Transcript Slide Mestre

Enterprise Architecture’s Identity Crisis:
a Caution Sign for the EA/IQ Partnership
Information Resource Management Association of Canada
April 20, 2011
P. Kathie Sowell
Custom Enterprise Solutions, LLC
SowellEAC Enterprise Architect Certification Program
www.SowellEAC.com
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Objectives of this
presentation
 To warn against a trend in Enterprise
Architecture that could have a limiting effect on
the symbiosis between Enterprise Architecture
and the Information Quality profession
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The Identity Crisis in a Nutshell:
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Enterprise Architecture is having an identity
crisis
(The profession is too young for a mid-life crisis)
There are 2 symptom of this crisis:
• The Enterprise Architecture territory is being carved up
into subspecialties – but they all call themselves
“enterprise architects.”
• Things that are not even architecture are being called
“architecture.”
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4
This crisis raises two questions:
1. If everyone is an enterprise architect –
is anyone an enterprise architect?
2. Is there any such thing as an “enterprise
architect?
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John Zachman describes the crisis this way*
“This is what is killing Enterprise Architecture… every computer
programmer, systems designer, software architect, solutions
architect, technology architect, computer operator, PC owner, data
architect, database architect, network architect, business analyst,
systems analyst, enterprise architect, service architect, object
architect, project manager and CIO calls whatever they want to or
maybe, whatever they are doing, “Architecture.” It is chaos. ...”
- “Yes, Enterprise Architecture is Relative, But It’s Not Arbitrary ”
copyright 2009 John A. Zachman, Zachman International
www.zachmaninternational.com
•
A LinkedIn EA discussion group started a discussion on this quote
– There are over 1,000 comments and counting
– Sad fact: Many commenters, some apparently unwittingly, do as much to solidify
the trend as to fight it
* “Everybody wants to get into the act” – Jimmy Durante
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Where is the “real” enterprise architect?
Application s
Architect
Network
Architect
SOA
Architect
Reserved
for whatever
comes next
Object
Architect
Technology
Architect
Software
Architect
Enterprise
Software
Architect
Solutions
Architect
Enterprise
Systems
Architect
Business
Business
Architect
Architect
Architecture
Architect
Standards
Architect
Infrastructure
Architect
Enterprise
Applications
Architect
Data
Architect
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This identity crisis has two seemingly opposite
negative effects
• It tends to separate the skill sets from each other
– “Data architects” talk to other data architects, “technology architects” talk
to other technology architects.
• Conversely, it tends to confuse the skill sets
– People confuse each of these “architects” with an “enterprise architect.”
A data architect is not an enterprise architect.
A network architect is not an enterprise architect
An infrastructure architect is not an enterprise architect.
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Who is an enterprise architect, then?
• An enterprise architect is someone who
– Holistically examines an organization or other
functioning entity
– Diagnoses current or potential problem areas
– Recommends actions to alleviate or prevent problems or
to improve performance.
=
+
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An Enterprise Architect’s area of concern is
very broad
• An enterprise architect is concerned with all of these aspects of an
enterprise
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
business goals
business processes
business organizations
data structure
data relationships
data standards
data flows
systems
interface standards
applications
services
current state/goal state/transition
performance measures
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And most importantly, an enterprise architect is
concerned with the relationships among all the
various aspects of an enterprise
This is the hard part, and the most valuable part!
And this is what makes an enterprise architect an enterprise architect!
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So, yes, there is such a thing as an “enterprise architect!”
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So, what is wrong with this picture?
1) To clarify roles, there should be an (actual) Enterprise
Architect who is concerned with the whole scope
Enterprise Architect
Application
Architect
Network
Architect
SOA
Architect
Reserved
for whatever
Solutions
Architect
Business
Architect
Enterprise
Systems
Architect
Architecture
Architect
comes next
Object
Architect
Technology
Architect
Software
Architect
Enterprise
Software
Architect
Standards
Architect
Infrastructure
Architect
Enterprise
Applications
Architect
Data
Architect
2) To enhance symbiosis between IQ and EA, Data Architects
should be aware of how IQ affects other specialties, and how IQ
therefore interacts with the overarching discipline of EA
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Excessive stovepiping of skill sets, and calling
everything “architecture,” are bad for EA ...
• Obscures the true role of an Enterprise Architect as one who pulls
together the analysis of the whole enterprise
• Makes “Architecture” look like the latest Pied Piper buzzword that
everybody wants a piece of (and is therefore suspect)
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This “EA identity crisis” is also bad for the
synergy between IQ and EA
• More and more, IQ professionals are being encouraged to work with
“Enterprise Architects” to find the true causes and remedies for IQ
problems
• But “Enterprise Architecture” is often mistaken for “Information
Architecture” (sometimes called “Data Architecture”)
• Information Architecture is only a part of Enterprise Architecture
• So, IQ professionals end up working with Data Architects instead of
true Enterprise Architects
We risk overlooking the broader relationship between IQ and EA
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Data Architects tend to emphasize certain
aspects of data
Maybe this
Not this
Not this
Not this
This
Data Model:
Not this
Defines relevant
entities, in terms
of data structure
INFORMATION
EXCHANGE MATRIX
&
Needline
NL 1
relationships
Information
Exchange
1-a
1-b
NL 2
NL 5
Content
Sending
Node
Requirements
Client
Agreement
with
requirements
Bob
Sending
Activity
N/A: client
is an external
node
N/A: Acceptance
Activity outside
scope of Activity
Model.
Exchange shown
only for context
Receiving Criticality As-Is/
Activity
(1-3)
To-Be
Bob
Select Theme
1
Client
N/A: client
is an external
node
1
Both
VALUE ADDED : INDIVIDUAL
INFORMATION EXCHANGES
ASSOCIATED WITH EACH
NEEDLINE, PERFORMANCE
REQUIREMENTS FOR
INFORMATION EXCHANGES
-
Not always this
Consultation
on Presentations
Bob
2-b
Consultation
on Presentations
Ted
Solicit
and Select
Presentations
5-a
Selected
Location
Ted
Select and
Reserve Venue
2a
Receiving
Node
Solicit
and Select
Presentations
Ted
Bob
Alice
Solicit
and Select
Presentations
Solicit
and Select
Presentations
Both
2
To-Be
2
To-Be
1
Both
Arrange
Catering
Not this
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But the true Relationship Between IQ and EA is
broader than that
IQ can be featured here:
IQ is featured here
IQ is
featured
IQ is featured here
IQ is featured here
here
Data Model:
IQ is featured here
Defines relevant
entities, in terms
of structure &
relationships
INFORMATION
EXCHANGE MATRIX
Needline
NL 1
IQ is featured here
IQ is featured here
Information
Exchange
1-a
1-b
NL 2
NL 5
Content
Sending
Node
Requirements
Client
Agreement
with
requirements
Bob
Sending
Activity
N/A: client
is an external
node
N/A: Acceptance
Activity outside
scope of Activity
Model.
Exchange shown
only for context
Consultation
on Presentations
Bob
2-b
Consultation
on Presentations
Ted
Solicit
and Select
Presentations
5-a
Selected
Location
Ted
Select and
Reserve Venue
2a
Solicit
and Select
Presentations
Receiving
Node
Receiving Criticality As-Is/
Activity
(1-3)
To-Be
Bob
Select Theme
1
Both
Client
N/A: client
is an external
node
1
Both
Ted
Bob
Alice
Solicit
and Select
Presentations
Solicit
and Select
Presentations
2
To-Be
2
To-Be
1
Both
Arrange
Catering
VALUE ADDED : INDIVIDUAL
INFORMATION EXCHANGES
ASSOCIATED WITH EACH
NEEDLINE, PERFORMANCE
REQUIREMENTS FOR
INFORMATION EXCHANGES
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IQ Professionals need to interact with Enterprise Architects to
address all the ways data is involved in the enterprise
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Let’s take a closer look at where IQ intersects
with EA
• Following slides illustrate some of the EA models
referenced earlier and show in more detail how IQ needs
to be addressed in each*
–
–
–
–
Activity Model
Business Node Connection Model
Information Exchange Matrix
Scenario Sequence Model
* Data Model is not shown, because that is well known!
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The Activity Model shows the relevant activities that
take place in your enterprise
Successively decomposes the toplevel action into its sub-actions
A0
Perform Some
Action
All action names are
verbs
A1
Do This Part
of Some Action
A3
Do Another Part
of Some Action
A13
A2
Do That Part
of Some Action
Successively decomposes the top-level action into its
sub-actions For each action of interest, a diagram
illustrates the input/outputs between its sub-actions
Controls come in
from the top…
every box must
Outputs go out from
have one
the right...every box
must have one
Do This Part
of
Some Action
A1
A33
A31
Inputs come in
from the left
A11
A112
A21
A22
A24
A2
A32
Mechanisms come in
from the bottom & show
who or what performs
the action
A23
Activity Hierarchy Tree
Do That Part
of
Some Action
Do Another
Part
of Some
Action
A3
Activity Flow Model
Information flows from activity to activity:
IQ: Is it the right data, produced by the right activity?
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The Business Node Connection Model shows which
enterprise participants need to interact with each
other
Business
Node 2
(Internal)
e4
Needlin
Business
Node 3
(External)
Subnode 3
Performs:
• Action 2
Subnode 1
Performs:
• Action 1
Needline 3’
Needline 2’
Needline 1’
e5
lin
ed
Ne
Subnode 2
Performs:
• Action 3
Subnode 4
Performs:
• Action 4
Business
Node 1
(Internal)
Information flows from place to place/person to person:
IQ: Is it coming from the right place, going to the right place?
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The Information Exchange Matrix captures the relevant
quality (and other) characteristics of information as it is
used in a given enterprise or scenario
Who needs what information, and the required information quality, may differ by scenario.
IQ: Is the required information quality being met?
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A Scenario Sequence Diagram shows a series of
events, and the exchanges that occur in response the to
events of a given scenario
Scenario Sequence Diagram
Scenario Sequence Diagram
NODES BUSINESS
TIME/EVENTS NODE 1
time 1 TRIGGERING EVENT 1
BUSINESS
NODE 2
BUSINESS
NODE 3
INFORMATION
EXCHANGED 1
time 2 GROUND TRUTH EVENT A
time 3 TRIGGERING EVENT 2
time 4 TRIGGERING EVENT 3
time 5 TRIGGERING EVENT 4
INFORMATION
EXCHANGED 2
INFORMATION
EXCHANGED 3
INFORMATION
EXCHANGED 4
INFORMATION
EXCHANGED 5
INFORMATION
EXCHANGED 6
INFORMATION
EXCHANGED 7
time n TRIGGERING EVENT n
INFORMATION
EXCHANGED 8
Circumstances change in different scenarios.
IQ: How do the different scenarios affect the quality of the information?
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The Bottom Line
• Information Quality touches on all aspects of an enterprise, not just
the parts that people think of as “Data Architecture” or “Information
Architecture.”
• So does Enterprise Architecture
• There is a potentially rich symbiotic relationship between IQ and EA.
• To realize this potential, Information Quality professionals should
team with Enterprise Architects, not only with “Data Architects.”
To solve Information Quality problems,
Let’s exploit the full relationship between
IQ and EA!
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Post-Script on the “Enterprise Architecture
Identity Crisis”
• There is reason for hope amid the swirling
• Organizations, such as the Center for the Advancement
of the Enterprise Architecture Profession (CAEAP), are
working toward a consensus definition of what it means
to be an Enterprise Architect
• The profession is still relatively young
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Remember...
“Any man who afflicts the human race with ideas must
be prepared to see them misunderstood.
– H.L. Mencken
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Contact Information
• [email protected]
• http://www.sowellEAC.com
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