Introduction
It is very easy for IT architects to get distracted by side issues;
by issues at the wrong level or outside the scope of the architecture effort. Business activities such
as Human Resources or Finance are usually turnkey applications, and should be treated as large
components within the enterprise or business line. Stay focused on the core business
activities.
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Benefits
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Business driven architecture
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Easier and better communications with stakeholders
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Greater business benefit from the architecture effort
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Pattern
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Agree the business scope and other core concepts
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Agree the core business processes
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Consistent use of business terminology
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Consistent level of abstraction in each view
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Consistent level of detail in each view
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Anti-Patterns
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Business processes are hidden by extraneous aspects and processes
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Difficulty in defining processes and scope
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Core concepts are lost in too much detail or a lack of focus
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Discussion
IT architectures, especially at the enterprise level (i.e., EA) can get very complex very quickly. The
off-the-shelf solutions for many business domains like HR and Finance must be looked on as large components with
provided and required services—large black boxes. Other distractions to the architect are the operation and
maintenance aspects of the architecture. These cannot be neglected or totally ignored, but they should not be the
driving force behind the architecture. The driving force should always be the business, its processes and goals—but the
core business activities are the most important. Operations and maintenance aspects are pervasive for each perspective,
and should be considered starting at the Logical level and be clearer at the Technical level. Again, off-the-shelf
solutions for operations and maintenance are common and can be looked at as large components with provided and required
services. Stay focused on the essential business activities within the system.
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