Vad förväntar sig en IT chef av arkitekterna? - Arkitekturgemenskapen

Summary

Fredrik, an IT leader at Skellefteå Municipality, reflects on his journey of transforming the municipality’s IT architecture. Starting with the adoption of TOGAF in 2016, he discusses the challenges and successes in integrating technical, application, and information architecture. He emphasizes the importance of trust, creativity, and collaboration in overcoming technical debt and achieving long-term goals. Fredrik highlights how strong leadership, a focus on fundamentals, and continuous learning have been key in driving progress. The municipality is on track to complete its enterprise architecture mapping by 2025, with a focus on meeting both technical and business needs for future success.

Takeaways

• 😀 The speaker holds the position of IT and Business Development Unit Manager at Skellefteå Municipality, overseeing technology, architecture, and security.
• 😀 Skellefteå Municipality initiated its journey with enterprise architecture (EA) in 2016 using TOGAF, but faced challenges due to the organization’s complexity. A refocus in 2018 led to a gradual approach, starting with technical architecture.
• 😀 The municipality emphasized creating a supportive and creative environment for IT architects, where all team members were encouraged to contribute ideas and solutions.
• 😀 Establishing trust, both within the IT team and with other departments, was essential for the success of enterprise architecture initiatives.
• 😀 The foundation of any successful IT architecture lies in a well-functioning technical infrastructure, with the goal of improving higher levels of architecture over time.
• 😀 Clear ownership was central to progress, especially in areas like identity management, integration, and API management, which required decisive decision-making.
• 😀 After six years of progress, Skellefteå Municipality has made significant strides, including solid technical architecture, ongoing improvements in application architecture, and a growing focus on information architecture.
• 😀 The municipality aims to complete a heatmap for application architecture by 2024 and aims to finalize an information architecture heatmap by 2025, establishing a baseline for the entire organization.
• 😀 Skellefteå is collaborating with Region Västerbotten to create common architectural standards for all municipalities in the region, helping to improve efficiency and alignment.
• 😀 The leadership style within the IT team is described as 'listening' and 'curious,' which fosters open communication and effective collaboration for achieving goals.
• 😀 One of the key considerations in EA is to always keep the question 'What’s in it for them?' at the forefront, ensuring that architecture initiatives align with business needs and provide tangible value.

Q & A

What is Fredrik's role at Skellefte kommun?

Fredrik is the IT Manager responsible for technology architecture, security, and business development at Skellefte kommun. He manages a department called IT and Business Development, which oversees various aspects of IT infrastructure and digital services.

How did Skellefte kommun approach the implementation of enterprise architecture?

Skellefte kommun began working on enterprise architecture in 2016, adopting the TOGAF framework. However, the initial attempts were challenging due to the complexity of managing multiple layers of architecture simultaneously. In 2018, they decided to focus on technical architecture first and gradually address other layers like application and information architecture.

What was the primary focus of Skellefte kommun in the first few years of their enterprise architecture journey?

The primary focus in the initial years was to establish order and structure within the technical architecture. They also began to cautiously address application architecture while handling a significant amount of technical debt and creating a clear roadmap for digital transformation.

What were some key success factors mentioned by Fredrik for establishing effective IT architecture?

Fredrik highlighted several key success factors, including clear ownership of areas like identity management and API integration, alignment with business needs, integration of architecture with user experience, continuous improvement, and building trust within the IT department and with other stakeholders.

Why was ownership of key areas such as identity management and API integration important?

Ownership of key areas like identity management and API integration was important to ensure that decisions could be made effectively and swiftly. It allowed the IT architecture team to maintain control over critical aspects of the technical infrastructure and avoid delays caused by lack of clear decision-making.

How does Fredrik describe his leadership approach in managing the architecture team?

Fredrik describes his leadership style as 'curious' and 'attentive.' He emphasizes the importance of being interested in team members' perspectives and continuously learning. He believes this approach fosters a strong, collaborative environment where discussions lead to mutual growth and better outcomes.

What challenges did Skellefte kommun face while working on its enterprise architecture?

Skellefte kommun faced challenges in managing technical debt, aligning multiple layers of architecture (e.g., technical, application, information), and maintaining flexibility to meet evolving business needs. Additionally, there were difficulties in getting different departments to recognize the value of architectural decisions.

What is Skellefte kommun's goal for its application architecture by 2024?

Skellefte kommun aims to complete a comprehensive heatmap for application architecture by 2024. This will help them assess and align their application architecture with the broader goals of the municipality.

What are Fredrik's plans for information architecture by 2025?

Fredrik’s goal for 2025 is to establish a comprehensive heatmap for information architecture across the entire municipal organization. They are working to set a baseline for information management, which will help guide future development in the area.

Why does Fredrik see the use of enterprise architecture tools as important now, despite being cautious in the past?

Fredrik acknowledges that while he was initially cautious about enterprise architecture tools, he now sees their value in making the process more sustainable and efficient. Skellefte kommun is starting to implement these tools to improve long-term effectiveness, but they are proceeding cautiously to ensure they align with the organization's needs.