Combining Information Technology and Business

The role of an enterprise architect spans both Information Technology (IT) and business. It becomes part of how an organisation makes decisions and investments so that business strategy can be realised.

What is an enterprise architect?

As an enterprise architect, you are able to plug into an organisation at the most strategic level, influence the overall direction of an organisation, and bridge the gap between business and IT.

Enterprise architects provide organisations with competitive advantage; they help slash running costs and improve business processes; they help organisations allocate resources effectively and correctly; and they make sense of IT investments.

Why is this a good career option?

Organisations understand that enterprise architecture is the only way to build, maintain and manage an organisation, globally and in South Africa, so demand exceeds supply.

Larger corporations - especially in the financial services sector - are seeking and appointing enterprise architects, and there are clear indications of their acceptance in other market sectors.

How do you get started?

A young person can start just about anywhere in a business, as an IT developer, or a business analyst. You need to obtain practical experience in a specific domain and then move on from there. A fully qualified enterprise architect will probably have been in business for 15 years.

Young professionals could, for instance, start with business process modelling and over time build the skills to do solutions modelling in UML, the Universal Modelling Language. Or they could start with solutions modelling and grow into a business modeller over time.

The modelling process is critical, as the ability to render a large organisation visually is paramount to understanding its processes and supporting applications.

A young person should seek employment with a company that has a long-term commitment to their growth, that will take them from entrant to professional, and that is committed to their personal development.

What are the ideal personal attributes of an enterprise architect?

There is a broad range of essential skills that every enterprise architect should have. This is a good career for an all-rounder as you need to have the following attributes:

The ability to explain complex and even arcane IT concepts to business people in business terms; the ability to conceptualise and develop abstractions; good inter-personal skills, along with facilitation and networking skills; and an approach that is innovative and analytical, backed by a fine attention to detail

Do you need to belong to any professional bodies?

The Open Group, represented locally by Real IRM, is the body globally responsible for driving business and IT standards. It has created ITAC, the certification programme for IT architects.

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