Framework is an attempt to unify approach, grammar and process diagrams, to help communicate decisions among multiple practitioners in different domains.
Frameworks add value as they are implementations of the
patterns to avoid having to reinvent the wheel for every project. However, there are more than 200 frameworks
around, a related question maybe, why are there so many EA frameworks? The
answer could be, because EA is immature, most of the frameworks are also
immature, therefore, they may not well serve the purpose. What’re the pros and
cons of EA framework, here are five perspectives:
1. EA in Enabling Communication & Decision Making
1. EA in Enabling Communication & Decision Making
A framework constitutes a collection of artifacts under a
common architectural pattern and interaction model.
Pros: EA Frameworks
are an attempt to reach more common ground. Hence, framework is an attempt to
unify approach, grammar and process diagrams, to help communicate decisions
among multiple practitioners in different domains.
From enterprise management perspective, frameworks have certain
value in providing a common language, starting point and reference for efforts on
enforcing communication.
Cons: however, does
the use of a framework ensure (or increase the likelihood) that the
correct/proper/complete requirements have been identified? Frameworks provide
terms for communication and analysis. But systems are a lot like buildings - it
is hard for leaders to figure out what architects and builders will be able to
achieve results, since even the best sometimes fail to deliver what was
expected.
The other argument is that the business cannot clearly
define what it wants. Business people tend to describe what they think the
solution should be, without having thought through the problem. Any
architecture approach which starts with a badly defined solution will end up
not solving the right problem.
Moreover, the framework "obsession" comes out of a
practical need to work with EA clients, business management. Framework is
a facilitator, it can be ontology, methodology, or simply breadcrumbs in
approaching "framing" concepts. So the word "obsessed" is
interesting as it's foundational. It's irritating to be in a room with other
technologists who are all reinventing approach without agreement on
facilitation.
That said, abstraction and composition in EA shall promote
agreement, in reality, engineers see the world as black & white, architects
see it in grey, what’s the next practice to see business as it is, in full spectrum of colors?
2. EA in Bridging Strategy & Execution and Connecting Optimizing Dots
EA provides a common basis for partitioning the solution
space. Every problem is a potential opportunity. Every opportunity is a
potential problem. Every problem has multiple solutions.
Pros: Architectures
(enterprise or otherwise) are built from reusable assets; frameworks are built
to manage reusable assets; once a proper framework is provided and understood,
most would employ it to save time. The mature framework helps improve
business/IT efficiency, standardization and automation; the mature EA framework
may also help maximize & balance point of views via a set of principles, processes,
practices and patterns.
The Good intention of EA framework: "Search
underlying nature laws" -Zatchman
Cons: EA Frameworks
intend to bring clarity of thinking and meaning into being, but many frameworks
do not succeed in becoming prescriptive, they lack repeatable implementation
methods that consistently produce working, maintainable solutions.
EA framework is more about the scientific & systematic
approach of architecture, but EA also need design thinking and creative
thinking, to reflect the art of architecture, Today's EA is at lower level of
maturity to fumble around many pieces of Big Elephant (enterprise); future of
EA will train elephant dance (agility), think (knowledge management), speak
(communication) and guard (governance)., etc. Today's EA is more inside-out IT
process driven, the future of EA will be more outside-in, customer oriented.
Ideally, such EA framework should not restrict creativity,
or cause over-complexity, it can help define the right set of problems and
figure out the right alternatives of solutions.
You don't need a
framework. You need a painting, not a frame. --- Klaus
Kinski
3. EA in Encompassing Change Management
3. EA in Encompassing Change Management
Framework = standard set of practices documented that encompass
a specific process.
Pros: EA
framework defines a set of artifacts, which need to be tailored to a particular
development effort; it also defines how it can be extended and how it has to be
used to create something. The frameworks approaching that recognize that all
solutions create new problems are the business transformation & change
frameworks. There are some of the more complex frameworks in EA that take this
into consideration and provide a mechanism for project plan.
Cons: the
Effective framework need encompass business transformation and change
management via capturing the original intent rather than the formalized
requirements. EA framework should enable change, than stifle innovation,
increase change management and project management success rate, than work as an
ivory tower approach. In reality, there are 70%+ of change management & IT
project failure rate due to vary of reasons, EA may take fair share of
responsibility via architecture perspective.
Furthermore: the term framework is mostly addressed as
a business issue. But taking this back to a technical level: the real issue
about frameworks is: When to use them or not. A simple example: The more
heterogeneous your component world gets, the harder and less effective is it to
enforce a framework. So, the big question for architects is: Which frameworks
to use? And if a solution can not be ready made with one, how can one find
compatible ones?
4. EA Framework in Enforcing Governance
Each solutions is not classified in terms of right or wrong,
but in terms of cost, risk, quality and
flexibility on the one hand, and effectiveness, efficiency, agility and
durability on the other.
Pros: Frameworks
eliminate the costly re-inventing of the wheel and the redefinition of EA at
each and every attempt. Frameworks ensure that efforts deliver to expectations
and results are comparable, predictable and repeatable. Frameworks help to
find common identity and dictates common rules and behaviors.
Cons: Frameworks
are as someone said "not cheap", it means the context and depth
requires experience and investment. They are not "casual" and they
are never complete. Adoption can be difficult if the parties are used to
operating in stovepipes. Thus, the less mature EA framework may freeze process,
disable innovation; add complexity, not enforce governance; lead inflexibility,
and not improve agility.
There will be a growing link between financial management
& EA, with budgets becoming a key input, and architects become responsible
for cost and other financial aspects; there are also links between risk
intelligence & EA, project investment & EA. etc.
An EA framework ensures that we work on the description of holistic
enterprise rather than on how we should do the description.
Today’s EA is more about managing static knowledge,
tomorrow’s EA is about managing dynamic business insight & foresight.
Pros: Mature EA frameworks,
methodologies & tooling will more clearly identify the architectural subjects
from the architectural context (the business environment & ecosystem),
which may also include standard industry and domain frameworks & models, as
well as logical and tooling linkages between EA, Business Strategy & Planning
(up-stream) & Projects/Solutions (downstream), EA captures and develops
enterprise knowledge with breadth and depth of business insight.
Cons: lower mature EA framework may only capture partial knowledge, or outdated information, not being transformed into business intelligence or wisdom, to help business. grow and mature. Furthermore, a framework is content free and offers no assistance or guidance in the development of the required content.
Cons: lower mature EA framework may only capture partial knowledge, or outdated information, not being transformed into business intelligence or wisdom, to help business. grow and mature. Furthermore, a framework is content free and offers no assistance or guidance in the development of the required content.
Today's EA is shelf-ware to mange knowledge, future of EA is shareware to craft business insight & wisdom.
Shall we say: today's EA is more about framework; future of
EA is both framework and frameless. Today’s EA is more about analytics, future
of EA need becomes part of solution. High-performance businesses need
high-mature EA.
High achievement
always takes place in the framework of high expectation. --Charles Kettering
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