Lesson 63 - Prescriptive Strategy of Enterprise Architecture

Summary

In this episode of 'Software Architecture Monday', Mark Richards explores the prescriptive strategy of enterprise architecture. He explains how this centralized approach mandates the use of common standards across the organization, reducing complexity and decision time. While this strategy offers cost-effectiveness and reusable assets, it can also lead to dissatisfaction due to its rigidity and the challenge of gaining enterprise-wide consensus. Richards also highlights the need for strong governance to prevent subversive projects. The episode invites viewers to consider the trade-offs of the prescriptive strategy in the broader context of enterprise architecture.

Takeaways

• 🏛️ The prescriptive strategy in enterprise architecture is a classic approach that dictates how solutions are developed using common standards across the organization.
• 🛠️ It involves a central governing body of enterprise architects who define a set of standards that every business unit and team must adhere to, such as specific technologies and methodologies.
• 🔍 The prescriptive approach aims to reduce complexity and decision-making time by providing predefined standards for all units, promoting consistency and reusability of assets like security frameworks and documentation techniques.
• 💰 One of the main advantages of the prescriptive strategy is cost-effectiveness, as it minimizes the need for individual units to develop their own standards and allows for the reuse of assets across the enterprise.
• 🚫 However, the strategy may not fit every purpose, as the central team's standards may not be suitable for every business unit, potentially leading to dissatisfaction and a lack of flexibility.
• 🤔 The strategy requires strong governance to prevent 'rebel camps' and ensure adherence to the defined standards, which can be challenging and may lead to resistance within the organization.
• 🔄 The centralization of standards can slow down the pace of innovation and the deployment of new projects, as teams must conform to the established infrastructure and technology choices.
• 👥 The enterprise architects enforcing the prescriptive strategy may become unpopular within the company, as they are responsible for imposing restrictions on technology and process choices.
• 📚 The script suggests considering both the pros and cons of the prescriptive strategy, acknowledging that while it has benefits, it also has significant drawbacks that need to be carefully weighed.
• 🔗 For further exploration, the speaker refers to lesson 62 for an introduction to enterprise architecture strategies and upcoming lessons for a deeper dive into other strategies and their applications.
• 🗣️ The speaker, Mark Richards, offers additional resources including private training classes, public speaking engagements, and online training through his website for those interested in learning more about software architecture.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the video script provided?

The video script focuses on discussing the prescriptive or classic strategy of enterprise architecture, including its definition, how it is applied, and its advantages and disadvantages.

Who is the presenter of the video script?

The presenter is Mark Richards, a hands-on software architect and the founder of developer to architect.com.

What are enterprise architecture strategies?

Enterprise architecture strategies describe the overall structure of the enterprise architecture team, whether it's centralized or decentralized, and how standards are applied, governed, and defined across the enterprise.

What is the prescriptive strategy in enterprise architecture?

The prescriptive strategy specifies how solutions are developed through a set of common standards applied across the entire organization, defined by a central governing body of enterprise architects.

What are the advantages of the prescriptive strategy according to the script?

The advantages include reduced overall complexity, reduced decision time, reusable assets across business units, and the lowest cost type of strategy across the enterprise.

What are the disadvantages of the prescriptive strategy mentioned in the script?

The disadvantages include potential lack of fit for every purpose, difficulty in gaining consensus, promotion of IT and user dissatisfaction, and the need for strong governance to prevent subversive projects.

Why might the central enterprise architecture team be disliked in the company?

They might be disliked because they define all the standards that every department has to adhere to, which can lead to dissatisfaction if those standards do not fit well with the needs of every business unit.

What is the role of the central governing body of enterprise architects in the prescriptive strategy?

The central governing body of enterprise architects is responsible for defining a set of standards that every business unit and team within the company must apply.

How does the prescriptive strategy affect the speed of deploying new projects like websites?

The prescriptive strategy may slow down the deployment of new projects because every small team has to adhere to the basic infrastructure and standards defined by the central enterprise architecture team.

What are some of the trade-offs an architect should consider when evaluating the prescriptive strategy?

Architects should consider the trade-offs between the reduced complexity and cost benefits of the prescriptive strategy and the potential for dissatisfaction, lack of flexibility, and the need for strong governance.

Where can one find more information about the topics discussed in the script?

More information can be found on developer to architect.com, particularly under Software Architecture Monday and the Lessons section, as well as through private training classes and speaking engagements listed on Mark Richards' website.