In many large companies, enterprise architecture projects end up as failures or generate suboptimal results. Avoiding enterprise architecture debacles is essential as it is not an isolated discipline but is interwoven into the fabric of the business and technology landscape.

Companies start with great intentions,  an abundance of enthusiasm, and big expectations. But, the results are often not commensurate with the time, money, and effort in building and running an enterprise architecture department.

Enterprise architecture is a mission-critical capability, and CIOs must consider the following steps to avoid failures and the cascading impact.

Here are seven proven strategies to prevent enterprise architecture debacles. Of course, the relative importance of these strategies will vary based on the state of your enterprise architecture efforts, the stage that you are in, and the relative weakness specific to your situation.

Seven Ways to Avoid Enterprise Architecture Debacles:

• Don’t Put the Framework Cart in front of the Enterprise Architecture Horse.

One of the leading causes for the failure of enterprise architecture endeavors is the undue importance of a particular framework and its strict implementation. A framework may be helpful as a guiding light but adhering to every aspect is detrimental and debilitating.

In their pursuit of implementing the enterprise architecture framework, the framework becomes the destination, not just a way to get there.

Furthermore, some enterprise architecture frameworks may be highly IT-centric, which is self-defeating.

• Don’t Focus on Artifacts; instead, focus on Outcomes.

A natural tendency of heavy reliance on a framework also results in focusing on endless viewpoints, perspectives, models, and other artifacts. The result is that the team drowns in deliverables and yet does not make an impact perceptibly. In today’s results-driven and ROI-centric management, any discipline that does not provide measurable results and meaningful effects will not get executive support.

Fit-for-purpose deliverables with an eye on the time to value will perform the best. So, focus on outcomes and what it takes to get there rather than generating an endless stream of outputs that do not drive noticeable results.

• Don’t let Enterprise Architecture be an Appendage of IT.

It is not about whether the enterprise architecture team reports to a business or technology executive. It is more than that. An enterprise architecture team with significant IT-centricity may devolve into technical or infrastructure architecture.

The cardinal sin of enterprise architecture is to make itself an appendage of IT departments and forego the holistic corporate viewpoint necessary to design, develop, and deal with enterprise operations.

• Focus on Enabling Business Strategy and Results, not just Technology Solutions.

Enterprise architecture, at its core, should be a lever to translate business strategy into the optimal operational landscape. However, if enterprise architects only come in as enforcers of standards and focus only on software solutions, the role will have a marginal impact.

To achieve results, enterprise architecture must enable business outcomes using people, processes, technology, and data.

• Hire the Right Talent

Enterprise architecture should not be the domain of discarded or outgrown IT staff. An enterprise architect may come from any background but needs a holistic view to succeed. Unfortunately, while technical experience may be helpful, often it can be the detriment to shedding the IT-centric view of the world.

A great enterprise architect has a strategic perspective and understands business and technology goals, operational constraints, and opportunities. As a result, they can cohesively put together the elements of the enterprise that can be used for operational optimization and strategic resilience.

• Establish an Agile Culture for Enterprise Architecture Development

A slow pace and developing burdensome deliverables devoid of context often bog down enterprise architecture efforts. By agile culture, we do not mean agile methods such as Scrum, even though such approaches may be helpful. By agility, we mean the quickness, flexibility, velocity, and context-rich support of the enterprise architecture goals and fit-for-purpose deliverables.

It is more of an ethos than ritualistic and methodological dogma.

• Get out of Firefighting Mode.

Enterprise architecture should not be used as a firefighting effort. Instead, think of it as a strategic discipline with a transformational impact on the way business operations are enabled by technology.

Of course, enterprise architects support and play a critical role in transformational projects, but a project-centric approach will cause more silos and suboptimal outcomes.

CXOs who follow these ideas will help avoid enterprise architecture debacles and allow EA to become a potent force for the good of the enterprise.