Enterprise’s schemes
For historical reasons, most Companies are structured with a “silos” scheme.
Each business line has evolved independently, with its process, its information, its technology.
Some models and frameworks have introduced a layering principle to break the segregated silos scheme. These initiatives are meant to ease transversal views.
Meanwhile, technology has evolved as-well. Its originating purpose of providing automation of (sub-)process and data storage has extend with network and communication capabilities. Technology has spread, allowing the emergence of entire ecosystems which facilitate and offer business opportunities.
Interaction with the market
Companies are facing the market in a fast-paced environment.
Due to their monolithic or rigid shape, they struggle to interact with the market environment.
Moreover, as the market is moving faster, Companies need to be able to adapt. And they need to be able to do it faster than ever.
The context is therefore highly challenging from a so-called “architecture” perspective.
Current practice
Frameworks provide ontology, and methods to organize descriptions of an Enterprise.
They’re used as guidance for Enterprise modeling activity.
Furthermore, models resulting from modeling activities are re-used as meta-models for their related activity domain.
Furthermore, models are created for specific trendy subject to address (Digital Transformation, …).
Meanwhile, Companies, being hampered by their own model, struggle to be adaptive and reactive.
Situation can be messy.
Not so much because of the multiplicity of frameworks and meta-models, but mainly because
current frameworks and tools address modeling activities and not Enterprise shaping as such.
Because the Enterprise has a dynamics …
Because the Enterprise needs to be adaptive and reactive …
Structuring, as a result from modeling activities, is nothing else than an afterwards findings.
The Enterprise is a dynamic environment.
EXCOGITEA®
Enterprise Architecture is about shaping that environment.