The Future of EA

http://www.intact-tech.com/blog/the-future-of-ea/

 

Imagine the Future of EA

There are so many books and articles written about what EA is or should be so I won’t belabor the point with yet another one. Instead, I would like you to think about what you imagine EA may look like in the future if there are no restrictions or constraints.

Where EA is Today

Before we start letting our imaginations run wild, it is important to level set on where EA is today. EA currently focuses on leading organizations through change enabling them to reach desired business visions and outcomes. The IT landscape is changing rapidly and it is in large part due to the bring your own device (BYOD) initiative. This has caused several changes to occur which is ultimately changing the role of EA.

• Business professionals are demanding to use many diverse technologies in the workplace.
• Technology standardization is no longer a primary driver for reducing cost within an organization.
• Infrastructure management is moving quickly to the cloud from on-premise.
• Software development has become highly commoditized and applications are increasingly becoming black box components.

New Enterprise Architecture Role

Enterprise Architects are starting to rely less on their technical skills and more on being innovative and creative as a result of these changes in IT. It is these skills that are necessary more than ever to be effective business problem solvers. IT is dependent upon EA to help organizations leverage these varied technologies and external resources while maintaining a safe and secure environment.

Future Possibilities

Now that we have thought about the present, it is time to think about how we would like to see the future of EA to look like with no preconceived notions. I think EA should reside just below the Office of the Chair and be the governing body that understands a true holistic view of the enterprise with the full executive support. Now I am not saying that I want it to be a “red tape” organization, but it should be the one stop shop for C-level executives to be able to answer any business questions, anytime, without having to get into a specific tool or use a specific technology. Furthermore, the rest of the enterprise should have a vested interest to provide data and connections to this uber EA organization.

What are some of your thoughts and ideas of what EA should look like in the future? Join me in the conversation and get creative!

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