IT Architecture & Strategy Inc.

Many companies have a corporate/enterprise architecture group but does it mean that they have an Enterprise Architecture (EA)?

Probably the fastest way to assess this is to ask the Director or VP of Architecture to provide the Target Architectures and associated 3 years roadmaps⁽¹⁾. If this document is unavailable than you know where you stand! 

Now, what does Target Architecture means? Typically, in its simplest form, it is a picture of the applications that will be added, modified or removed in 3 years from now. Which brings the following question; how did you get this picture?
a) Result of opinions/political views or

b) Result of having done the:

We all heard of companies spending millions on BI each year and they still do not have an integrated Enterprise Data Warehouse (EDW) and most do not even have conformed dimensions for their datamarts. This means that many companies today:

• Cannot really compare metrics/reports across their business units and business functions
• Spend too much time discussing about the differences in their numbers
• Spend a lot of time manipulating data
• Take decisions with imprecise and older data/information

Putting in place a BIEA (BI Enabling Architecture) requires people with the right architecture experience; it has nothing to do with tools. Yes, for sure we need a suite of tools to support a BIEA but without the proper architecture these tools are useless!

IT Project success (on-time, on budget and respect of functionality) was measured in 2005 at 34%. If you were to add 'respect of architecture approaches and standards' then it will be lower. The success rate decreases as the projects get bigger, above 3 millions $, success rates are in the low 20% (without considering 'respect of architecture approaches and standards'). This is why an Enterprise Architecture CoE (Center of Excellence) is implemented more often than others CoE such as but not limited to: Project Management CoE,  Process Standardization CoE and BICC (BI Competency Center).

What are the responsibilities of the Director or VP of Architecture?  (About 80% of Enterprise Architecture Leader report directly to the CIOs, according to the CIO Council)

Without any doubt the ITAAS Hybrid DW is a key component for reducing your BI TCO since you have 1 DB that supports the DW functions and the Dimensional functions, it could even be used as an ODS providing that you made this DB platform HA (Highly Available) and you are able to balance the BI needs versus the operational needs (in some cases, it is very difficult to do so and consequently I am very careful when and if I open the ODS door on the EDW Hybrid). The followings are other areas to look at to significantly lower your BI TCO: