1.1 Defining EA
Enterprise Architecture (EA) is the conceptual blueprint that aligns business strategy with IT infrastructure. The book defines EA as four interdependent layers - Business, Information, Application, Technology.
1.1 Defining Enterprise Architecture
What EA actually is
Enterprise Architecture is a conceptual blueprint that defines the structure and operation of an organisation, aligning business strategy with IT infrastructure across four interdependent layers.
Why each layer needs the others
Business drives what Information must capture. Information shapes what Applications must operate on. Applications run on what Technology must provide. Technology constrains what Business can promise.
| Layer | Drives | Constrained by |
|---|---|---|
| Business | All other layers | Regulatory + market |
| Information | Application data shapes | Business processes |
| Application | Technology capacity needs | Information data model |
| Technology | Cost, latency, sovereignty | Application requirements |
Worked example - a bank loan service
| Layer | Element |
|---|---|
| Business | Approve consumer loans within 24 hours |
| Information | Applicant identity, credit score, document set |
| Application | Loan engine, KYC service, document store |
| Technology | Core banking, identity provider, message bus |
When EA earns its keep
- Mergers and acquisitions (whose stack survives?)
- Regulatory change (Data Privacy Act, BSP circulars)
- Cloud migration (what moves, what stays, what re-platforms?)
- Mass digital transformation (CHED-driven academic e-gov)
Common misconceptions
- 'EA is a Visio diagram' - the diagram is the artefact, not the EA.
- 'EA is centralised' - good EA is federated, with a small central team.
- 'EA blocks innovation' - bad EA does; good EA documents the rails
so teams can move fast without breaking the bank.
Mentor’s tip: EA is a layered alignment exercise, not a diagram archive. Four layers, four perspectives, one shared blueprint. The diagrams are how you communicate it; the alignment is the value.
Discussion
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