SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE AND ENTERPRISE ARCHITECTURE: A JUXTA POSITION?#

Abstract

A systems approach to creating a system is discussed. The system engineering process, and specifically the system architecture process, is formulated and applied to a typical (physical) system, enterprise, and project. These lead to the concepts of system architecture (SA), enterprise architecture (EA), and project architecture (PA) respectively. Similarities and inter-relationships among these architectures and related methodologies are investigated, seeking better interaction among them. ‘Work’ is proposed as an important conceptual building-block of these architectures, properly defined as activity with associated inputs, outputs, governances, and mechanisms. Techniques such as functional analysis, process modelling, and task analysis are used to demonstrate the inter- relationships among these apparently unrelated organisational perspectives of product, process, and project.