Many companies are considering or beginning a Business Architecture (BA) initiative. Most likely in the early stages of the initiative, it is treated as “exploratory” in nature or perhaps as a “pilot” project. Various BA approaches are analyzed, articles and books are reviewed and training classes are attended. After some serious examination of the available information, it is necessary to put forward a business case for the “strategic” BA initiative. At the BrainStorm conferences, many attendees are asking “How do you build a business case for Business Architecture (BA)?

I start with this question: “Is Business Architecture (as well as EA) only for the old and the flabby?” By that I mean old and flabby enterprises, not old and flabby architects! I would say (and I would love to see counter evidence) that the practice of BA and EA has been concentrated on the larger institutions among us – the Fortune 1000 corporations, the mandated practices in Federal and State governments in the U.S., etc.

Many companies are beginning or at least seriously considering a Business Architecture (BA) initiative. Even though the Business Architecture has always existed, its structure, nature and appearance have remained hidden from view. The ability to express the complexity of an enterprise in a commonly understood and graphical format, for purposes of analysis and design is severely limited without the Business Architecture. And of course, one will need a rich graphical modeling notation or language in order to develop the BA.

There is good news on the business architecture front. The level of discourse has elevated dramatically around how to effectively represent the business architecture. At the forefront of this discussion are two essential focal points: the business capability and the value stream. While certain camps have rallied around one or the other, transformative business architecture can only be achieved by incorporating both concepts into those efforts. A quick primer on business capability and the value stream puts our discussion into perspective.