is a recurring survey that
measures organisations’ IT capabilities and investigates the differences
between high performers and other organisations.
§ High performers are distinguished by measuring 68 performance
indicators across three dimensions (IT execution, IT agility, and IT
innovation).
§ Organisations with scores higher than one standard deviation from
the mean value for each of the three dimensions are called high
performers. For instance, in the latest survey, there were 13
companies out of a total of 202 companies surveyed.
• BUT The real challenge of digital transformation is the integration of IT strategies and
capabilities with the overall business strategy such that business outcomes are
achieved.
Positioning (purpose) – addressing the challenge
• Value creation
o The resources that an enterprise needs to fulfil its purpose, are employed
to create value according to that purpose
• Enterprise coherence
o These different resources are integrated and aligned and form a coherent
system where resources work together, rather than next to each other
• Strategic alignment
o Strategic choices of resources for value creation are translated into a
blueprint for the organization that allows for effective value creation in line
with the overall strategic direction and vision, where resources are
directed towards the common goal of value creation
à To address the challenge of digital transformation (and other IT-dependent strategic
initiatives), we need an approach to manage value creation, enterprise coherence and strategic
alignment.
à Enterprise resources include values, principles and policies; organisational structures and
roles; processes and projects; data, information and knowledge; applications, services and
systems; technology and materials; and human capital.
à A narrow interpretation of enterprise coherence is business/IT alignment, i.e., IT and
business resources are integrated and work together to achieve organisational goals. In this
narrow interpretation, strategic alignment refers specifically to the alignment of business and IT
strategies such that business and IT resources are directed towards the common goal of value
creation according to the overall strategic direction and vision.
,Positioning (concepts) – Enterprise architecture
• Enterprise architecture as an artefact
o A blueprint for the organization that is a translation of the strategic
choices of resources for value creation
o More precisely, any (partial) representation of this blueprint is referred to
as an enterprise architecture description or artefact
o Enterprise Architecture is a managerial approach to value creation,
enterprise coherence, and strategic alignment.
o The enterprise architecture description or artefact is the most important
tool that enterprise architects work with. It is also the object of study of a
large part of the research in EA.
• Enterprise architecture as a discipline
o Enterprise Architecture (EA - in capitals) is a field of study and a body of
knowledge and tools for understanding, analysing and designing the
organization’s enterprise architecture.
o “A coherent whole of principles, methods and models that are used in the
design of an enterprise’s organizational structure, business processes,
information systems and infrastructure.”
o The main purpose of the course is to study EA and learn to apply its
knowledge and tools.
o The definition of EA is taken from the book Enterprise Architecture at Work
by Marc Lankhorst et al. Springer, 2009. This definition is based on the
overall definition of Architecture (confer infra) by applying it to an
enterprise as seen from a system’s perspective. Enterprise can refer to
one organisation (e.g., a company, a not-for-profit organisation, a
government organisation), to a part of an organisation (e.g., a business
unit, a university campus) or to a collaboration of organisations (e.g., a
value network, a supply chain, a business group or holding).
o According to the ISO/IEC/IEEE 42010:2011 standard, architecture “is the
fundamental organisation of a system embodied in its components, their
relationships to each other, and to the environment, and the principles
guiding its design and evolution.”)
• Enterprise architecture management
o EAM studies the application of EA knowledge and tools for ensuring value
creation, enterprise coherence and strategic alignment
o Enterprise Architecture Management is a business/management field of
study that uses socio-behavioural approaches for studying the
application of Enterprise Architecture in practice.
o Enterprise Architecture is an information systems
(engineering/management) discipline that uses design-based research to
develop solutions for practising enterprise architecture.
• Enterprise architecture capability
o The organizational structures, skills, roles, responsibilities, toolset, and
processes to establish and operate an architecture function within an
enterprise is often referred to as the EA capability of an organization
o This capability can take different forms, like an independent company
within a larger group (e.g., myreas as an independent company within the
, Colruyt Group) or a unit within a company or division with varying
reporting lines and levels of independence (e.g., the EA cell of BPost is
part of the IT department and reports to the CIO).
Les 1: Modelling introduction
EA artefacts are the key to EA practice
• EA practice rests on three essential elements: EA artefacts, EA stakeholders, and
the use of EA artefacts by EA stakeholders. This use can be characterized as
decision-making and communication.
•
3 conceptual modelling languages that every business engineer needs to know
• EA: ArchiMate
o To create EA artefacts, a conceptual modelling language is needed
o ArchiMate is the industry-wide international standard for EA modelling.
• Database Systems: UML
• BPM: BPMN
Example – ArchiMate value stream map
•
,Example - ArchiMate capability map (of insurance company)
•
Example – ArchiMate layered enterprise architecture model
•
,The basics of ArchiMate
• A comprehensive modelling language supporting an integrated enterprise
architecture modelling approach
o As opposed to many different types of enterprise architecture
descriptions, each using a different modelling notation, and focused on a
particular architecture domain
o It allows us to model the relationships between elements of different
architecture domains
• A generic modelling language, not specialized towards specific industries or
sectors
o But the language includes built-in customization mechanisms for
controlled language extension
• A graphical modelling language supporting the creation of model views that are
visualized as diagrams and maps
• We will define the architecture domain concept more precisely in Chapter 1.
• For the moment, it suffices to conceptualize an architecture domain as a distinct
aspect of an enterprise for which architectural decisions need to be taken.
o Examples include the enterprise’s business processes, products and
services, organizational structures and their roles and responsibilities,
information, data, applications, digital infrastructure, physical
infrastructure, governance and compliance, security and cybersecurity,
integration infrastructure, etc
• The meta-model of the ArchiMate 3.2 language defines 73 concepts – 60
elements, 11 relationships and 2 relationship connectors. Color coding refers to
architectural domain: Business in yellow, applications blue, technology green.
o
, o
• UML concepts are reused: composition, aggregation, association and
specialization. These concepts have almost the same semantics in UML and
ArchiMate. à For a relationship: at least source or target has to be an element!!!
o
Top-level language structure
• Top-level hierarchy of ArchiMate concepts
o
o A model (in the context of the ArchiMate language structure) is composed
of (instances of) concepts which can be elements, relationships or
relationship connectors. Elements can be behaviour elements, structure
elements, motivation elements and composite elements.
, o An element is a building block that is defined in the ArchiMate meta-
model.
o A relationship is a connection between a source and a target concept
(mostly these are elements, but source and target cannot be both
relationships).
o A relationship connector connects two or more relationships of the
same type.
• Hierarchy of behavior and structure elements
o
o Behaviour elements represent actions – things that are done or that
happen in the enterprise. Events represent state changes of or in the
enterprise, some of which might be due to actions that are taken.
o Structure elements represent the actors that perform the behaviour (i.e.,
active structure elements) or the objects on which the behaviour is
performed (i.e., passive structure elements) – things that exist in the
enterprise.
o The external types of elements represent what services a system provides
to its environment (i.e., external behaviour elements) and via which
interfaces (i.e., external active structure elements), without revealing
the internal types of elements that represent how these services are
created (i.e., internal behaviour elements) and who or what creates
them (i.e., internal active structure elements). External elements allow
modelling a ’black-box’ view of a system. The system can refer to the
enterprise or to any part of it.
• Generic template for relationships
o
Les 1: Introduction
Positioning (context) – the challenge of digital transformation
• The application of IT in organizations serves the goal of digital transformation.
• The four main pillars of the digital enterprise are Social networks, Mobile
applications, Big Data Analytics and Cloud Computing – SMAC.
o Their impact is not limited to the organization itself but affects the
relationships with employees, customers and partners.
o
• We move beyond the digital enterprise by embracing digital technologies
o Digital technologies like Blockchain (e.g., cryptocurrencies, decentralized
autonomous organizations that eliminate the trusted 3rd party), Robotics
(e.g., warehouse automation), Automation of knowledge work (e.g.,
Robotic Process Automation (RPA), chatbots, virtual assistants), Internet
of Things (e.g., smart homes, smart cities, smart industries (e.g.,
healthcare, agriculture), digital twins), and Digital fabrication (e.g., 3D
printing, laser cutting) – BRAID for short, are having a profound impact on
all kinds of work processes of organizations: information processes,
service processes, knowledge-intensive processes, communication and
control processes, and manufacturing processes.
o Not to forget the so-called DARQ technologies: Distributed Ledger
Technologies (e.g., smart contracts for decentralized applications),
Artificial Intelligence (e.g., deep learning algorithms for image and speech
recognition, AI-driven recommendation systems, natural language
processing (e.g., large language models)), Extended Reality (e.g., Virtual
Reality, Augmented Reality), and Quantum Computing.
Positioning (context) – the AI rat race
• The phrase AI rat race refers to the global competition between companies,
countries, or researchers to develop and deploy artificial intelligence as quickly
as possible.
• The use of Large Language Models (via chatbots like ChatGPT) in all aspects of
management and business is nowadays the most visible sign of digital
transformation.
, • What distinguishes companies with a high-performing IT function?
o Their IT capabilities, but not only that. To be sure, these IT market leaders
are ahead of the pack when it comes to areas such as moving application
and infrastructure to the cloud, adopting agile software development
methods and embedding predictive analytics into key processes.
o However, the use of IT does not automatically result in the creation of
business value. See for instance the results of Accenture’s High
Performance IT report.
o Accenture’s High-Performance IT research is a recurring survey that
measures organisations’ IT capabilities and investigates the differences
between high performers and other organisations.
§ High performers are distinguished by measuring 68 performance
indicators across three dimensions (IT execution, IT agility, and IT
innovation).
§ Organisations with scores higher than one standard deviation from
the mean value for each of the three dimensions are called high
performers. For instance, in the latest survey, there were 13
companies out of a total of 202 companies surveyed.
• BUT The real challenge of digital transformation is the integration of IT strategies and
capabilities with the overall business strategy such that business outcomes are
achieved.
Positioning (purpose) – addressing the challenge
• Value creation
o The resources that an enterprise needs to fulfil its purpose, are employed
to create value according to that purpose
• Enterprise coherence
o These different resources are integrated and aligned and form a coherent
system where resources work together, rather than next to each other
• Strategic alignment
o Strategic choices of resources for value creation are translated into a
blueprint for the organization that allows for effective value creation in line
with the overall strategic direction and vision, where resources are
directed towards the common goal of value creation
à To address the challenge of digital transformation (and other IT-dependent strategic
initiatives), we need an approach to manage value creation, enterprise coherence and strategic
alignment.
à Enterprise resources include values, principles and policies; organisational structures and
roles; processes and projects; data, information and knowledge; applications, services and
systems; technology and materials; and human capital.
à A narrow interpretation of enterprise coherence is business/IT alignment, i.e., IT and
business resources are integrated and work together to achieve organisational goals. In this
narrow interpretation, strategic alignment refers specifically to the alignment of business and IT
strategies such that business and IT resources are directed towards the common goal of value
creation according to the overall strategic direction and vision.
,Positioning (concepts) – Enterprise architecture
• Enterprise architecture as an artefact
o A blueprint for the organization that is a translation of the strategic
choices of resources for value creation
o More precisely, any (partial) representation of this blueprint is referred to
as an enterprise architecture description or artefact
o Enterprise Architecture is a managerial approach to value creation,
enterprise coherence, and strategic alignment.
o The enterprise architecture description or artefact is the most important
tool that enterprise architects work with. It is also the object of study of a
large part of the research in EA.
• Enterprise architecture as a discipline
o Enterprise Architecture (EA - in capitals) is a field of study and a body of
knowledge and tools for understanding, analysing and designing the
organization’s enterprise architecture.
o “A coherent whole of principles, methods and models that are used in the
design of an enterprise’s organizational structure, business processes,
information systems and infrastructure.”
o The main purpose of the course is to study EA and learn to apply its
knowledge and tools.
o The definition of EA is taken from the book Enterprise Architecture at Work
by Marc Lankhorst et al. Springer, 2009. This definition is based on the
overall definition of Architecture (confer infra) by applying it to an
enterprise as seen from a system’s perspective. Enterprise can refer to
one organisation (e.g., a company, a not-for-profit organisation, a
government organisation), to a part of an organisation (e.g., a business
unit, a university campus) or to a collaboration of organisations (e.g., a
value network, a supply chain, a business group or holding).
o According to the ISO/IEC/IEEE 42010:2011 standard, architecture “is the
fundamental organisation of a system embodied in its components, their
relationships to each other, and to the environment, and the principles
guiding its design and evolution.”)
• Enterprise architecture management
o EAM studies the application of EA knowledge and tools for ensuring value
creation, enterprise coherence and strategic alignment
o Enterprise Architecture Management is a business/management field of
study that uses socio-behavioural approaches for studying the
application of Enterprise Architecture in practice.
o Enterprise Architecture is an information systems
(engineering/management) discipline that uses design-based research to
develop solutions for practising enterprise architecture.
• Enterprise architecture capability
o The organizational structures, skills, roles, responsibilities, toolset, and
processes to establish and operate an architecture function within an
enterprise is often referred to as the EA capability of an organization
o This capability can take different forms, like an independent company
within a larger group (e.g., myreas as an independent company within the
, Colruyt Group) or a unit within a company or division with varying
reporting lines and levels of independence (e.g., the EA cell of BPost is
part of the IT department and reports to the CIO).
Les 1: Modelling introduction
EA artefacts are the key to EA practice
• EA practice rests on three essential elements: EA artefacts, EA stakeholders, and
the use of EA artefacts by EA stakeholders. This use can be characterized as
decision-making and communication.
•
3 conceptual modelling languages that every business engineer needs to know
• EA: ArchiMate
o To create EA artefacts, a conceptual modelling language is needed
o ArchiMate is the industry-wide international standard for EA modelling.
• Database Systems: UML
• BPM: BPMN
Example – ArchiMate value stream map
•
,Example - ArchiMate capability map (of insurance company)
•
Example – ArchiMate layered enterprise architecture model
•
,The basics of ArchiMate
• A comprehensive modelling language supporting an integrated enterprise
architecture modelling approach
o As opposed to many different types of enterprise architecture
descriptions, each using a different modelling notation, and focused on a
particular architecture domain
o It allows us to model the relationships between elements of different
architecture domains
• A generic modelling language, not specialized towards specific industries or
sectors
o But the language includes built-in customization mechanisms for
controlled language extension
• A graphical modelling language supporting the creation of model views that are
visualized as diagrams and maps
• We will define the architecture domain concept more precisely in Chapter 1.
• For the moment, it suffices to conceptualize an architecture domain as a distinct
aspect of an enterprise for which architectural decisions need to be taken.
o Examples include the enterprise’s business processes, products and
services, organizational structures and their roles and responsibilities,
information, data, applications, digital infrastructure, physical
infrastructure, governance and compliance, security and cybersecurity,
integration infrastructure, etc
• The meta-model of the ArchiMate 3.2 language defines 73 concepts – 60
elements, 11 relationships and 2 relationship connectors. Color coding refers to
architectural domain: Business in yellow, applications blue, technology green.
o
, o
• UML concepts are reused: composition, aggregation, association and
specialization. These concepts have almost the same semantics in UML and
ArchiMate. à For a relationship: at least source or target has to be an element!!!
o
Top-level language structure
• Top-level hierarchy of ArchiMate concepts
o
o A model (in the context of the ArchiMate language structure) is composed
of (instances of) concepts which can be elements, relationships or
relationship connectors. Elements can be behaviour elements, structure
elements, motivation elements and composite elements.
, o An element is a building block that is defined in the ArchiMate meta-
model.
o A relationship is a connection between a source and a target concept
(mostly these are elements, but source and target cannot be both
relationships).
o A relationship connector connects two or more relationships of the
same type.
• Hierarchy of behavior and structure elements
o
o Behaviour elements represent actions – things that are done or that
happen in the enterprise. Events represent state changes of or in the
enterprise, some of which might be due to actions that are taken.
o Structure elements represent the actors that perform the behaviour (i.e.,
active structure elements) or the objects on which the behaviour is
performed (i.e., passive structure elements) – things that exist in the
enterprise.
o The external types of elements represent what services a system provides
to its environment (i.e., external behaviour elements) and via which
interfaces (i.e., external active structure elements), without revealing
the internal types of elements that represent how these services are
created (i.e., internal behaviour elements) and who or what creates
them (i.e., internal active structure elements). External elements allow
modelling a ’black-box’ view of a system. The system can refer to the
enterprise or to any part of it.
• Generic template for relationships
o
