Roel Wagter

A Practice-Based Framework for Enterprise Coherence

In this paper, the authors discuss a practice-based framework that enables enterprises to make the coherence between key aspects, such as business and IT, explicit. The term “coherence” is preferred over the more common term “alignment”, since the latter is generally associated with bringing two concepts in line (typically “Business” and “IT”). The word coherence, however, stresses the need to go beyond this. Enterprise coherence considers the alignment of all important aspects of an enterprise.

Enterprise Coherence in the Dutch Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment

This paper is concerned with a real world case study in Business/IT alignment at the strategic level. The case study is situated in the Dutch public sector, involving the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment (SAE). In this case study, the GEA (Generic Enterprise Architecting) method was used. This paper will therefore take the GEA method as a given. Nevertheless, to better understand and appreciate the case study, we will also briefly review the GEA method and its background. Even more, we will also provide an evaluation on the GEA method, which was/is developed using a design science approach.

The Extended Enterprise Coherence-Governance Assessment

The Enterprise Coherence-governance Assessment (ECA) instrument is a part of the GEA (General Enterprise Architecting) method for enterprise architecture. Based on experiences with this assessment instrument in a range of real world projects, the ECA has been improved, leading to the extended Enterprise Coherence-governance Assessment (eECA). So far, the eECA been applied in 54 organizations with a total of 120 respondents. The paper discusses the context in which the eECA instrument was developed, the instrument itself, as well as the results of the assessment study in which the instrument was applied.

On the Use of GEA at the Dutch Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment

This paper is concerned with an application of the GEA (General Enterprise Architecting) method at the Dutch Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment (SAE). It concerns the introduction of a new system for the digitization of the dossier flow within the Ministry. The introduction of this system was triggered by a decision from the Dutch government to largely automate such document flows by 2015. The specific business issues addressed in the case are: (1) What are the necessary change initiatives of the introduction of this new system? (2) What are the best choices in terms of solution direction and approach?

Enterprise Architecture: A Strategic Specialism

In this paper we are not so much concerned with enterprise architecture as a product or process, but rather with the competencies of the professionals who are responsible for the creation of an enterprise architecture, i.e. the enterprise architects themselves. We present the integrated result of three surveys held in the Netherlands, on the competencies required from enterprise architects. The surveys were also used to clarify the distinction between the competencies needed from enterprise architects, and the ones needed from information architects. The surveys indeed indicated there to be a fundamental difference in the competencies required from these two roles. The reported research is part of the larger research programme General Enterprise Architecting (GEA) on the governance of coherence in enterprises by means of enterprise architecture.

Developing the GEA Method - Design Science and Case-Study Research in Action

This paper is concerned with the research methodology that was used in the GEA (General Enterprise Architecting) research programme. The goal of this programme was the development of a new approach for doing enterprise architecture. We discuss the motivations for starting the GEA programme, its focus, as well as its objectives. Based on this, the research methodology as it was used by the GEA programme is discussed and motivated. This involves a combination of design science and case study based research. The paper also discusses the way the GEA programme went about to actually implement the research methodology in a real-world situation, while also highlighting its results.

Enterprise Coherence Governance: Involving the Right Stakeholders

In this chapter, we argue that ACET requires the involvement of (at least) two complementary types of frameworks. From a Blue-print thinking perspective, a design framework is needed to structure the actual architectural design thinking. Existing frameworks such as Zachman, IAF, Dya and TOGAF are candidates for the role of the design framework. Which of these frameworks fits best a specific organisation depends on the type of organisation and the best fitting design philosophy. Next to a design framework, the Yellow-print thinking perspective suggests the use of an organisation-specific engagement framework that is concerned with the question of which groups of stakeholders to include in enterprise architecture decision-making during an enterprise transformation, and how to operationally engage them. This framework depends, more than a design framework, on the (strategic) priorities of the organisation, and the stakeholders involved in enterprise transformations. Moreover, depending on the scope and impact of an actual enterprise transformation, more situation-specific tuning of the engagement framework may be needed. The engagement framework suggested by the GEA method involves the (organisation-specific) enterprise coherence dashboards.

Coherence Management Dashboard for ACET

In this chapter we discuss an elaborated theory about how to make explicit enterprise coherence. An important trigger to develop this new theory was that too many projects failed. This concerned even projects developed under architecture. Also our practical experiences showed that existing architecture methods too often did not result into the promised contributions to the creation of successful project results. The theory is a part of the research programme GEA. After an inventory of triggers and a translation of these triggers into a set of requirements, this innovation programme took for developing this theory the following hypothesis as a starting point: a positive correlation exists in organisations between the level of coherence and the level of performance. Based on these triggers, requirements, and hypothesis, the GEA innovation programme developed a theory by which the enterprise coherence can be made explicit and the enterprise coherence can be governed. In this chapter this way of governing will be explained.