One reason Enterprise Architecture (EA) has not performed as well as it could have over the past 20 years is that some frameworks used were overly rigid in their normative prescriptions for doing EA. EA must be customized for each organization. Out of the box frameworks, just as out of the box tools, will not succeed. Some people still believe that TOGAF, which is generic, must be done exactly the way it is written in the specification. That is a huge misunderstanding but the specification is not emphatic enough that one MUST customize TOGAF, even if it were not synchronized and harmonized with other frameworks, methods, etc., used in an organization. 

TOGAF has so much to offer, but so do a lot of other transformation approaches, It is helpful to see how other organizations have leveraged TOGAF in building out large EA practices, The latest example is IndEA (the Indian Government’s EA program). It is a wonderful example of one can leverage the method but also bring in 8 reference models, create handbooks, etc. For example, check out the following: Click here.

An interesting aspect that is also under-emphasized by the TOGAF community is that there is great value of harmonizing TOGAF with other standards such as Archimate, The Open Group’s IT4IT Reference Architecture and the new Digital Practitioner Body of Knowledge (DPBOK).

Because EA Principals also provides certification training in most of the above standards, we find great value in customizing a private course touching on these topics in an integrated way so students can make the most efficient use of their time and even follow up with workshops to start adapting EA approaches by leveraging such complementary Open Group material for Enterprise and Solution Architects,  along with exposure to other EA frameworks in the same boot camp type acceleration of EA mastery. We prefer to have organizations provide us with some pain points and associated goals relating to them, so the material and exercises we design can be as relevant and valuable as possible. 

We are happy to discuss how to make EA truly valuable in a way that builds incrementally, leveraging the vast amounts of material available to us that we can streamline for you with optimum knowledge transfer. Don’t hesitate to contact us for some ideas so your EA program can radically improve within a one year time frame.

Written by Dr. Steve Else, Chief Architect & Principal Instructor