Enterprise Architecture Efforts and Issues: Case Studies of SteelCo, MultiCorp, and FinCorp

Report

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY..................................................................................................................................3
CASE STUDY 1.1 (SteelCo)..........................................................................................................3
Structure of SteelCo’s Architecture in Relation to its Architecture Positions.............................3
Number of Enterprise Architects Required for Architecture Positions at SteelCo.....................4
CASE STUDY 1.2 (MultiCorp)......................................................................................................5
Operating Model of MultiCorp and its Three Business Units.....................................................5
Business wide Operational Processes of MultiCorp which are Standardised.............................6
Types of Data integrated across MultiCorp and its Three Business Unit’s Operations..............6
IT Landscape in MultiCorp and its Business Units.....................................................................7
CASE STUDY 1.3 (FinCorp)..........................................................................................................8
Problems with the Enterprise Architecture Tool Installed at FinCorp........................................8
Value to EA Tool Installed at FinCorp towards its Enterprise Architecture...............................9
Use of EA Tool at FinCorp to Facilitate its IT and Business Alignment..................................10
Maximising the Value of EA Tool Installed at FinCorp...........................................................10
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................11
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................12

INTRODUCTION
Enterprise Architecture (EA) is a strategic business process through which business
organisations can standardise, organise and update their business IT operations, infrastructure
and processes with the intention to align them with the end objectives and goals of the
organisation so that they can be achieved in an effective and efficient manner (Hansen and
Hacks, 2017). Business organisations make use of Enterprise Architecture to modernise its IT
infrastructure, operations, hardware and processes, so that their IT department can be digitally
transformed making the business organisation capable of performing with increased
performance, efficiency, thus providing it with enhanced productivity and profitability in the
consumer markets. This report assesses the EA efforts and issues of three business organisations.
MAIN BODY
CASE STUDY 1.1 (SteelCo)
Structure of SteelCo’s Architecture in Relation to its Architecture Positions
In order to effectively improve its current IT infrastructure, policies, processes and
operations conducted by its two operational divisions Alpha and Beta, SteelCo needs to
effectively implement Enterprise architecture into the operations and functions of its two

divisions. SteelCo needs to structure its Enterprise Architecture processes and operations to align
them with the end objectives and goals of SteelCo, so that the EA can help SteelCo achieve its
end goals and objectives in an effective, efficient and timely manner (Lapalme and et.al., 2016).
SteelCo should further structure their EA operations while taking into account the skills and
experience of the current workforce in its Alpha and Beta divisions and their past IT investments,
as both Alpha and Beta have different past IT investments, workforce skills and IT capabilities.
Number of Enterprise Architects Required for Architecture Positions at SteelCo
As SteelCo’s operations are primarily divided into two operational divisions Alpha and
Beta, with distinct strategies towards their IT operations, investments and implementations, both
of these divisions require different number of enterprise architects in their organisations to
effectively implement Enterprise Architecture into their divisions and increase the operational
performance, efficiency and productivity of their IT infrastructure, processes and systems. As
Alpha division of SteelCo is conservative in its IT investment and implementation of IT
processes and systems to improve its operational processes and functions with only employing
close to 300 individuals for its IT operations, effective EA implementation at Alpha division
requires another 270-300 enterprise architects who can effectively increase SteelCo’s Alpha
division productivity and profitability through the effective incorporation of EA into its diverse
operations and functions (Hinkelmann and et.al., 2016). Contrastingly as Beta division has
already invested significantly into its IT department and IT processes and operations, with their