One enterprise will be very different from another enterprise in how it functions and this, therefore, requires that the enterprise components for each company are carefully planned. Enterprise architecture is something that is best left to the professionals because it’s very much like an operation theatre, where only a surgeon knows how to proceed with things. Similarly, creating and managing an enterprise architecture requires a very specific kind of skill to ensure success and a smooth flow of operations.
While one company can be extremely different from another in how it operates, five general components are applicable to every company.
- Communication for Governance
While governance may be perceived very differently in different companies, in enterprise architecture, one needs to have every team on board when it comes to decision making. Cross-functional teams communicating with each other creates an atmosphere where the error that occurs due to miscommunication and misaligned motives can be drastically reduced through proper communication.
Arranging dialogue between teams regularly with a topic that usually revolves around the problems and challenges the company may be facing is almost crucial when you plan to move ahead. Therefore, one of the most important enterprise components is governance but it is usually most helpful when everyone is heard and there is strong communication.
Moreover, an enterprise moves forward only when everyone in the enterprise architecture is communicating closely and working in coordination.
- Natural Instinct
An enterprise architect, other than just knowing what to do, should also know how to do it. Implementation is important in an enterprise architecture when things are to move forward and it is the job of the enterprise architect to naturally have it in himself/herself to be able to do what’s needed. This instinct largely includes pragmatism and business acumen.
How an enterprise architect should function is that they should know clearly where they stand and where they want to stand in the future. But alongside this, what’s even more important is that they should also know how to get there. This is the implementation stage.
An enterprise architect’s instinct should allow them to realize where they need to be and how they will be getting there. The architect also needs to know what to leave behind because not every tiny detail can be worried upon. For instance, not everything can be perfect but not everything can be half-done, therefore, what tells an architect when to push something comes from their natural talent.
- Getting the Big Guns on Board
One of the key enterprise components that an architect needs to ensure is that they aren’t working alone on everything, rather it’s done with a team. However, this team and should also include senior management and executives because it is these individuals with the highest amount of experience and they are generally the decision-making machines. Another reason is that most of the decisions in a company are made at the top and the implications of these decisions channel their way to the very bottom. Therefore, it is important to have an executive on-board when creating a successful enterprise architect.
- Prioritizing Your Actions
An enterprise architect needs to have clarity on what to do and when to do it in the sense that they shouldn’t have too much on their plate. To ensure a successful architecture for the enterprise, an architect needs to prioritize what he or she will do and when.
Attention and energy are like a constrained resource that gets thinner and thinner when distributed over more and more tasks. While every problem and every task is to be looked after, everything needs to happen in a sequence that is professionally understood to be beneficial.
- Adding Value to the Business
Finally, a company, in general, requires individuals that can add value to the business. Only when everyone in the enterprise can contribute positively to business operations can a company perform at its fastest pace. Every individual adding value is an important enterprise component and this can be achieved when everyone begins to reach their highest capabilities of putting in the effort for outcomes and not just in vain.
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