What Does an Enterprise Architect Do? (And Why You Need One)
With more companies focused on tackling digital transformation, there is a great value in aligning their IT strategy, technology, and processes with the wider business goals; and that’s just what an Enterprise Architect sets out to do.
Before we dive into what an Enterprise Architect (EA) does and why the role is essential for successful businesses, we’ll start with a simple definition of what the position is. An Enterprise Architect ensures alignment between the business, processes, and IT/technology by creating a link between the following facets:
- the organization’s mission
- business strategy
- and processes of the organization as it pertains to the IT/technology strategy.
Once this linkage is established, an Enterprise Architect will leverage several architectural models and/or views in order to document the connection and how it benefits business outcomes. Ultimately, the end goal will ensure that the company’s current and future needs are capable of being met with a particular focus on efficiency and sustainability.
Top Reasons to Hire an Enterprise Architect
Enterprise Architects are essential to analysing your enterprise in a holistic way, often a time-consuming and cumbersome process for a busy CTO. With a wealth of knowledge and expertise into the current market and technological advancements being made, EAs are in a unique position to sell the business case of artificial intelligence, blockchain, and the Internet of things (IoT).
Some of the top reasons to hire an enterprise architect are:
EAs play a large role in project management and can help enhance collaboration between departments. This ability to bridge the gap between several parties in the effort of achieving a common goal will significantly help enterprises develop proper methods of executing shared processes—leading to a faster and more efficient product.
Enterprises that invest in an EA are more likely to execute accurate and effective business strategies at the corporate level. As EAs help identify major trends and opportunities in the market, companies will have better insights into answering consumer needs and how to advance their business goals.
Without a background in tech, many business leaders may be unsure of the right technological solutions or tools necessary to optimize processes. EAs help bring clarity to this by recommending the right solutions and using them to build your company’s infrastructure. EAs will also act as a guide for entrepreneurs by offering up tips and tricks on how to maximize the available resources.
From the driver’s seat, it may be difficult to objectively and productively assess your company’s challenges. An Enterprise Architect will bring a professional mindset into solving these issues in a productive manner. They can provide an accurate depiction of where your gaps and strengths are as well as how you can address them individually.
These are just some of the high-level reasons to hire an enterprise architect. We suggest making a list of current gaps in your technology and processes where you feel an EA could help. If you are beginning to feel the organizational impacts of misalignment, it’s a good time to start researching for an enterprise architect.
Contact Arkiay Development Corporation today to discuss how we can turn your organizational development ideas into a reality.