The Gartner report Predicts 2024: Enterprise Architecture and Franchising Delivers New Value states that “By 2027, 50% of EA teams will replace architecture review boards with design advisory groups to increase compliance and reduce friction with development teams.” It also suggests that the EA Governance process be redefined to be supportive rather than hindering.
In our blog Empowering Enterprise Architects: Trusted Advisors, Not Rule Enforcers we also outline the importance of the EA Team and their governance processes being seen as trusted advisors, not as rule enforcers.
One practical means of supporting this change is the Essential Strategic Technology Product Selector View. The view makes the reference architectures you define accessible, in an easy to use view that walks the architect through the required technologies for a new application or platform implementation. The view advises the technologies available and their standardisation level, i.e. are they recommended, permitted, off strategy or need a waiver.
The result is that the Enterprise Architects can focus on defining reference architectures and standards, and allow the change teams to self-serve.
The architects supporting change now have all the information they need to make an informed decisions based on the reference architectures and so in line with the strategic direction agreed. They can send a report to the review board and move ahead with their project with no need to attend review boards (although you may define certain change projects that must attend a review board, e.g. based size or risk). If the change architects do feel the need to move off strategy they can attend the review board in those necessary cases only, saving time for everyone involved.
Contact us for a demo or to discuss how Essential can support you.