Last month, WIA members, and IT architects, Lisa Woodall and Mario Michaels, sat down for a podcast discussion about “Long-Term Investment in Enterprise Architecture.”
Among other things, they discussed her career journey, insights into the evolving role of EA, and advice for current and aspiring architects. The conversation also revolved around the challenges of embedding EA into business strategy, as mentioned in the headline. Lastly, it explored the opportunities to ensure EA is valued beyond IT functions.
Woodall was gracious enough to put together a summary of the discussion, which follows below.
Key Themes
- My Career Journey:
- Transitioned from business architecture to IT strategy, PMO, and chief enterprise architect roles.
- Advocated for aligning EA with business models rather than just technology.
- Believes EA should integrate business purpose, customer experience, and operational strategy.
- Qualities of a Great Enterprise Architect:
- Intellectual curiosity and the ability to ask the right questions.
- Experience across business functions, including finance, operations, and IT.
- Focus on business transformation, not just technology solutions.
- Capability to build coalitions across various departments, including HR.
- Identity and Challenges of EA:
- EA emerged from IT but must now embrace broader business strategy.
- The term “architect” may need rebranding to reflect its enterprise-wide scope.
- Often undervalued and involved too late in transformation projects.
- Gaining Long-Term Support for EA:
- Align EA with business operations and strategic goals.
- Advocate for EA as a steady-state role, integral to strategic planning, not a project-specific expense.
- Build coalitions with COOs, HR officers, and CIOs to demonstrate value across people, processes, and technology.
- Balancing Short-Term and Long-Term Value:
- Showcase immediate contributions to transformation programs while maintaining a long-term vision.
- Position EA as a role that ensures transformation success by addressing gaps and driving outcomes.
- Structural Recommendations:
- Combining IT and operations under a Chief Operating and Technology Officer (COTO) can enhance EA’s impact. It unifies people, processes, and technology.
- Reporting into COOs or equivalent business-centric roles aligns EA closer to strategic goals.
- Future of EA:
- Increased focus on customer-centric design and integrating insights from roles like service designers and user researchers.
- Recognition that EA expertise does not require decades of IT experience but can stem from business consultancy backgrounds.
- External Networking and Personal Branding:
- Building an external network and contributing to the EA community is critical for learning and reputation-building.
- Platforms like LinkedIn help share EA’s broader value to stakeholders beyond IT.
Takeaways for Aspiring Architects:
- Be proactive in storytelling and communication; focus on the “why” and the “impact” rather than overwhelming with technical details.
- Build strategic coalitions across business functions to demonstrate EA’s holistic value.
- Recognize EA as a bridge between technology and business, driving long-term transformation outcomes.
The conversation concluded with an emphasis on the importance of contributing to the EA community. It advocated for its value. The discussion positioned EA as a cornerstone of business transformation.