I was recently asked “what does an Enterprise Architect do and how do you become one?”
The first thing to know is that this type of architecture relates to information technology, not buildings. So while we might create “blueprints” they would lay out a system’s plan rather than one for a house or skyscraper.
Within the realm of information technology architecture there are several different kinds of architect, generally classified by the area of focus. For example, there are Data Architects who focus on data and how it should be structured for quality and efficient/effective usage, Network Architecture who focus on how communications networks should be structured and Solution Architects who focus on applications. Enterprise Architects tend to focus on broader “enterprise level” issues. In my case, I assess emerging technologies and then determine whether they could be useful for the company I work for, and if so, prepare a strategy on how we should go about adopting and then deploying them. Over the last few years I have spent a lot of time on Web services and Services Oriented Architectures.
The field of IT architecture has evolved over the past number of years. Standard processes and methods have been developed, and in particular TOGAF, which is the one we use. This has had the effect of putting a better structure and organization around the work we do.
In terms of the skills and how to become an architect, historically they were drawn from the development areas, and usually the senior technical people. This generally reflected the state of architecture which was to answer the question of how do I best use technology over the long term. But the role of architecture is broadening and is being extended to answer the question how do I best use technology to meet the business needs over the long term. This means having a better understanding of he business needs and goals so technology can be most effectively used.
Now, there are a couple of different perspectives on how to achieve this mix of business and technical skills. Do you look for people who have both skills or do you build a team of technology people and business people? I have seen more of the latter. So if the latter prevails we can expect to see the continuance of senior technical people being drafted from development with the addition of business people being brought into the mix.
However, education and experience are only two of the three key elements. The third is what some have recently labelled perspective. Perspective is the ability to find balance or common ground, remove the noise from the discussion and quickly identify the issues. But as well, solid communications skills are necessary to be able to communicate concepts and lastly patience to get through the discussion.
A friend of mine, Ian Page, penned the article below many years ago, yet it remains true today:
Architect Wanted
- Should be well-informed about some vendors and products, but identified with none
- Should have been an expert at something, but have acquired an understanding of the limits of expertise
- Should be eager to improve things for the company’s customers, but be resigned to never getting near a customer
- Should be undeterred by complexity, but seek to explain it to an intelligent 8 year old
- Should have the academic’s facility for abstraction, but the politician’s feel for the possible
- Should be at home in large organizations, but preserve the ownership perspective of the self-employed
- Should be effective in groups and teams, but willing to stand with an unpopular position
- Should have been an entrepreneur at one time, but have failed as well as succeeded
- Should be skeptical, but enthusiastic
- Should be industrious as a matter of practice, but lazy as a matter of principle
- Should sketch poetically, and write graphically
- Should be able to see forests, or trees, but never at the same time
- Should be willing to make a personal investment in an idea, but write it off if necessary
- Should be willing to express a reasoned opinion on anything, but even more willing to hear a better one
- Should be able to take outrageous ideas seriously, and treat serious issues outrageously
- Should be willing to see an ugly job through on principle, but should also be willing to resign on principle
- Should have an urge to teach, but a stronger urge to learn
- Should be able to spot the déjà vu in the avant garde
- Should be able to find quick rewards in small tasks to compensate for the slowness of rewards in the large ones
- Should have a philosophy degree from a technical institute, or an engineering degree from a seminary
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