Business Architecture 101

NOTE: This course is being featured at OPEX Week in Orlando on January 26, 2017

Business Architecture is a holistic approach, representation and mindset which serves as a bridge between strategy and its successful execution within an organization and facilitates resolution of complex, enterprise problems. It is a powerful way for the business to understand, improve and transform the organization and become more empowered to take control of its own destiny. However, most organizations lack a well-articulated blueprint of their organization. While everyone can see their small piece of the puzzle, no one has visibility into the enterprise as a whole. This constrains the organization’s collective ability to understand and communicate the root causes of critical issues and design holistic Business and IT solutions to address them.  It also reduces the speed and effectiveness with which they can react to customer demands, competition and other external forces. To address this lack of enterprise visibility and agility, organizations must be able to visualize and analyze their business through formal Business Architecture.

This course provides an overview of key Business Architecture terminology and concepts as well as its value proposition and various applications to achieve business results. It describes each element of the Business Architecture framework, including influencers, components, creators, consumers, execution approach (stages) and enterprise models. An overview is provided of key, foundational Business Architecture artifacts. The course also covers the role of the Business Architect as well as how it interacts with other disciplines and enterprise processes. Finally, it describes how to successfully govern Business Architecture and develop a successful Business Architecture practice.

This course is helpful for Business Architecture evangelists, managers and Business Architects tasked with bringing the practice into their organizations and using it to achieve real business results. It is also for executives who are struggling to truly transform their business to meet the demands of the new customer and compete in a fast-paced environment.