Measuring Enterprise Architecture Success Information

All Contents © 2007 Burton Group. All rights reserved.

Measuring Enterprise Architecture Success

Information Technology Conference 2009April 15-16, 2009

Michael RollingsSenior Analyst

Executive Advisory Program

[email protected]

2Measuring Enterprise Architecture Success

Agenda

• Things We Have Forgotten aboutEnterprise Architecture (EA) Value

• Determining Program Success

• Value and Other Success Measures


Agenda

• Things We Have Forgotten about EA Value



Burton Group’s View of Enterprise Architecture

• Planning, optimization and design discipline• Not solely for the enterprise

• Active - EA is something you do

• Focused on business outcomes

• Influences IT decision-making• Architecture is personal

• EA results in an architecture (what gets built)

• A way to synchronize with the business

Things We Have Forgotten About EA Value 44

Governance

Things We Have Forgotten About EA Value 5

Exploring the relative

importance of an idea

Perspective...

Influencing an outcome

without direct control

Relevance...

6Things We Have Forgotten About EA Value

WARNING! Signs of program failure

• Poor business participation

• No resources or executive-level commitment for change

• The EA team has no influence

• Poor communication

• Enforcer rather than a collaborator

• Disconnected from business model change

• Disconnected from software development and projects

The system shorts out (with casualties)

Analysis paralysis

Stale artifacts

Ivory-tower

Disconnected

Things We Have Forgotten About EA Value

How to assess our contribution?

• Benchmarks and Comparisons ≠ What needs to improve• Maturity ≠ Effectiveness or Quality• Baseline ≠ Report Card

7

“Just because you know

where you are, and others are

with you, does not mean that

you are not lost or that you

should follow the same path.”


Agenda




Determining Program Success

Business Synchronization

• Does the architecture embody the business strategy and operating model?

• How are these linkages made?• Are the dependencies documented?• Is the connection apparent at all levels of architecture

(e.g., is it clear what standards are required for certain strategies and operating principles)?

9


EA Program Oversight

• Is there responsibility for the EA program?• How are the many project, communication, governance,

process, and behavior changing activities coordinated?• Does a charter exist for the EA program?• What is the process used to create, enhance, and

maintain architecture artifacts?• How is the EA function organized and how are resources

used as part of the process?• Is the value of EA known, measured, and

communicated?

10


Communication and Change Leadership

• Does a plan exist to assure buy-in, achieve participation, improve awareness, and maintain consistency of program messages?

• What activities exist for regular communication to share progress and findings, and to influence change?

• How do stakeholders show their support of the EA program?

• Are agreement networks modeled and managed?

11


Governance

• Has the role of EA in IT governance been formalized?• How is EA currently linked to…

• Strategy development process• Project/program funding process• Software development lifecycle• Procurement• Measurement

• Are informal structures in place to facilitate decision-making in line with EA guidance without compliance checking?

12

13Determining Program Success

Are there walls between siloed processes?

CIO

Portfolio Mgmt PM SDLC OPS

EA

IT Planning & Execution

CIO – Chief Information OfficerPM – Project ManagementSDLC – Software Development Life Cycle

EA – Enterprise ArchitectureOPS – Operations

14Determining Program Success

Use, improve, and share decision-quality information

CIO

Portfolio Mgmt PM SDLC OPS

EA

IT Planning and Execution

CIO – Chief Information OfficerPM – Project ManagementSDLC – Software Development Life Cycle

EA – Enterprise ArchitectureOPS – Operations


Agenda




Value and Other Success Measures

• Business outcomes achieved• Business case attainment • Estimates blown due to poor dependency

analysis

• Decisions influenced and impact• Awareness and perception

• Are projects receiving active guidance?

• Other Instrumentation• % of investment in dated technologies• % projects using standard solution patterns• # exceptions granted• Schedule and cost reductions due to reuse

16

Val

ue

Per

cep

tio

n

Actual Value Contribution

Value?

17Summary

EA is most useful when it influences a better outcome

• Use assessments to bring focus on required EA improvements and not as grade or a benchmark

• Reveals weaknesses and barriers to progress• Provides a valuable baseline to plan next set of actions and solidify

stakeholder participation

• Approach EA as a way to facilitate the creation, sharing and use of decision-quality information

• Affect planning, design, implementation and financial outcomes• Improve top-down, bottom-up and project planning perspective• Drive both process improvement and behavior change

Contacts

Michael Rollings

Senior Analyst, Executive Advisory Program

[email protected]

Burton Group 7090 Union Park Center Suite 200Midvale, UT 84047-6051

office +1.801.566.2880fax +1.801.566.3611

Education

Measuring Enterprise Architecture Success Information