Enterprise Architecture essay

EnterpriseArchitecture

Asthe business world changes, individual businesses and firms also tendto change so as to conform to the changing environment. As thebusinesses changes, they make use of various strategies, some ofwhich are new. However before a business undertakes such activities,there is always need to do some analysis, planning, and designing ofthe strategies. This is where the enterprise architecture comes intoaction. Enterprise architecture has developed from a simplecollection of small pilots to fully supported initiative in theenterprise. The changing business world demands a reduction in costs,increase in agility, and establishment of standardized informationtechnology environments. Therefore, there has been a surge ofenterprise architecture implementation activities (Urbaczewski, &ampMrdalj, 2006). This paper is solely dedicated to explaining whatenterprise architecture is, and how it enterprise architecturesupport each of the phases of the System Development Life Cycle.

Whatis ?

The is a well-structured exercise that is used toconduct analysis, scheming, planning, as well as the implementationof a strategy. The exercise makes use of a holistic approach thatensures successful establishment and execution of a particularstrategy (Urbaczewski, &amp Mrdalj, 2006). In using a holisticapproach, the activity applies the principles of architecture as wellas the practices of architecture to help in guiding the enterprisethrough information, business, and technology as well as processchanges. These analyses are done on the structure as well as theprocess of the business. The enterprise architects are the onesresponsible for conducting these analyses. The enterprise architectswill make conclusions from the data they collect, and theseconclusions will help in addressing the set goals of enterprisearchitecture, which usually include efficiency, effectiveness,durability as well as agility.

How Support the phases of SDLC

Initiation/Conceptphase

Themain aim of this first phase is to determine an opportunity or aproblem that exists. During this phase, there are some crucialprocesses that determine the course of the project as well as therequired assets to be made or purchased. The EA comes into play inhelping to determine how the solution or idea will fit thesurrounding, how the concept should be architected (Armour &ampKaisler, 2001). The EA will also supplement the process of selectingthe vendor by providing input before in-depth occurrence of vendormanagement. The EA will be unique in this case in the sense that thearchitects will be outsourced, who are proficient.

Requirementand analysis phase

Thissecond phase is concerned with the situations of the customers aswell as their needs. Once a problem or an opportunity has beendetermined in the previous phase, the next crucial step will be todefine and understand the problem or opportunity, and this wouldrequire the help of the enterprise architects. The enterprisearchitecture helps here by selecting and mobilizing the consultingteam. The EA will help in identification of the system interfaceneeds, expected timeframe for the solution, performancecharacteristic of the solution as well as the identification of anyexisting budget that the client has established. These would not bepossible without the use of EA, thus making it unique.

Designphase

Thisphase deals with the creation of the system design as well as asystem design for the client. The EA will ensure that the informationsystem design review package used complies with the prevailingstandards. The enterprise architects will make use of the domainarchitects to get down to the micro level of detail. This wouldensure that the system produced is the most appropriate one. The EAenables this phase by determining how all the pieces fit in theenterprise as well as review the architects as a whole at once, thismakes it unique.

Developmentphase

Afteran appropriate system has been designed, the next stage is toimplement the design and build it. The EA comes in here performingthe critical phase review. The EA’s critical review will giveguidance to the selected development team on how to perform thevarious set of tasks while conducting the building phase (Bernard,2012). However, the enterprise architects are not always involved inthis phase unless there is an explicit need.

Integrationand testing phase

Thisphase is concerned with fine tuning of the developed system. Duringthe fine-tuning, the application will be changed in various ways. Thechanges may be few or may be many at times. When there is asignificant change, the help of the enterprise architects will berequired. The enterprise architects will help in steering the projectteam members in the right direction to ensure that the changes to notresult in the eventual failure of the overall system.

Implementation/Deploymentphase

Thisis the last phase where the developed system is put to work. Thephase entails the deployment of the software to the environment. Theenterprise architects help in instilling change management. Thedeployment phase usually does not entirely depend on the help of theEAs unless there is an explicit need, as in cases where the projectteam is not capable of deploying the system (Bernard, 2012). However,when the EAs are used, the implementation phase becomes easier andhighly successful.

Reference

Armour,F. J., &amp Kaisler, S. H. (2001). Enterprise architecture: Agiletransition and implementation.&nbspITprofessional,&nbsp3(6),30-37.

Bernard,S. A. (2012).&nbspAnintroduction to enterprise architecture.AuthorHouse.

Urbaczewski,L., &amp Mrdalj, S. (2006). A comparison of enterprise architectureframeworks.&nbspIssuesin Information Systems,&nbsp7(2),18-23.