This foundational enterprise architecture guide helps IT leaders build a structured, scalable EA practice grounded in governance, alignment, and real-world models. It walks through a step-by-step approach—from vision to execution—to build and scale enterprise architecture using proven tools like the Zachman Framework, CMMI-based capability maturity model, and structured governance. Ideal for teams navigating distributed, federated, or complex environments, this guide equips you to align IT strategy, standardize architecture processes, and execute with confidence.
This Foundational Enterprise Architecture Guide Will Help You...
This guide is designed to help IT leaders turn enterprise architecture from a conceptual aspiration into a structured, actionable capability. Every section is built to move you from insight to implementation—giving you the tools and clarity to drive decisions, deliverables, and change across your organization.
- Create a Target-State Architecture: Apply the current-state vs. future-state modeling guidance to visualize your EA trajectory and structure a gap analysis that informs your investment plan.
- Apply the Zachman Framework with Confidence: Understand and use Zachman’s rows and columns to classify your enterprise’s information needs and guide stakeholder-aligned architecture decisions.
- Build an EA Implementation Plan: Adapt the included planning template and phase structure to lay out a realistic roadmap for EA rollout, including resources, timelines, and deliverables.
- Support Strategic Alignment Across Units: Use the federation-focused governance models to coordinate decentralized teams without losing visibility or control—especially in large or distributed enterprises.
- Establish Governance That Works: Use the step-by-step implementation roadmap to define roles, responsibilities, and processes that support consistent, cross-unit decision-making.
- Assess and Mature Your EA Function: Leverage the included Capability Maturity Model to evaluate where your EA practice stands—and identify specific actions to advance it.
With this guide, you don’t just learn about enterprise architecture—you build it. From frameworks to planning models, each piece is designed to help you take the next step with structure, speed, and confidence.
