Business Architecture

A business architecture is increasingly recognised as a  tool that facilitates linking an organisation's vision and strategy to the execution of that strategy and the realisation of the vision. It can link business strategy and capabilities to IS/IT strategy.

Unfortunately, attempts to create a business architecture can end in failure. This can be the result of the business architect evangelists trying to advance things too quickly, before the business stakeholders have had time to appreciate what business architecture is all about.

The large management consultancies, working with well established contacts at the boardroom level, are well placed to adopt a top down approach, starting at the level of business strategy and capabilities and working towards execution.

We assume that our audience consists mainly of business analysts. We also assume that BAs do not generally have a seat at the boardroom table. For the moment, therefore, we will take a more 'bottom up' approach, or at least, a 'middle out' approach. This involves gradually gaining credibility through the delivery of services and capabilities that can be readily understood, appreciated, and valued.

Among many other things, a business architecture can define the artifacts that comprise and support the business. It can therefore be a critical tool in the management of change, whether instigated to respond to changes to the external environment or to exploit technical advances that can deliver competitive advantages.

For the time being, we will scope our discussions to only 3 of the many possible aspects of a business architecture:

• Business Processes


• Business Rules


• Business Data

For the business analyst, at least in the early days of creating a business architecture, these are perhaps the most obvious areas to be concerned with. The business community can readily understand what you are proposing. Starting with more abstract concepts can be a difficult sell.

The three areas mentioned above are also those areas where it is probably easiest to demonstrate results. These results can the increase credibility of the business analysis team. This credibility make it easier to win support for extending the scope of the business architecture 'programme'. And by establishing the ground work for a business architecture, you will increase your understanding of the business, its strategies, capabilities and concept of value.

The following articles concern our three aspects of business architecture.