Specifics of projects in the area of Enterprise Architecture development

Abstract

Enterprise Architecture (EA) is a discipline for business and IT system management, describing the fundamental artifacts of business and IT. Introducing EA activities in a company is done via special projects (referred to as EAM projects). While much research focuses on EA as is, EAM projects are not yet considered properly. This paper deals with EAM projects as a special kind of IT project. The definition of an EAM project is suggested using the IT solution concept of the Microsoft Solution Framework. This is justified, since the EAM-software introduced in a company is the main result of a typical EAM project. Based on the definition of a work product in CMMI, this paper introduces the final delivery of an EAM project. In addition, domain specific modeling is used to describe EAM project delivery, since the most important part of EA is concepts and terms for describing business and IT in a company. To implement the language formed by these terms and concepts, an EAM tool is selected and customized (Mega, IBM System Architects, Aris, etc.), and additional software (i.e. Web-portal, integration scripts, etc.) is implemented. All of the EA principles and methods could be considered as guidelines for this software (EAM tool and additional software). Final delivery of an EAM project is divided into the following parts: method (domain specific language, EA method, EA process, integration, modeling results), technology (EAM tool, additional software, documentation), support and training. Using the concepts introduced in this paper, four EAM projects are analyzed. Lack of support of the EA method is identified as a common problem of these projects.