Enterprise Architecture Concepts and Implementation

This assignment explores the concept of Enterprise Architecture (EA), outlining its benefits and challenges for organizations. It draws upon a case study of Phoenix Logistics to illustrate EA's practical application in improving business operations. Students analyze different aspects of EA, including its impact on technological standardization, organizational processes, and strategic differentiation. The assignment also delves into the importance of organizational maturity and skilled personnel for successful EA implementation.

Trimester Term 2 2017
Unit Code BN315
Unit Title Enterprise Architecture
Assignment 1
Enterprise Architecture Concepts

Table of Contents
CONTEXT A: TOPIC A1..................................................................................................................................3
Introduction:...............................................................................................................................................3
Concept of EA:.............................................................................................................................................3
Similarities of City Planning with EA............................................................................................................3
Benefits of EA..............................................................................................................................................3
Challenges of EA..........................................................................................................................................3
Implementation of EA in Phoenix Logistics..................................................................................................4
CONTEXT B: JOB INTERVIEW: TOPIC B1.......................................................................................................6
References...................................................................................................................................................8
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CONTEXT A: TOPIC A1
Introduction:
Phoenix Logistics is the global freight forwarding company which operates their business based on their
head office in Melbourne. They also have branches in several countries of the world. In this recent time,
the organisation wants to implement the process of Enterprise Architecture (EA) to improve the
effectiveness of their operation. Being the member of the consulting team, it is important to provide
some basic concepts about EA. Therefore, the report will provide information about the concept of EA
along with benefits and challenges of the same.
The concept of EA:
EA is the concept that provides a conceptual blueprint to define the effective operations and structure
of the organisation [1]. The vital role of EA is to determine the organisational process, which will be
effective to meet present and future goal of the firm more effectively than the present time.
Similarities of City Planning with EA
City planning is the concept the focuses to make a planned city based on its economy, environment, and
culture of the place. City planners also give importance on existing use of different aspects of the city.
Similarly, EA also evaluates existing operational activities before making changes about the same [2].
City planning system anticipates all the critical issues that can arise while making changes within the city
they also provide effective solution to those issues.
Benefits of EA
EA makes proper sequence among all the processes of the firm to improve the process by improving the
workflow of the firm. This process also makes positive relations among suppliers and business firms,
which are strategic stakeholders of the business. In this way, it makes strategic differentiation within the
firm [2].
Challenges of EA
Apart from aforementioned benefits of EA, there are some challenges with the same. Some organisation
wants to implement EA without setting any purpose, which leads the problem about effectiveness
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against the purpose. Executives wish continuous support from EA, whereas EA needs continuous
support from executives to deliver value so that there is a problem about the focus of the same.
Organisational maturity is also one of the challenges for EA [3].
Implementation of EA in Phoenix Logistics
The Open Group Architecture Framework will be effective for Phoenix Logistics to implement effective
EA. It will help them to make effective operations among all the branches of the firm. As an example,
Phoenix Logistics will focus on eight vital aspects while implementing this concept. Group architecture
will make a positive effect on the overall organisational process. The vital aspects of this architecture are
architecture vision, business architecture, information system architecture, technology architecture,
opportunities architecture, migration planning, implementation governance, and architecture change
management [4]. Therefore, this framework will fulfil all the perspectives of EA for improving the
operational effectiveness of Phoenix Logistics.
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Figure 1TOGAF
Source: [5]
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CONTEXT B: JOB INTERVIEW: TOPIC B1
EA can be used from four major perspectives such as information perspective, business perspective,
application perspective, and technology perspective. EA focuses on the economic condition of an
organisation along with their work environment and work culture because these factors have a vital
effect on the effectiveness of organisational operations. EA also anticipates all the issues that can be rise
due making changes in operations of the firm and they also provide a solution for the firm as city
planner [3]. Application perspective focuses on standards and processes which are used by the
organisation to operate the business. Business perspective is concerned about to define the effective
operations based on day to day operations. Technology perspective defines all the operating systems
and networking resolutions for the organisation to increase the effectiveness of their operation.
Information perspective classifies all the raw data, which is important to make efficient operation [4].
Source: [3]
The four domains provide a proper understanding of the business requirements and also provides
different strategic choices for the companies. Business architecture domain helps for construction of
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mission and vision prospects, business requirements and business policies, service profiles and
enterprise process designs. Whereas Information architecture and application architecture are
intertwined with technology architecture for providing the data management and data infrastructure
components for runningthe company smoothly [1]. EA provides three most effective benefits for an
organisation. This process is beneficial to reduce the cost of technological standardisation; it also
improves the organisational process and strategic differentiation of the firm. In technological
perspective, EA focuses on the retirement of ageing and costly technologies within the firm (Lange et al.,
2016). It also reduces the complexity of technological aspects, which also make a positive effect on the
cost of operation by reducing the cost of training. To implement effective EA maturity of the
organisation is important. Any new start-up cannot implement the process of EA effectively, as this
process needs vast preparation along with active participation. Talent about this process is also one of
the challenges, as the process is an art than a science so that it needs skills and talent rather than
certification about the same [5]. At the end of the discussion, it can be said that EA is the effective
concept to improve operations of an organisation. However, it has some challenges, but that can be
overcome by appointing skilled and talented EA personnel.
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