No Result
View All Result
SUBMIT YOUR ARTICLES
  • Login
Thursday, October 30, 2025
TheAdviserMagazine.com
  • Home
  • Financial Planning
    • Financial Planning
    • Personal Finance
  • Market Research
    • Business
    • Investing
    • Money
    • Economy
    • Markets
    • Stocks
    • Trading
  • 401k Plans
  • College
  • IRS & Taxes
  • Estate Plans
  • Social Security
  • Medicare
  • Legal
  • Home
  • Financial Planning
    • Financial Planning
    • Personal Finance
  • Market Research
    • Business
    • Investing
    • Money
    • Economy
    • Markets
    • Stocks
    • Trading
  • 401k Plans
  • College
  • IRS & Taxes
  • Estate Plans
  • Social Security
  • Medicare
  • Legal
No Result
View All Result
TheAdviserMagazine.com
No Result
View All Result
Home Market Research Market Analysis

The Realities Of EA Maturation

by TheAdviserMagazine
7 months ago
in Market Analysis
Reading Time: 5 mins read
A A
The Realities Of EA Maturation
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on LInkedIn


Another day, another LinkedIn hot take on enterprise architecture. They fall into various camps: those confusing EA with a Marvel villain, others who think that the 10-year-old religious war between “business” and “enterprise” architects has any actual meaning (pro tip: it’s about as relevant as whether Han shot first), or folks who think that EA is primarily a conceptual exercise, so we need to continue building semantic castles in the air in the futile hope that the perfect metamodel will finally pave the way to EA utopia.

I try not to get too cranky about it, but when you’ve spent a few years managing a global EA awards program, reviewing dozens of case studies, talking to many clients, and running a global survey with a large EA component, the endless, poorly grounded opinions in my feed grow wearying. “In the one career experience I’ve had with it, EA was an utter failure! Look at this diagram that I don’t understand! So worthless!” Perhaps I’m making my transition to curmudgeonly analyst, but I’m starting to call this stuff out.

So let me base this discussion on something real: our new Forrester report, Scale And Federate: The EA Journey To Business Value. It is grounded in actual patterns we’ve seen across years of direct interviews, statistical research, award submissions, and advisory engagements.

This report lays out how architecture teams evolve — not should evolve and not theoretically evolve but actually do evolve — when they’re building credible, durable enterprise architecture programs. Spoiler: There’s no silver bullet, value can be found at all phases (even “mere” technical architecture), and federation isn’t some magical end state. It’s a consequence of growth, scale, and the ongoing fight against organizational entropy. As the report Architecture Is Expanding Its Reach (based on three years of trending data from our Modern Technology Operations Survey) points out, EA’s prevalence is increasing, whether measured as organizations with a formal “architecture” organization or having “architect” job classes.

EA’s Identity Crisis, Still In Full Swing

We do need to address the elephant in the ivory tower: architecture’s lingering credibility problem. The EA skeptics have their points:

Too many EA groups still struggle to explain their value beyond “We’re smart, draw pictures, and go to meetings.”
Others get stuck in endless debates over business vs. enterprise vs. solution vs. technical vs. data architecture — as if these distinctions matter to anyone outside the EA Slack channel.
Still others cling to top-down authority, issuing standards from on high while being ignored by delivery teams who are too busy shipping to read your 40-slide PowerPoint/UML mashup on design patterns.

But as much as my friends in the agile/DevOps community love to focus on these antipatterns, they are not the whole story. The best EA teams — the award winners I see every year — aren’t falling into these traps. They’re busy running architecture like a real program, with operating models, service catalogs, architecture decision records, feedback loops, and (*gasp*) traceability to actual business outcomes.

Yes, Architecture Has Customers

You wouldn’t know it from some EA content out there, but architecture does have customers — and they’re demanding actual value. The successful EA orgs know their job isn’t just to document complexity; it’s to reduce it. And they do it by drawing clear lines of sight from architecture activities to measurable business benefits: reduced risk, improved cost efficiency, improved CX, faster time to market, and better overall business and mission outcomes.

We’ve seen EA teams justify their existence by slashing technical debt, improving reuse, optimizing cloud spend, and even accelerating M&A integration. And yes, they had the dashboards and specific cases to prove it.

The Progression: From Lone Wolf To Federated Force

Here’s the real kicker: The journey to business value is a journey. It’s not an overnight transformation, and it’s not a maturity model in the condescending sense. It’s a progression we’ve seen play out repeatedly:

Solutions architecture (the lone wolf stage): Starts with your classic “smart dev” who becomes the de facto architect. Writes patterns, documents things, tries to set a good example — too often, without nearly enough backing given the value that they are providing.
Technology governance (the centralized phase): Someone finally gets tired of the chaos. A senior leader (CIO, CTO) mandates a formal architecture unit. Processes and standards emerge. A spreadsheet of approved technologies appears. There are meetings. There is friction. It’s progress.
Application and data architecture (the scaling stage): Suddenly, the focus shifts from infra to applications and data. This is where the CMDB rears its head again (don’t shoot the messenger). Data architecture joins the party, sometimes reluctantly. The EA group starts acquiring real tooling — yes, the EA repository arrives. And early federation starts. There’s no way security architects aren’t going to report to the CISO.
Federation (the grown-up phase): The center cannot hold everything. Lines of business want their own architects. Everyone wants autonomy, but no one wants chaos. So you federate — on purpose — with communities, cross-functional processes, service offerings, shared artifacts, and other shared alignment mechanisms. The central architects take ownership of the strategic shared domains: payments, supply chain, customer experience. And architecture gains its seat at the strategic table.

Does every org hit all the stages in identical order? Of course not. But the point is: If you’re not thinking about architecture as a program and a journey — not just a role or a few boxes on a slide — you’re not playing the long game.

Federation Isn’t A Buzzword — It’s Inevitable

Too many EA teams still treat “federation” like it’s some best-practice ideal they’ll get around to once they finish modeling every business process in ArchiMate. In reality, if your company grows beyond a few hundred people, federation happens to you. The question isn’t whether you’ll federate; it’s whether you’ll do it well.

The best federated models we’ve seen have steering councils, shared services, reusable artifacts, and — crucially — strong internal brands. They know what services they offer, they market those services, and they constantly evolve. This isn’t some abstract “target-state architecture”; it’s a real operating model.

Don’t Be The Architect Left Behind

I’ll end with this: The EA world is shifting — fast. GenAI, platform engineering, FinOps, the redefinition of EA repos and CMDBs as living graphs — this is not background noise. These new elements are structural changes to how we manage IT.

If your EA program is still obsessing over which modeling notation to use or whether the business architects should report to you, you are missing the plot.

Get serious. Build an operating model. Show value. Scale and federate. Or risk becoming another architectural artifact no one uses.

For in-depth insights into enterprise architecture, Forrester clients can access our exclusive reports and set up guidance sessions to continue to explore current trends and solutions. You can also email us at [email protected].



Source link

Tags: MaturationRealities
ShareTweetShare
Previous Post

Precision Drilling Corporation (PDS): A Bull Case Theory

Next Post

OpenAI unveils o3 and o4-mini with breakthrough image reasoning

Related Posts

edit post
How Automated Data Logging Systems Are Transforming Industrial Operations?

How Automated Data Logging Systems Are Transforming Industrial Operations?

by TheAdviserMagazine
October 30, 2025
0

The automated data logging tools and systems market is witnessing significant growth as industries adopt digital solutions to enhance operational...

edit post
2026 Retail Predictions: A Flight To Profitability 

2026 Retail Predictions: A Flight To Profitability 

by TheAdviserMagazine
October 29, 2025
0

The retail landscape is entering a period of profound transformation, where profitability will no longer be optional but instead essential...

edit post
Why Advertising Coop Programs Still Matter for Manufacturers

Why Advertising Coop Programs Still Matter for Manufacturers

by TheAdviserMagazine
October 29, 2025
0

Computer Market Research (CMR): The Ultimate Channel Management Compendium PART 1 Table of Contents for Part 1 Introduction to Channel...

edit post
Meta Earnings Preview: All Eyes on AI Monetization, Capex Ahead of Key Report

Meta Earnings Preview: All Eyes on AI Monetization, Capex Ahead of Key Report

by TheAdviserMagazine
October 29, 2025
0

Meta’s stock has gained after every quarterly report this year, boosting investor confidence. Strong ad revenue growth and rising AI...

edit post
Tanzania’s Financial Landscape: Mobile Money Dominates, But Challenges Remain

Tanzania’s Financial Landscape: Mobile Money Dominates, But Challenges Remain

by TheAdviserMagazine
October 29, 2025
0

The Tanzanian financial sector is evolving rapidly, mirroring broader regional trends highlighted in the GeoPoll Financial Landscape in Africa 2025...

edit post
Why PartnerPortal Beats Excel for Co-Op/MDF Program Management

Why PartnerPortal Beats Excel for Co-Op/MDF Program Management

by TheAdviserMagazine
October 28, 2025
0

Computer Market Research (CMR): The Ultimate Channel Management Compendium PART 1 Table of Contents for Part 1 Introduction to Channel...

Next Post
edit post
OpenAI unveils o3 and o4-mini with breakthrough image reasoning

OpenAI unveils o3 and o4-mini with breakthrough image reasoning

edit post
Novo Nordisk A/S (NVO): A Bull Case Theory

Novo Nordisk A/S (NVO): A Bull Case Theory

  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
edit post
77-year-old popular furniture retailer closes store locations

77-year-old popular furniture retailer closes store locations

October 18, 2025
edit post
Pennsylvania House of Representatives Rejects Update to Child Custody Laws

Pennsylvania House of Representatives Rejects Update to Child Custody Laws

October 7, 2025
edit post
What to Do When a Loved One Dies in North Carolina

What to Do When a Loved One Dies in North Carolina

October 8, 2025
edit post
Another Violent Outburst – Democrats Inciting Civil Unrest

Another Violent Outburst – Democrats Inciting Civil Unrest

October 24, 2025
edit post
Probate vs. Non-Probate Assets: What’s the Difference?

Probate vs. Non-Probate Assets: What’s the Difference?

October 17, 2025
edit post
California Attorney Pleads Guilty For Role In 2M Ponzi Scheme

California Attorney Pleads Guilty For Role In $912M Ponzi Scheme

October 15, 2025
edit post
Western Union To Launch Dollar Stablecoin On Solana In 2026

Western Union To Launch Dollar Stablecoin On Solana In 2026

0
edit post
The uncomfortable secret of successful people: Forget work-life balance, you have to be ‘obsessed’, ex-Wall Streeter and business coach says

The uncomfortable secret of successful people: Forget work-life balance, you have to be ‘obsessed’, ex-Wall Streeter and business coach says

0
edit post
Avoiding the Predatory Loan Trap

Avoiding the Predatory Loan Trap

0
edit post
India to approve deals worth .7b for Israeli defense missiles

India to approve deals worth $3.7b for Israeli defense missiles

0
edit post
MSFT Earnings: Microsoft reports higher Q1 revenue and profit; results beat

MSFT Earnings: Microsoft reports higher Q1 revenue and profit; results beat

0
edit post
TAQA to sell 250MW lignite power plant to India’s MEIL Energy

TAQA to sell 250MW lignite power plant to India’s MEIL Energy

0
edit post
The uncomfortable secret of successful people: Forget work-life balance, you have to be ‘obsessed’, ex-Wall Streeter and business coach says

The uncomfortable secret of successful people: Forget work-life balance, you have to be ‘obsessed’, ex-Wall Streeter and business coach says

October 30, 2025
edit post
India to approve deals worth .7b for Israeli defense missiles

India to approve deals worth $3.7b for Israeli defense missiles

October 30, 2025
edit post
TAQA to sell 250MW lignite power plant to India’s MEIL Energy

TAQA to sell 250MW lignite power plant to India’s MEIL Energy

October 30, 2025
edit post
By All Means, Elect Mamdani and Watch His Socialist Laboratory at Work

By All Means, Elect Mamdani and Watch His Socialist Laboratory at Work

October 30, 2025
edit post
The Best New Skills to Learn to Future-Proof Your Career

The Best New Skills to Learn to Future-Proof Your Career

October 30, 2025
edit post
How Millions of Retirees Get Honest Answers to Medicare Questions — for Free

How Millions of Retirees Get Honest Answers to Medicare Questions — for Free

October 30, 2025
The Adviser Magazine

The first and only national digital and print magazine that connects individuals, families, and businesses to Fee-Only financial advisers, accountants, attorneys and college guidance counselors.

CATEGORIES

  • 401k Plans
  • Business
  • College
  • Cryptocurrency
  • Economy
  • Estate Plans
  • Financial Planning
  • Investing
  • IRS & Taxes
  • Legal
  • Market Analysis
  • Markets
  • Medicare
  • Money
  • Personal Finance
  • Social Security
  • Startups
  • Stock Market
  • Trading

LATEST UPDATES

  • The uncomfortable secret of successful people: Forget work-life balance, you have to be ‘obsessed’, ex-Wall Streeter and business coach says
  • India to approve deals worth $3.7b for Israeli defense missiles
  • TAQA to sell 250MW lignite power plant to India’s MEIL Energy
  • Our Great Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use, Legal Notices & Disclosures
  • Contact us
  • About Us

© Copyright 2024 All Rights Reserved
See articles for original source and related links to external sites.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Financial Planning
    • Financial Planning
    • Personal Finance
  • Market Research
    • Business
    • Investing
    • Money
    • Economy
    • Markets
    • Stocks
    • Trading
  • 401k Plans
  • College
  • IRS & Taxes
  • Estate Plans
  • Social Security
  • Medicare
  • Legal

© Copyright 2024 All Rights Reserved
See articles for original source and related links to external sites.