The benefits of Enterprise Architecture
Enterprise Architecture, (EA), is a framework that aids an organisations ability to address change. Through creating an effective process for change based on EA, an organisation is better positioned to foresee and manage changing demands in the future. EA gives you the required foundation to secure that every part of the company is working coherently towards meeting the organisation's goals.
Biner offers a number services to drive change with EA. These services can be applied from a department up to an entire business or enterprise. We also offer courses and conferences in EA, we have a relationship with Zachman International and together with DF Kompetens we offer Scandinavia's first certification in EA - Zachman Certified™ Enterprise Architect
Evaluating an organsiations structure with Enterprise Architecture
Irrespective of whether you find yourself in a business that is actively describing itself in architectural models or one that has never invested in modellng, the foundation for working with change and Enterprise Architecture (EA) is that you know where you are now, the AS-IS. Only through knowing the current state can you easily lead a business in the right steps towards its goals.
Biner has 2 steps to evaluate an organisations structure with EA:
Review and mapping of the material that exists within the organisation today. This is done by modelling the business structure and then matching those models against your chosen EA framework.
Analysis of all relevant material to gain an understanding of the difference between your current structure and your desired state structure. The analysis results in a simple road map, with a number of activities that are needed so that your business can be fully described within an architectural manor.
Change Management with Enterprise Architecture
Through managing change with EA you can plan for the long-term and gain business benefits along the way.
The foundation of all EA work is building the description of the company as it stands today (AS-IS) and then creating a number of activities that take the company towards its strategic goal of its' desired future state (TO-BE). The activities are part of a transition plan which is divided into a number of individual deliveries each providing business benefit. You can read more on our packaged solutions and especially EA planning with BEAM Transition Plan
The application of Enterprise Architecture based thinking
To introduce or apply and EA based mindset requires a structured and controlled environment with the correct tools in place to help document and follow up the development and change initiatives. Biner can help you initiate and apply an EA based mindset through setting up working groups, for example a Change Advisory Board (CAB).
We help you create an architectural way of thinking, working with your existing projects, often alongside your process planning team as well as a part of a program or project planning process. An effective EA needs effective methods and a good support system. We can also help you choose and introduce a suitable EA tool for your company's specific documentation and modelling needs.
Education and coaching of Enterprise Architecture
Biner offers both training specifically tailored for your company as well as educational courses and seminars in Enterprise Architecture (EA). We work together with DF Kompetens and Zachman International and have provided Scandinavia's first course for Zachman Certified™ in Enterprise Architecture.
We know that it can be a challenge to apply and implement EA based initiatives and that there are many obstacles in the way before EA is successfully managed. It is often good to raise your questions and concerns with others that have EA experience in order to maintain your momentum and direction in your work.
We are currently coaching architects within the different aspects of EA work. Does your company need support to implement EA based work? We can help you. We can even support you individually, offering mentoring if you have gone through EA education and require support getting EA procedures developed in your business.
Methodology
Biners' consultants are experts in the most widely used methods and EA frameworks. We can offer unique competences and have certified architects in various techniques, including the Zachman framework and TOGAF. We actively drive methodology questions around EA and have also created our own EA methodology, BEAM.
Our architects
Biners architects have many years of experience working with architecture within both business and IT environments. We combine excellent business understanding with high technical competence to assist our clients in visualising and communicating the connections between their business and IT.
What is Enterprise Architecture?
The concept behind Enterprise Architecture is the connection between a company or organisations desire to understand its business and the support that IT needs to provide. With a framework like Enterprise Architecture you have an excellent platform to control that your change initiatives and development work match your goals.
To be able carry out large scale change within an organisation, a detailed and complete understanding of how that company operates is needed. Through understanding the architecture for a department or a business we can illustrate how the organsiation and its goals, processes, information and systems all operate together.
Standards, methodologies and tools
There are a number of standards, methods and tools for EA that we use at Biner. Below are a few examples.
The Zachman Framework
John Zachman is the originator of the world's best known and used framework for Enterprise Architecture – The Zachman Framework. The Zachman Framework describes which types of blueprints a company needs to understand its own enterprise, irrespective of its business or technology origins. These blueprints link the individual pieces of the enterprise together to form a consistent and complete picture of the company.
Using the Zachman Framework you will create the blueprints that allow you to develop and design your company's architecture for flexibility, integration and re-usability .
TOGAF
The Open Group Architecture Framework (TOGAF) is a framework that includes a detailed method and a set of tools for developing a company's Enterprise Architecture. It can be used freely in all organisations to help them document their Enterprise Architecture.
BEAM
BEAM describes Biners methodology for driving complex change initiatives using Enterprise Architecture principles. With this approach a department to an entire organisation's architecture can be understood and secured. BEAM uses a number features found in the frameworks and methods of Zachman, EAP, TOGAF and FEA.
Tool support for Enterprise Architecture
Biner is working with the most widely used tools available for EA, amongst others ARIS, Qualiware and Sybase PowerDesigner.