Lesson 62 - Enterprise Architecture Strategies

Summary

In this episode of Software Architecture Monday, Mark Richards explores various enterprise architecture strategies, explaining their impact on team structure and standard governance. He outlines four types of standards: technology, architecture, methodology, and process, and discusses centralized strategies like prescriptive and classic alternatives, as well as decentralized strategies such as distributed and durable interface. Richards emphasizes the importance of selecting the right strategy for a company's growth and goals, promising detailed insights into each strategy in upcoming lessons.

Takeaways

• 👋 Introduction: Mark Richards, an independent consultant and founder of developer to architect.com, introduces the topic of enterprise architecture strategies.
• 🏢 Enterprise Architecture Strategy: Describes the structure of the enterprise architecture team and how standards are defined and governed across the enterprise.
• 📋 Types of Standards: Four types are discussed - technology, architecture, methodology, and process standards, each with its own scope and governance.
• 🔧 Technology Standards: Include platforms, databases, operating systems, and frameworks that can be standardized across the company or within units or teams.
• 📏 Architecture Standards: Refer to the documentation and diagramming of architecture, including the use of Architecture Decision Records (ADRs).
• 🛠 Methodology Standards: Cover the approaches used in software development, such as lean, SDLC, or agile methodologies, and their variations.
• 🔄 Process Standards: Define the processes for developing and releasing software, including documentation requirements.
• 🔮 Centralized Strategies: Involve a single enterprise architecture team that creates, applies, and governs standards across the entire enterprise.
• 📘 Prescriptive Strategy: A centralized approach where the enterprise architecture team dictates the standards to be applied company-wide.
• 🤝 Classic Alternatives: Another centralized strategy offering business units choices from approved standards to apply to specific problems.
• 🌐 Decentralized Strategies: Feature enterprise architecture teams distributed across business units, allowing for local definition and governance of standards.
• 🔄 Distributed Strategy: A decentralized approach with minimal enterprise standards but freedom for each business unit to define and govern their own.
• 🔗 Durable Interface Strategy: Focuses on a common standard for how business units interface with each other, with local autonomy over other architecture standards.
• ⚠️ Importance of Strategy Selection: Choosing the wrong strategy can hinder company growth or achievement of goals, emphasizing the need to validate the right strategy for a specific company.
• 📚 Upcoming Lessons: The series will delve into each strategy, exploring examples, details, pros and cons, and practical applications.
• 📝 Additional Resources: Information on enterprise architecture, software architecture lessons, private training, and upcoming events can be found on developer to architect.com.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the video script?

The main focus of the video script is to discuss various enterprise architecture strategies and what they mean in terms of team structure, standardization, and governance across an enterprise.

What are the four types of standards that enterprise architecture teams can define and govern?

The four types of standards are technology standards, architecture standards, methodology standards, and process standards.

What does 'technology standards' refer to in the context of enterprise architecture?

Technology standards refer to the platforms, databases, operating systems, different products, and frameworks that can be standardized across the enterprise, within each business unit, or even within teams.

Can you explain what 'architecture standards' are in the context of enterprise architecture?

Architecture standards primarily refer to the way architectures are documented or diagrammed, including the use of architecture decision records (ADRs) and the standardized sections within those records.

What are 'methodology standards' in enterprise architecture?

Methodology standards refer to the approaches used in software development, such as lean methodologies, SDLC (Software Development Life Cycle), or agile methodologies, and the variances within these methodologies.

What are 'process standards' and how do they differ from other standards?

Process standards pertain to the procedures for developing and releasing software, including documentation requirements and what is necessary or not within the enterprise architecture.

What are the two main types of enterprise architecture strategies mentioned in the script?

The two main types of enterprise architecture strategies are centralized strategies and decentralized strategies.

What is a 'prescriptive strategy' in enterprise architecture?

A prescriptive strategy is a centralized approach where the enterprise architecture team creates and governs standards that are applied across every business unit and team within the company.

Can you describe the 'classic alternatives' strategy in enterprise architecture?

The 'classic alternatives' strategy is a centralized approach where a single enterprise architecture team provides alternatives, allowing business units and teams to choose approved standards for their specific needs.

What is a 'distributed strategy' in the context of decentralized enterprise architecture strategies?

A distributed strategy is a decentralized approach where enterprise architecture teams are spread across business units, each free to define and govern their own standards, with minimal enterprise-wide standards.

What is the 'durable interface strategy' and how does it differ from other strategies?

The durable interface strategy is a decentralized approach where there are no enterprise-wide standards, but there is a common standard for how business units interface and interact with each other, with all decisions about architecture standards being distributed to each business unit.

Why is it important to choose the right enterprise architecture strategy for a company?

Choosing the wrong enterprise architecture strategy can lead to failure, lack of growth, or inability to achieve goals, making it essential to understand and validate the right strategy for a specific company.