01.07.10
The Power of the Past
[Cartoon]
Throughout history, every society has had its form of elders. These are the old ones that have gained wisdom through training and their years of experience. They know what works and what does not work. In the world of Information Technology, these sages of IT are called Enterprise Architects. These are individuals that have lived through many major changes in IT and have learned how to make transitions without devastating an organization.
Today, the profession of the Enterprise Architect is more important than ever. Now, more than ever, each business is totally dependent upon the accurate and secure operation of IT. Now, more than ever, the lines-of-business of an enterprise are wired together with their partners and customers. Now, more than ever, an organization needs a well understood Enterprise Architecture.
The Enterprise Architecture is not a solution. It is a structure defined to support the enhancement and creation of new IT components. It is not a technology, although it contains many technologies. It is not a methodology, although it will standardize on specific methods.
As in all societies, there are the young ones that want to try out new things and challenge the status quo. In the society of IT, change comes at the rate of a flood. Many get excited and want the organization to adopt the new and overboard the old. This is where the wisdom of the Enterprise Architects can bring reason to the pace of change.
Change is inevitable and Enterprise Architects are the enablers of change. Using the Enterprise Architecture, they can provide the Corporate Management with the visualization of any situation so that a business decision can be made. The Corporate Management may decide to move forward with a new approach. It may decide to first do some R&D to validate the approach. Or, it may simply decide to wait for the approach to reach a higher level of maturity.
Understanding the value of having Enterprise Architects is as simple as understanding the value of learning from the past and gaining a clear picture of the present. We all know that there is power in the understanding of the past. Consequently, Corporate Management can have greater power over their use of Information Technology by tapping into the profession of Enterprise Architect.
Closing the Business / IT gap
