Our theme this issue is “Driving Results Through EA.” Depending on the reader, that phrase may lead to one of two interpretations. The most common comes from pragmatists, members/leaders of EA functions that are primarily involved in supporting project delivery, and others who have struggled to make EA meaningful to their leadership. They interpret “results” to mean direct, hands-on engagement by EA personnel in the delivery of specific business solutions, a nearer term focus.
For others, the definition of “results” might be viewed in the larger context of achieving growth, efficiency, effectiveness, transformation, or any of a number of broader strategic business changes. The EA team operates cross-domain, engages with business-side leadership, and focuses on establishing an enterprise context including operating model optimization, integration, fulfillment of a desired capabilities portfolio, and achieving desirable traits such as agility, risk reduction, and leverage.
Of course, readers of A&G will note our editorial perspective has always been that both answers are correct. Balance is key. You can’t focus just on the big picture without also applying it to current business problems, nor can you rely only on being smart in solution delivery and hope that, in aggregate, short-term decisions will be integrated and future-proofed. Organizations overdoing it on one perspective will harm themselves and their organization as a result of under-investing in the other.
Today, many EA teams are biased toward delivery. In this issue, our authors share their ideas on how to shore up the more strategic part of an EA practice. Topics include strategic business alignment, business rules, large-scale transformation, business architecture, and capability modeling. A well-balanced EA team delivers results on multiple levels. We hope this issue will give you a few ideas on how you can drive the most impactful results for your organization.
