Technology strategy, issues and trends

What has a greater impact on Digital Transformation?

Enterprise Architecture VS Business Architecture.

Around this time 12 months ago Gartner predicted that half of EA Business Architecture initiatives in 2018 would focus on defining and enabling Digital Platform Strategies. While there hasn’t been follow up research to prove whether this prediction has come true, anecdotal evidence would suggest that the real situation is pretty close.

Does Agile need Architecture to be successful?

On a recent Agile training course, the instructor opened the session by saying “Agile without a plan is just chaos!” I would like to propose that Agile without effective Architecture will eventually lead to chaos, particularly if organisations try to scale their Agile practices without some form of guiding framework.

Business Architecture in an Agile World – the What and the How.

My current, favourite question for Executives and Architects is “How do you see Architecture operating in an Agile environment.” This question usually elicits a wry smile and a response along the lines of “I will need to get back to you on that!” Many people are wondering how Architecture will fair in the world of Agile. My answer is I believe very well!

Designing the Agile Organisation

Some of you might remember Peter Senge’s great piece of work on the Fifth Discipline. It was one of the published works that first introduced me to systems thinking. One of the key topics from this piece of work was around complexity and how to deal with it. Dealing with complexity requires a shift in your mental model. A move away from concrete analytical thinking that is quite linear in nature, to more intuitive and abstract thinking that is more multi-dimensional in nature.

“We don’t rise to the level of our expectations; we fall to the level of our training”

While individuals may have different innate talents, the world’s most successful people have always been those who continually enhance their skills and develop instincts through countless hours of training.

Think about it this way, you’re not going to be able to run a marathon on sheer optimism alone — you’re going to have to make sacrifices, invest in new tools and seek out proper guidance and training to ensure you’ll make it to the finish line. The same goes for professional development.

How are you expecting to secure that promotion, ace that big project or become a respected thought leader in your field if you’re not constantly pushing the boundaries and making a proactive effort to widen your knowledge base?

Data Analytics: The fine line between success and failure in the Data-driven Economy

Trying to understand how you can integrate a data-driven vision into your strategic agenda? Or perhaps you understand the need for a data-driven vision but need some tools to successfully implement it in your organisation. In this article, I will closely examine 5 core factors for an organisation’s success or failure in the data-driven economy, some of which you may find surprising.

[GUEST BLOG] Design Thinking & Knowledge Management

A couple of weeks ago I participated in a “Design in Business” course run by Enterprise Architects , co-created with DesignChain and facilitated by the inimitable Helen Palmer.

I had previously undertaken some reading in Design Thinking and started a MOOC on the subject which I didn’t complete, so I wasn’t going in completely blind but I wanted to see how this (concept, framework, method) would assist in my role as a knowledge manager. I think I came out with so much more…

ANNOUNCEMENT: Enterprise Architects Poised For Rapid Growth In Queensland

Enterprise Architects (EA) is proud to announce that Neil McCaffrey has joined the firm’s Brisbane office. Neil has worked with KPMG and A.T. Kearney, before heading the IT Strategy and EA practices at Gartner Consulting. Coming to EA from four years at QSuper he brings that perfect mix of management consulting experience and strategy and architecture leadership from inside a major corporate.

My 5 Key Takeaways From The Design In Business Course

In October 2016 we held our first ‘Design in Business’ course in Melbourne in partnership with DesignChain. The course, authored by Craig Martin and Helen Palmer, looks to take Design Thinking and apply it in a business context, both in terms of solving real-world business problems but also in a way that can be integrated within mainstream disciplines such as Business Planning, Architecture and Analysis.

The Role of Data and Analytics In The US Election

As the dust settles on one of the most opinion-dividing and controversial election results in history many people were left wondering what the consequences will be with Donald Trump taking over from Barack Obama in the New Year. Social media sites were awash with people adding their two cents on the results and what it means not only for the USA, but also for the rest of the world.