Enterprise Architecture's Influence on SDLC Phases and Business Goals

This report provides a comprehensive overview of Enterprise Architecture (EA) and its crucial role in the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC). It begins by defining EA as a method to align business goals with IT, standardize IT environments, reduce costs, and increase agility within organizations. ...Read More

Introduction
Enterprise Architecture program has become one of the most popular and efficient ways that
enables organizations to use all technology and IT capabilities to support organization’s business
goals and objectives. Enterprise Architecture is a solution to standardize Information Technology
environment, reduce cost, and increase agility. For many years, Enterprise Architecture has
helped organizations, businesses, and companies through necessary changes in process and
technology to execute their strategies. Today, Enterprise Architecture is getting more attention,
and it is achieving higher levels of influence within many companies and businesses. Many
organizations, companies, and businesses have realized the importance of Enterprise
Architecture in generating business values. EA is the process of aligning business goals and
objectives with information technology. In other words, enterprise architecture helps an
organization to select and implement proper technologies to improve its processes and reach its
business goals.
Enterprise Architecture (EA)
In general, “enterprise architecture can be considered as a structured and aligned collection of
plans for the integrated representation of the business and information technology (IT) landscape
of the enterprise, in past, current, and future states” (Niemann, 2006). Enterprise Architecture
program guide organizations to transform from baseline state to target state. The baseline state
reflects the organization’s current processes and technologies. After analyzing the baseline state,
Enterprise Architecture program applies disciplines, policies, and projects to direct organization
toward the target state. The target state is known as the “To-Be” state. This is the future or end-
state enterprise which has been defined based on the organization’s business goals and
objectives. Many enterprise architecture frameworks have been developed to create and use an
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enterprise architecture. The enterprise architecture framework contains require roles, standards
and principle to develop and use an enterprise architecture. Zachman Framework, the Open
Group Architecture Framework (TOGAF), Federal Enterprise Architecture Framework (FEAF),
DoD Architecture Framework (DODAF), and Treasury Enterprise Architecture Framework
(TEAF) are some examples of enterprise architecture frameworks that are available to
organizations. In addition, based on the organization’s business needs and culture, an enterprise
system can be selected. Organizations can chose between different types on enterprise systems
such as enterprise resources planning (ERP) systems, enterprise planning systems, and customer
relationship management software to improve their processes. EAs can be used to support a wide
variety of information technology management processes. In addition, a well-defined and
implemented EA contributes significantly to each of the phases of the systems development life
cycle (SDLC).
Initiation/Planning/Concept phase
Initiation phase starts when an organization management realized that a business process needs
to be improved though an Information Technology (IT) project. Then a comprehensive project
planning is require in order to complete the project successfully. This planning is necessary to
detect and unify all the project activities. After planning, a project proposal with the proper
budget, time, and performance will be developed. Enterprise architecture plays a significant role
in this phase. EA ensures that the business need which is identified in this phase is aligned with
business goals. In the lack of enterprise architecture, an organization might spend great amount
of money in an IT project which might not be necessary and might not be aligned with the
organization’s business goals and objectives. So EA checks the alignment between business
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needs and business goals to make sure the proposed IT project is the right one for the
organization.
Requirements Analysis Phase
All the documentation related to user requirement from the previous phase will be used in
requirement analysis phase. In this phase all the project requirements will be discovered,
analyzed, defined, and documented. This process includes measuring the process requirement,
technical, and transitional requirements. According to Maryland’s Information Technology
Department: “The purpose of the Requirements Analysis Phase is to transform the needs and
high-level requirements specified in earlier phases into unambiguous (measurable and testable),
traceable, complete, consistent, and stakeholder approved requirements” (doit.marylan.gov).
Enterprise architecture in this phase ensures that the project requirements provide enough bases
for the project. In addition, the technologies that are used in the project should be consistent with
enterprise architecture.
Design Phase
According to the National Institutes of Health: “The Design Phase seeks to develop detailed
specifications that emphasize the physical solution to the end user's information technology
needs. The system requirements and logical description of the entities, relationships, and
attributes of the data that were documented during the Requirements Analysis Phase are further
refined and allocated into system and database design specifications that are organized in a way
suitable for implementation within the constraints of a physical environment” (nih.gov).
Enterprise architecture ensures that the system is well designed to improve business processes
and also the new system is compatible with the target architecture of the enterprise.
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Development Phase
This phase is known as system construction. A clear plan, complete design, and proper process is
required in order to finish this phase successfully. The goal of the Development Phase is to
transform the system design prototyped which was developed in the Design Phase into a
functioning system that meet all documented system requirement. Enterprise Architecture
ensures that the new system remains compliant with the organization’s goals. In addition having
the enterprise architecture helps to make sure that the new system does not negatively affect
other systems in the organization.
Integration and testing phase.
After System Development phase and after all parts of the system have been integrated, it is time
to test the system and see if the system has been built successfully or not. Testing phase check
for the accuracy and the quality of the system’s outcomes. After developing any new system,
testing plays an important role in finding the accuracy, comprehensiveness and worth of the
system that is developed (Priya & Malarchelvi, 2014). In Integration and Testing phase, EA
ensures the unifying and integration all parts of the new systems in addition to integration of the
new system with existing systems in an enterprise. Enterprise Architecture in the Testing phase
checks if the systems in the enterprise are working together efficiently or not.
Implementation/Deployment/Support/Maintenance Phase
After testing the new system during the Testing phase, it is time for the system to go live. At this
phase the system will be implemented and it will be ready to use. Training is an important factor
in this phase. All the system users should get sufficient and proper training before using the new
system. In addition careful monitoring of the system is required in order to record and fix any
problem associated with the new system. In this phase EA ensures that the system is completely
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functional and performs very well and helps the organization to adopt the system. Also, it is very
important for the system to fit in the organization’s target architecture and enterprise architecture
plays a significant role to accomplish this task.
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References:
Design Phase. (2013, July 18). Retrieved July 7, 2016, from
https://enterprisearchitecture.nih.gov/Pages/DesignPhase.aspx
Phase 4: Requirements Analysis - Hardware Multiple Release Project. (n.d.). Retrieved July 6,
2016, from http://doit.maryland.gov/SDLC/Hardware/Pages/Phase04Multiple.aspx
Priya, S. S., & Malarchelvi, S. K. (2014). Smart Test Case Quantifier Using MC/DC Coverage
Criterion. International Journal of Advanced Computer Research, 4(14), 396-401.
Niemann, K.D. (2006) From Enterprise Architecture to IT Governance―Elements of Effective
IT Management, Wiesbaden, Germany.
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