The practice of Enterprise Architecture (EA)—the effort to align an enterprise’s operations, including business functions, processes, and information systems, with its business goals and strategic direction—is at a critical turning point. It has been 23 years since John Zachman published his seminal article on the topic,1 considered by many the birth of modern EA. Within the federal government, 14 years have passed since the Clinger- Cohen Act directed the development and maintenance of a federal EA to maximize the benefits of information technology (IT) within the government. But where are we today? How has EA evolved in light of fundamental changes in business and IT practices? Some level of maturation and growth in the past two decades is undeniable—including new frameworks and methods, the establishment of a chief architect position in many organizations, the adoption of EA within governance frameworks, and a competitive tools market. Even scholars and major business publishers have taken notice, as evidenced by such popular book releases as Ross, Weill, and Robertson’s 2006 Enterprise Architecture as Strategy: Creating a Foundation for Business Execution on Harvard Business School Press.
Enterprise Architecture Maturity Survey.pdf