Enterprise Architecture – Synchronising Business and IT

In many organisations, the role of architecture management is limited to creating plans of the current IT landscape and making them available to target groups such as IT management, project managers or IT steering committees. Only with comprehensive enterprise architecture management does IT become the innovation partner of its own organisation.

Comprehensive enterprise architecture management consistently focuses on transparency, starting with the organisation's requirements for IT, through the services, systems and applications provided by IT, to the underlying deployment procedures and operating models. Any gaps (so-called "fit gaps") are documented and evaluated on the basis of risk and cost parameters.

In addition to enabling the IT organisation to optimise and innovate, EAM forces the implementation of standards, combined with the optimisation of the IT service catalogue, the streamlining of the IT portfolio (Lean IT) and the consolidation and integration of operational processes. EAM as a discipline should be a pioneer in following leading market standards, e.g. TOGAF (The Open Group Architecture).

Enterprise Architecture Management provides the basis for sustainable cost savings while reducing operational risks in IT. On the one hand, this is done by consistently questioning the extent to which technologies, service concepts and processes contribute to achieving the strategic goals of an organisation. On the other hand, by pushing IT standards and reducing complexity.