A business fable about positioning enterprise architecture in a large company.

Once upon a time, at the heart of GiantMegaCorp, a corporate Goliath, the COO, Debbie Doubtful, sat at her well-polished mahogany desk. The daily hustle and bustle of the city could be heard faintly from the 40th floor of the steel and glass titan that served as the company headquarters.

“I want to understand this… ‘Enterprise Architecture’ and what it does for us,” she murmured, skimming through a report filled with diagrams and technical jargon.

At that very moment, Harry Holistic, the head of Enterprise Architecture, knocked on the door.

“Harry, just the man I wanted to see!” Debbie said, her eyes gleaming with a mix of curiosity and mild skepticism. “Please, have a seat.”

Harry grinned as he settled into the imposing high-backed chair across from her. “Sounds like you’re ready to dive into the depths of Enterprise Architecture, Debbie.”

Debbie raised an eyebrow. “Indeed, Harry. I need to understand its value. And please, no tech talk.”

Harry chuckled, “Enterprise Architecture, or EA, is a bit like the blueprint of a house. But instead of walls and electrical systems, we’re talking about the organization’s structure, processes, systems, and information flows. It’s about aligning our IT infrastructure with our business goals.”

He paused, looking at Debbie, who appeared more intrigued now.

“And the value,” he continued, “is in reducing complexity, increasing flexibility, enhancing communication between divisions, and paving a clear path to achieving our strategic goals.”

“Interesting, but these are a bunch of buzzwords,” Debbie said, leaning back in her chair. “But Harry, I’m going to need more than just buzzwords, analogies, and tall promises. Give me a real example; weave it into a story for me.”

Harry nodded, his eyes twinkling. “Alright, Debbie. Buckle up. It’s story time.”

Positioning Enterprise Architecture

Once upon a time, a village named BizTown was bustling with activity. BizTown was known for its delicious apples, and every villager was involved in some part of the apple business – growing, picking, selling, delivering, and even baking apple pies.

However, as the village grew, things became complicated. The apple growers didn’t talk to the apple pickers. The apple pickers didn’t speak to the delivery folks. The baker had no idea whether the delivery folks would be on time, so her pies were often cold. And villagers complained about the taste of the pies and the unpredictable delivery times.

“Sounds like our departments,” Debbie interjected with a chuckle.

Harry nodded, grinning. “Exactly. Now, imagine a Town Planner enters the scene. Let’s call him EA Eric.”

EA Eric observed the chaos and proposed a solution: a blueprint of the entire apple business, from seed to pie. He planned who would do what, when, and how. The apple growers now knew when to pass their produce to the pickers. The pickers coordinated with the delivery people, and the baker got her fresh apples just in time. Suddenly, everything was running like a well-oiled machine.

“But what about the villagers?” Debbie asked.

“Well,” Harry continued, “now they were getting fresh, hot apple pies on time. They loved it! The village prospered, all thanks to EA Eric’s planning.”

“I see,” Debbie said, nodding slowly. “So, Eric’s blueprint is like our Enterprise Architecture, coordinating the work of different departments.”

“Exactly,” Harry responded. “But the story doesn’t end there.”

Harry leaned in closer. “One day, BizTown got news of a potential drought. The villagers panicked, but EA Eric was prepared. First, he designed contingency plans into the blueprint. Then, he quickly rearranged the plan, ensuring that despite reduced apple harvest, the pie-making would continue.”

“Ah, so EA helps in crisis management, too,” Debbie said, her eyes lighting up.

“Indeed, it does,” Harry replied, leaning back in his chair. “But the real magic happened when BizTown heard of a nearby village that loved pies and had plenty of cherries. Eric saw an opportunity and updated the blueprint to include cherry pies. Because of Eric’s flexible planning, BizTown was quickly selling the best cherry pies around, doubling their prosperity.”

“Enterprise Architecture can help us identify and adapt to new business opportunities,” Debbie mused, a smile creeping onto her face. “Well, Harry, your fable certainly gives food for thought. And a craving for apple pie.”

Harry chuckled. “I’m glad it’s making sense, Debbie. And as for the pie, maybe we should suggest it for the cafeteria?”

And so, in the high-rise fortress of GiantMegaCorp, Debbie Doubtful became a believer in the magic of Enterprise Architecture, all thanks to the wizardry of Harry Holistic and a tale of apples, cherries, and pies.

We hope you enjoyed this mini-fable about positioning enterprise architecture. How do you go about positioning enterprise architecture in your firm?