Being an Information Manager...

Incremental Architecture

Implementing Enterprise Architecture is not an insignificant task and usually when carried out as a separate activity it has a high likelihood of failure. This due to its size and its lack of clear owners. Owners are usually more interested in more tangible pieces of functionality and less in the plumbing.

Luckily there is also another option and that's called incremental architecture. It works as follows:

• Develop a high level of understanding of the direction for the portfolio / enterprise (so you cannot work without an overarching blueprint, but the ambition-level can vary


• Map the existing program to this high level picture - and you will see that projects overlap with elements that need to be developed to make the blueprint or vision a reality


• Expand the scope of the existing planned projects and include the common elements needed in the future architecture as deliverables to ...

This gives the opportunity to develop the integration gradually and has a higher likelihood for success, since it is part of the existing ongoing program. The only downside is that it is very hard to achieve a real step change ...

Labels: architecture, culture change, project management

posted by Evert Ruijs @ 12:34 PM