Towards an engineering-based research approach for enterprise architecture: Lessons learned from normalized systems theory

Abstract

The emerging field of enterprise engineering provides a promising outlook for positioning relevant research. Enterprise Architecture frameworks which are frequently used in practice, but are often criticized from a research perspective, can be positioned in this field. The challenge for the enterprise engineering field is to provide a framework to improve such frameworks using a rigorous scientific approach. This paper aims to contribute to addressing this challenge by proposing components for a research framework which focuses on applying engineering insights to enterprise architecture. It first explores how current enterprise architecture frameworks handle issues relevant for engineering (i.e., complexity, change and integration). It then introduces additional components which could contribute towards a more systematic approach. These components are derived from the way the Normalized Systems Theory was developed, and successfully introduced engineering standards into the design software architecture. © 2013 Springer-Verlag.