Articles

An Executive Overview of Enterprise Architecture and Project Portfolio Management

Two techniques, future scenarios and critical success factors (CSF), can augment strategic planning efforts by more deeply illuminating an organization’s present situation and potential future. Future scenarios are used to explore potential futures and generate robust strategies along with early warning signs that help clarify how the future is unfolding.

It’s official: EA has graduated. The emergence of the first North American EA university degree program is a sure sign of a maturing discipline. Similar to international programs in The Netherlands and Australia, Pennsylvania State University in University Park, PA, has recently begun a well-funded initiative to create undergraduate and master’s EA degree programs.

Many enterprise architecture (EA) groups struggle with affecting change in the ongoing activities and existing project portfolio that demonstrably moves the enterprise toward the future state business strategy. One of the reasons is a lack of understanding of business strategy, process, information, and operations from the perspective of business executives.

Risk is an inherent part of an organization’s life cycle. It is found within all departments, at all stages of growth, and is a factor for all employees, regardless of position or generation. 

Imagine yourself driving but not knowing where you are going, why you are going there, or how much it is going to cost. Taking a vacation in this manner may not result in the desired outcome. To ensure that your vacation is successful, many factors need to be considered first, such as desired goals and budget limits.

Long regarded as a key thought leader in the evolution of enterprise architecture (EA) and strategic decision support, the U.S. Federal Government has made significant progress in advancing best practices to create wholly new and improved ways of addressing decades-old problems.