EA and Solutions Architecture (SA) are integral to driving disruptive changes in Software Engineering (SE). There is a need for a more proactive role for EA and Solutions Architecture in leveraging AI and advanced modeling capabilities to shape the future of software development.

Enroute to AI revolutionizing EA and Solutions Architecture modeling capabilities in the future, there is also now an expansion of the functionality of the free Archi modeling tool to go beyond just generating ArchiMate models/diagrams. EA Principals has developed an extension to it that expands its functionality to include the generation of catalogs and matrices. This is important because many critical architecture viewpoints need to represent information with more variety in terms of views. 

For example, TOGAF’s 66 Viewpoints in the TOGAF Viewpoint Library include Catalogs, Matrices, and diagrams. We have an article in this issue that elaborates on this great development. Of course, AI will in the near term play a major role in the fundamental transformation of the EA tool landscape. In the meantime, the Archi tool, with this new extension, becomes an excellent starting/ interim approach for many organizations before making a major investment in the next generation of AI-driven modeling tools.

The other article in this issue lays out how AI is already beginning to transform Software Engineering, increasingly freeing up Solution Engineers to take on more creative endeavors in the architecture landscape as well as AI-management in their area of expertise.

Overall, look to very rapid changes coming to EA, SA, and SE and their tighter integration for planning, implementing, and managing the EA Landscape.

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