The Six Types of EA Artifacts

Enterprise architecture is basically a set of framework that is used to maintain and develop IT so that the organizational goals can be achieved (Hinkelmann et al. 2016). EA offers a multi-dimensional quality which is not easily measurable and distinguishable. The three characteristics of enterprise architecture includes excellence in delivery, deep perspective from technical point of view and innovations that will help in withstanding the market enquiry. The architect should know about the technology well and should understand the complexity within the business. EA needs to develop a system that will enhance the business. This helps in providing a better support towards the business till end.

Enterprise architecture analysis and design was emerged in the year 1990. The current architecture includes some basic lines of business (He and Da Xu 2014). This includes goals and initiatives, understanding the products and services provided towards the customer, data and information stored within the architecture, the systems and applications and lastly the network and infrastructure of the current architecture. The future architecture includes security standard skills and also updated strategic goals and initiatives that will help in improving the architecture. With the aim of future architecture the business products and services gets improved. The element of current architecture includes those components which are already existing in each level of the enterprise. The current architecture of EA is used to serve as a baseline inventory that can be used in future architecture (Rouhani et al. 2015). The future architecture contains the modified component of EA and the new directions and emerging technology. This is important to build a strong enterprise architecture.

According to the Zachman Framework is basically a logical structure planned for providing an inclusive representation of the information technology enterprise. Spewak architecture planning includes process that helps in defining a process that will support to the business plan of implementing architecture (Zimmermann et al. 2015). The business system planning developed by John Zachman has implemented object oriented approach that helps in planning the architecture. The planning qualities includes better data quality, access to data , cost containment, proper data sharing and interoperability and adaptability with changing requirements.

The five functional level of enterprise architecture includes proper governance, talent, executive sponsors, and scope and business value. The business value of the chosen organization Amazon is too high and also has a great value in the market (Panetto and Whiteman 2016). The scope of the organization is to manufacture the products and deliver it to the customers within less amount of time. Several governance are documented for amazon that helps in proper working.

Components of EA

The three planning thread includes development of information, technology and applications. The enterprise amazon includes collection of information and storing them for further evaluation. The organization enlist each and every characteristics of the customers and produces results accordingly (Shi and Ji 2017). The application used for the organization is an open source application that helps the user to interact with the interface and produce results promptly.

The line off business for Amazon includes the documents related to finance, sales department and the details of customers.

The components of EA that are identified from amazon enterprise perspective are included in IT components.

The six general types of EA artifiacts are divided into two parts business focused and IT focused and this artificats includes considerations, visions, landscapes, outlines, designs and standards. All this artifacts are used to describe the main components of EA and explain what EA artifacts are actually (Simon, Fishchbach and Schoder 2014). Design, standards and landscapes are IT focused and considerations, visions ad outlines comes under business focused. EA component comprises of software, hardware and all activities that are used for inputs and outputs.  The EA components are used in developing the EA artifacts. The expected benefit of using this artefact includes reduced cost, complexity, reduces risks, flexibility and improves the project quality.

The capabilities of an organization are the parts of an organization strategic plan that can be reviewed as EA component (Zaivic and Wieringa 2014). The main objective of EA is to design virtual things. It is important to complete the enterprise wider architecture with the use of EA components. Thus, in the development of an architecture EA component plays an important role. In the strategic level of an enterprise architecture includes balanced scorecard, SWOT analysis and six sigma functions. With the use of best management technology EA is organizing the meta-context. The core elements of an enterprise architecture includes methodology, standards, artifacts and best practices.

The chosen enterprise is automobile and the basic components of this includes power plant that supplies power, the frame, and the transmission unit. Chosen organization is Toyota. The goal and initiative is contributing towards the sustainable development (Vargas et al. 2016).

Product and services are manufacturing automobiles and servicing.

Data and information related to planning and implementing CSR.

System and application includes proper risk management strategies and managing each activity.

Network and infrastructure includes providing proper governance.  

The two types of data modelling techniques are traditional data modelling technique and object oriented modelling. The ER modelling technique is known as the traditional data modelling technique. This is a conceptual data model that is used to view the real world in the form of relationships and entities. This are basically used to transform the relational tables that can be understood easily and allows easy communication with the end users. Later on ER model was developed by Peter-Chen (Aier 2014).  Whereas in case off object oriented modelling technique (UML) models object classes instead of using entities. In this modelling technique the relationships are known as associations. In order to express the optionality and cardinality in UML characters or numbers are used. This are expressed in the form of more complex upper and lower limits. In the object oriented modelling flags are introduced for describing the business rules.

It is important to have proper details about the software and hardware supplied by the vendor. Proper documentation are needed for maintaining the track. This details are further included in EA artifacts and will help in managing the enterprise architecture properly. Each hardware and software supplied by the vendors are important and needs to be maintained properly. This will help in building the strategic plan for the enterprise architecture (Azevedo et al. 2015).

EA Artifacts and Strategic Planning at Toyota

Amazon is identified the private sector enterprise. The current strategic goal of Amazon is to develop a system that will be based on requirements of the customer. The goal is to develop a product based on the requirement of the customer and outcomes are measured when the system is ready to be delivered to the customers (Lagerstrom et al. 2014).

current line of business for Amazon is referred to a synonym used for corporate division. This ties up all the capabilities that are integrated along with the database management systems. The LOB of the organization includes proper sales person, effective way of communication and handling the online sites. The business services offered by the developer includes providing updated system with recent features.

the IT infrastructure used in the enterprise is cloud server that is used to store all the data and manage the applications. Cloud server helps in providing better facilities and also eradicates need of hardware.

The documents used for current and future framework of EA is important as documentation is the major need for analysing and designing (Marosin and Gahnavati 2015). The framework identifies the scope of architecture that is needed to be developed and establishes a relationship between both the architectures area. The framework further creates an abstracted view of the enterprise that is developed with the use of architecture information. Thus, the present documentation is used to prepare the future framework. The future architecture is used to reflect the strategic goals identified in the current architecture. With the help of documentation the business requirements can be understood clearly and helps to meet the need of future architecture.

Business process improvement is a process that focuses on increasing the customer’s value with improving the quality, reducing the costs and enhancing the services provided towards the customers and also includes improving the productivity or business process. Business process reengineering helps the organization to restructure their organization by focusing entirely on the ground up design and transforms the existing business into new. In the future architecture this two activities will help in developing a better organization by modifying the already existing features (Mayer et al. 2016). The each level of enterprise architecture will get improved that is the strategy business and the technology. Each level working will get improved with implementing BPI.

With the change in communication process, the EA modelling can be made effective. There are top 10 levels that are used to improve the communication. This includes talking, video chat, conversation over phone, using social media and many more. EA communication will ensures that every users understands the concepts of EA artefacts and know how to use this in their business and in managing the integration project work. Techniques of communication includes step by step procedures that will help in achieving some work goals. With the change in this communication process the future architecture will get improved and will enhance each infrastructure level.

Enterprise Architecture Documentation and Frameworks

Let us assume an enterprise ABC Pvt. Ltd. where everything changes with time. The changes are determined in processes, technology and human factors. With the help of strategic assumption the organizations plan can be reflected. This will also reflect the choices made by the management team. The plan needs to be prepared before implementation. There are some generic areas where the plans are needed to be implemented this includes macro environmental forces, markets, internal process, managing the asset, financial management and managing the stakeholders. 

Reference

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Azevedo, C.L., Iacob, M.E., Almeida, J.P.A., van Sinderen, M., Pires, L.F. and Guizzardi, G., 2015. Modeling resources and capabilities in enterprise architecture: A well-founded ontology-based proposal for ArchiMate. Information Systems, 54, pp.235-262.

He, W. and Da Xu, L., 2014. Integration of distributed enterprise applications: A survey. IEEE Transactions on Industrial Informatics, 10(1), pp.35-42.

Hinkelmann, K., Gerber, A., Karagiannis, D., Thoenssen, B., Van der Merwe, A. and Woitsch, R., 2016. A new paradigm for the continuous alignment of business and IT: Combining enterprise architecture modelling and enterprise ontology. Computers in Industry, 79, pp.77-86.

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Panetto, H. and Whitman, L., 2016. Knowledge engineering for enterprise integration, interoperability and networking: Theory and applications. Data and Knowledge Engineering, 105, pp.1-4.

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