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This chapter describes the general information on Enterprise

Architecture. A generic definition can be represented as depicted below:

“Relationships of IT methodologies”

Enterprise Architecture is a set of principles, methods and models used in the design and implementation of an organizational structure, business processes, information systems and technologies. It is a management practice aimed at maximizing the impact of the enterprise, investing in IT, developing systems in achieving the enterprise goals, converting the business vision and strategy into an effective change of the company through creating, discussing and improving key requirements and principles that describe the company’s future state and enable its development.

Since the Enterprise Architecture is a complex solution including the intersection of various methodologies and techniques, building an Enterprise Architecture should take into account, but not be limited to, the recommendations of the following standards:

•TOGAF – Enterprise Architecture

•ISO/IEC 20000 – Quality in IT Service Management

•ISO/IEC 27000 – Best Practice IT Security Standards

•CobiT v5 – Audit and Control Framework

•ITIL v3 – Best practices in IT Service Management

•MOF – Microsoft Operations Framework

•PMI – Project Management Institute

The architecture is designed to respond to such challenges and problems of the organization as:

• Business discontent of the IT service for objective or subjective reasons.

• Inability to assess the effectiveness of IT use in business.

• Mess in IT solutions and systems implemented in the organization.

• The complexity of making IT-related decisions.

• The complexity of IT budget coordination and the launch of IT projects.

• Growth of “Information” value and connectivity between business and IT.

• Lack of transparent and clear connections between business and IT.

• Whether solving the actual business problems using IT is possible?

• How to make IT give companies greater value?

• How to change IT with changes within business?

• IT systems are complex, unmanageable and expensive to maintain.

• IT systems restrain an organization from responding adequately to changes within business.

• Business-critical information is untimely and inadequate.

• Communication culture between business and IT is missing.

As a result, the business does not see any value in information technologies. CIO’s face difficulties in pushing new ideas if they talk about technology. They are not understood. Everything they can do is to support what already exists and do the objectives pitched by the business. The serious problems arise with the justification of IT budgets. In fact, the CIO acts more like a foreman who fills in the holes, rather than a top manager who is developing the company. Top managers quickly lose interest in IT projects, and therefore, they lose funding and fail. IT department are replaced with various system integrators to implement “fancy schmancy” solutions that will “save” the business. The ideas also arise to take all company’s IT assets and services and outsource them. It will be difficult for the IT department to fight with integrators and the result is predictable – the integrators have one key competence, i.e. technology, and that is their forte. The IT department is turning into a “swamp”, and the best employees leave taking away the unique knowledge and skills. The goals of an integrator or an outsourcing company are the same as your company’s – making a profit. But unlike the IT department, whose interests coincide with the interests of your company, the integrator’s interests may not coincide with yours, including unique ideas and visions. At best, it will be “like everyone else,” and the business will lose its identity (if it is inextricably linked to IT) or quoting one movie character: “… we will have everything new in an old fashioned manner…”. The end is sad.