02.09.10
The Satisfaction of Winning
[Cartoon]
Winners seem to always have an edge. They find their edge and they exploit it. They also know they must be equal in all other respects to their competitors. If they have a weakness, it becomes an edge for their competition.
Since automated software systems have become critical to a corporation’s ability to compete, these systems have now become part of a corporation’s edge or part of their weakness!
Corporations must deal with many facets of their software systems. Most important they must have systems that work together. Their systems must operate holistically with an ability to respond to changes in the business.
Getting the holistic view shows how all the flows of information takes place in an organization. This is a paramount challenge that requires the methods applied by Enterprise Architects.
The methods applied by the Enterprise Architects are basic information gathering and organizing techniques. Information is collected covering the organization’s strategies, initiatives, projects, information, process, applications, and integration points. This information is then organized and summarized to provide the organization’s management with a visualization of their software systems.
Having this holistic view allows the management to see the strengths and the weaknesses of the current environment.
The management can then begin to address their weaknesses and better define their edge. They can begin to make changes that will be reflected in the holistic view. The management can see how their decisions put them in a more competitive position, a better position to be a satisfied winner.
Closing the Business / IT gap
