Enterprise Architecture Management Research Articles

Towards a taxonomy for business capabilities determining data value

AbstractData and its valuation have gained vital significance in academia and enterprises, coinciding with diverse data valuation approaches encompassing various layers, dimensions, and characteristics. This paper assesses data value determination through a business capability lens based on the TOGAF standard. The paper encompasses (a) constructing a Data Valuation Business Capability (DVBC) taxonomy and (b) validating the taxonomy using two existing data valuation concepts from academia. The methodology involves information systems taxonomy development techniques backed by a previously conducted systematic literature review of 64 articles. The resultant taxonomy comprises four business capability layers, nine dimensions, and 36 characteristics. These layers and dimensions offer business, technology, and organizational perspectives, reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of data valuation alongside an enterprise architecture. Characteristics within these layers and dimensions are either exclusive or non-exclusive based on their contents. The compiled findings meet both objective and subjective quality criteria. The implications of the DVBC are multifaceted, influencing scholars and professionals alike. Scholars gain a cohesive tool enhancing transparency in the extensively debated data value domain, fostering linkages among information systems, enterprise architecture management, and data management. This empowers the progress in developing comprehensive data valuation concepts. Additionally, professionals may employ the DVBC taxonomy as a lighthouse and guiding tool, fostering internal dialog on data valuation. This entails elevating data valuation to a pivotal business capability, necessitating collaborative, regular assessment, and enhancement involving business and technological stakeholders. By adopting this taxonomy, the challenge of consistently determining data value can be effectively addressed in both academia and enterprises.

An extended taxonomy of advanced information visualization and interaction in conceptual modeling

Conceptual modeling is integral to computer science research and is widely adopted in industrial practices, e.g., business process and enterprise architecture management. Providing adequate and usable modeling tools is necessary to adopt modeling languages efficiently. Meta-modeling platforms provide a rich and mature set of functionalities for realizing state-of-the-art modeling tools. These tools, albeit their stability and rich set of features, often lack a modern look and feel considering (i) how they visualize the models, and (ii) how modelers interact with the models. Current web technologies enable much richer, advanced opportunities for visualizing and interacting with conceptual models. However, a structured and comprehensive overview of possible information visualization and interaction techniques linked to conceptual models and modeling tools must be established. This paper aims to fill this gap by presenting an extended taxonomy of advanced information visualization and interaction in conceptual modeling. We present a generic taxonomy that is afterward contextualized within the specific domain of conceptual modeling. The taxonomy serves orientation in the vast developing field of information visualization and interaction and hopefully sparks innovation if future modeling tool development.

Enterprise Architecture for Integration of Demand-Responsive Services in Public Transport

The popularity of new mobility services (NMS), like car sharing, urban bikes or e-scooters, is increasing in many urban areas. In comparison to traditional supply-oriented public transport with defined timetables and transportation routes, NMS are demand-responsive services aiming to meet the ad-hoc needs of users. NMS have started to influence the way people move in urban areas, and they also have an impact on public transport operators which begin to offer their own NMS or integrate the services of established NMS operators. This article investigates the changes implied by NMS for the enterprise architecture (EA) of public transport operators. The paper presents and evaluates an EA approach for integrating demand-responsive services into traditional supply-oriented public transport. We propose a partial enterprise architecture as an extension of the established ITVU core model, which is an established reference model in the public transportation domain. Although EA management is recognised as relevant for public transport companies, there is a lack of such an extension addressing NMS integration. The contribution of this article are to (1) offer an overview of the state of research in enterprise architectures for public transport, (2) make a case study for illustrating the challenges and requirements of NMS integration, (3) provide a first version of the partial (core) reference EA for integration of NMS including an initial evaluation.

Arsitektur Perusahaan Untuk Mendukung Transformasi Digital: Systematic Literature Review

This study aims to describe the development of studies on Enterprise Architecture (EA) in supporting Digital Transformation. The Systematic Literature Review (SLR) method was used to obtain 36,513 studies with manual searches in two databases, and finally 12 primary studies were selected with a time limit of 2018-2022. A total of seven issues/issues were identified and analyzed, namely EA support analysis, EA weakness analysis, Enterprise Architecture Management (EAM) benefit analysis, EA evolution, EA method development, and EA model development. EA's contribution is explained with a description of the problems / issues that have been identified, and the research sectors analyzed include Small and Medium Enterprises in Mechanical Engineering, manufacturing, health, and Small and Medium Enterprises in general, and some studies that do not limit their research sectors. The results show that studies on EA in supporting Digital Transformation have decreased in the last five years. Studies related to the benefits of EAM still show EA's weakness in supporting Digital Transformation. The limited research sector consists of SMEs and health. This review provides some guidelines for future researchers who want to research on this topic.

Digitalization and enterprise architecture management: a perspective on benefits and challenges

Many companies digitally transform their business models, processes, and services. They have also been using Enterprise Architecture Management approaches for a long time to synchronize corporate strategy and information technology. Such digitalization projects bring different challenges for Enterprise Architecture Management. Without understanding and addressing them, Enterprise Architecture Management projects will fail or not deliver the expected value. Since existing research has not yet addressed these challenges, they were investigated based on a qualitative expert study with leading industry experts from Europe. Furthermore, potential benefits of digitalization projects for Enterprise Architecture Management were researched. Our results provide a theoretical framework consisting of five identified challenges, triggers and a number of benefits. Furthermore, we discuss in what ways digitalization and EAM is a promising topic for future research.

Enterprise Architecture Management (EAM) as a fundamental approach for the digital transformation of the German road infrastructure management

Enterprise Architecture Management (EAM) could play a key role in keeping up with and driving the digital transformation of the German road infrastructure management. With digital engineering technologies advancing and being deployed more widespread, information systems and information technology should be structured in a strategic manner to facilitate interorganizational cooperation and data flows. Established EAM frameworks are complex and generic and not apt for ad hoc application. In order to make EAM more accessible for road infrastructure management initial steps towards the development of a tailored approach are presented. Finally, outlining EAM's possible future relevance in enabling digital transformation, examples for areas in which it is applicable or already being applied are presented and put into context.

The impact of enterprise architecture management on information systems architecture complexity

ABSTRACT Significant investments in information systems (IS) over the past decades have led to increasingly complex IS architectures in organisations, which are difficult to understand, operate, and maintain. We investigate this development and associated challenges through a conceptual model that distinguishes four constituent elements of IS architecture complexity by differentiating technological from organisational aspects and structural from dynamic aspects. Building on this conceptualisation, we hypothesise relations between these four IS architecture complexity constructs and investigate their impact on architectural outcomes (i.e., efficiency, flexibility, transparency, and predictability). Using survey data from 249 IS managers, we test our model through a partial least squares (PLS) approach to structural equation modelling (SEM). We find that organisational complexity drives technological complexity and that structural complexity drives dynamic complexity. We also demonstrate that increasing IS architecture complexity has a significant negative impact on efficiency, flexibility, transparency, and predictability. Finally, we show that enterprise architecture management (EAM) helps to offset these negative effects by acting as a moderator in the relation between organisational and technological IS architecture complexity. Thus, organisations without adequate EAM are likely to face large increases in technological complexity due to increasing organisational complexity, whereas organisations with adequate EAM exhibit no such relation.

Agile digitalization evolution in the energy sector taking into account innovative and disruptive technologies

The development of technology and science is decisive in the development of social welfare. We are experiencing the fourth revolution in technological development –after the invention of the steam engine; electricity and process automation; and then computer / IT technology – characterized by an interconnected information network. This revolution will affect all related industries, including the energy sector. New solutions, sensors, devices are available, but the main issue is the use of these devices. So-called smart grid technologies have many advantages, but they also present challenges, whether technologically, economically or sociologically and socially [1]. The answers to these challenges are often not traditional, but creative solutions can mean a breakthrough, changing and accelerating the current progress trends. Such solutions and methods can change and advance all segments and areas, from energy to medicine to the beauty industry. The digital transformation and its implications will significantly change the support for the basic functions of energy distribution. Nowadays, it is almost impossible to solve any task or complete a simple work phase without a computer or IT tool, location data, work schedule description, parameters, and so on. Long-term operation and design, proper architecture and design framework are crucial for efficient operation. Enterprise architecture management within large companies usually involves a very complex range of activities [2]: business, IT and organizational information infrastructure. The role of enterprise architecture is becoming increasingly important for developing and growing companies [3]. In our article, we show how recent decades have helped improve the efficiency of network management and how digitalization is becoming an indispensable player in a sustainable, renewablebased vision.

Enterprise Architecture Management Education in Academia: An International Comparative Analysis

Enterprise architecture (EA), although matured in more than 30 years of ongoing research, receives more importance with the increasing dependency of business in IT and the growing complexity of IT systems. The integrated management of a companies’ goals, structures, and processes with respect to the business and IT elements, as well as the representation of impacts triggered by planned changes is educated in different ways at many universities all over the world. There are several techniques, methods, tools, and approaches to transfer the knowledge from the educators to the students, giving them the qualification to support their future employers in handling the EA challenges modern companies are facing. This work gives a detailed comparative analysis of more than twenty international educational offers regarding Enterprise Architecture Management, carves out the commonalities and finds two prototypical courses as a best-practice combining the strongest matches for Business Informatics and Computer Science studies alike.

Strategic alignment of enterprise architecture management – how portfolios of control mechanisms track a decade of enterprise transformation at Commerzbank

ABSTRACT Enterprise architecture management (EAM) is commonly employed by large organisations to coordinate local information system development efforts in line with organisation-wide strategic objectives while simultaneously avoiding redundancies and inconsistencies. Even though EAM tools and processes have become increasingly mature over the past decade, many organisations still struggle to generate impact from their EAM initiatives. To this end, we describe how enterprise architects at Commerzbank, a major international bank, employed a control mechanism portfolio perspective to more effectively anchor EAM within the organisation. This approach allows to purposefully combine a wide range of different formal and informal EAM control mechanisms, thereby going beyond the formal, top-down driven mechanisms predominantly discussed in EAM literature. Furthermore, such EAM control mechanism portfolios provide an effective means to purposefully realign EAM in reaction to major strategic shifts. The application of this perspective is demonstrated by tracing the evolution of EAM at Commerzbank for more than a decade (2008 to 2018) through a turbulent and challenging competitive environment, resulting in several major strategic realignments that required corresponding adjustments in EAM. We believe that such consciously designed and diversified EAM control mechanism portfolios also provide a useful means for other large organisations to more effectively conduct EAM.

How Digital Transformation affects Enterprise Architecture Management – a case study

Internet of Things (IoT), machine learning, cyber-physical systems and other recent technological innovations offer new opportunities for enterprises in the context of Digital Transformation (DT) but also cause new challenges for Enterprise Architecture Management (EAM), which traditionally deals with enterprise-IT planning and coordination. Based on an industrial case of a power garden products manufacturer that is exploring potentials and facing challenges in DT, this article investigates the integration of product-IT into EAM. Product-IT includes the embedded IT-systems in physical products and services, components for operations, maintenance or evaluation purposes. In this article we discuss product-IT and enterprise-IT integration in the context of EAM observed in the industrial practice. The main contributions are (1) positioning of the product-IT in the field of EAM, and (2) identification of the challenges from real-world case regarding integration of product-IT into EAM.

Applying a decision model based on multiple criteria decision making methods to evaluate the influence of digital transformation technologies on enterprise architecture principles

Organisations all over the world are going through the process of digital transformation (DT). Enterprise Architecture (EA) is a method and an organising principle that aligns the business's objectives and strategies with the Information Technology strategy and execution plan. EA provides a guide to direct the evolution and transformation of enterprises with technology. The EA principles are one of the key concepts in the definition of EA; they assist in recognizing the organization vision and validating the outcomes. However, the lack of adequate instruments for assessing the current state and identifying opportunities for EA management procedures improvement often leave organisations unsure of where to begin improving their procedures. The aim of this paper is to help organisations identify these improvement opportunities. To do so, a decision model was developed to evaluate the influence DT technologies have on the EA principles proposed by The Open Group Architecture Framework (TOGAF). A literature review was conducted, and five main DT Technologies applied in the EA scope were identified. With that, a decisional model was created based on two decision-making methods called Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory and PROMETHEE. The 21 architecture principles proposed by TOGAF were evaluated and the influence the technologies exercised on the principles were identified. As a result, Big Data and Cloud Computing technologies were indicated as having the greatest effect over the analysed principles, therefore concluding that when applied in the EA scope, these technologies can help organisations improve their EA procedures.

Enhanced digital transformation supporting capabilities through enterprise architecture management: A fsQCA perspective

The rapid development of novel, innovative digital technologies significantly impact organizations and their business ecosystem. Organizations must stay abreast of the latest developments and respond to them continuously to remain competitive. Many organizations make significant investments in enterprise architecture management (EAM) to manage the transformation of their complex information technology (IT) and information systems (IS) landscape and to guide their digital transformation. However, empirical research on EAM benefit realization is limited. This research conceptualized EAM as a particular type of dynamic managerial capability. Survey data (N = 110) was used in a set-theoretic approach (fsQCA) to identify EAM configurations that lead to a presence of technical IT capabilities and strategic IT alignment. The results indicate the importance of system changes induced by the EAM function itself to improve technical IT capabilities. Furthermore, setting up clear standards and rules, and developing and planning the migration to target architectures is particularly important to align business and IT in larger organizations. This research contributes to the academic knowledge base on EAM benefit realization and supports the needed reconceptualization and evolution of EA and EAM to better support organizations' digital transformations. Furthermore, the outcomes can help decision-makers justify and guide their EA investments while implementing a digital strategy.

Challenges in enterprise architecture management: Overview and future research

Due to the ongoing digitalization, today’s business world is changing rapidly. To stay competitive, companies need to adapt quickly to a fast changing-environment. This can be difficult, as organizations are complex systems consisting of many technical and infrastructural elements. Enterprise architecture management (EAM) is therefore increasingly important to companies when managing their infrastructure and adapting it to environmental changes. Despite its relevance, many companies struggle with challenges related to EAM tasks. Up to now, research lacks comprehensive reviews about the field of EAM and the related challenges. This article aims to close this research gap by conducting an iterative systematic literature review (SLR) to identify relevant EAM challenges in different EAM tasks. Hereto, based on Schmidt and Buxmann (2011), the tasks of EAM are divided into six dimensions — EA documentation, EA planning, EA communication and support, EA programming, EA implementation, and EA governance — which are investigated separately. This article’s result is a comprehensive overview of research in the field of EAM challenges. Additionally, interdependencies between the dimensions are assumed. Furthermore, an outlook on future research opportunities from an organizational, corporate governance, project, and technical perspective is provided.

Reference Service Model Framework for Identity Management

Each person on the Internet typically has several digital accounts, which are associated with different identity information. During the last years, various identity and access management (I&AM) approaches were established to help manage all these digital identities and operate online services within an organization and beyond. This development has led to heterogeneity, making it hard to differentiate between, comply with, and combine these approaches. In this paper, we describe a reference service model framework for different I&AM flavors by utilizing modern Enterprise Architecture Management using the framework ArchiMate. The proposed identity management service model framework (IMSMF) consists, on the one hand, of a meta-model and several models for various protocols and implementations, and, on the other hand, models, which were designed in a generic service-oriented way. These models lead to a universal model to indicate additional components for an enhanced I&AM. IMSMF has been evaluated through several rounds of expert interviews. IMSMF helps to establish, enhance, and change I&AM systems while also being a base for profound further research.

MODERN TRENDS IN APPLICATION OF THE ARCHITECTURAL APPROACH IN THE DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION OF ENTERPRISE

Global transformational processes in the economy against the background of the systemic development of information technologies, as well as the forced acceleration of the transition of all processes and life support systems to digital format against the background of a global pandemic, led to the rapid development of entrepreneurial activity in the digital space. This transition is most observed in trade, education, as well as other sectors and spheres of the economy. Authors of this article, relying on a number of different studies of the DI (digitization index) of business over the past 5 years, conclude that there are a large number of unsolved problems in this process, despite the stable nature of this trend. Exploring the possibilities of the architectural approach as the most relevant way of transforming companies in the direction of digitalization, this article provides an overview of its three main schools. Using the accumulated theoretical research and experience in the practical implementation of business digitalization projects, the authors summarize main problems of implementing enterprise architecture management systems and determine main trends in further application of the methodology, clarify the concept of "enterprise architecture", "enterprise architecture management" and "architectural approach" in the context of their practical application.

A Literature Review on Enterprise Architecture : Towards a Research Agenda

Enterprise Architecture and its management focuses on the integration of business processes and IT infrastructure, and have received considerable attention from the academic and the practice audience. Despite this attention, some lacuna can be observed that questions some of the fundamental pillars of the domain. The current business environment demands in the response to digitalization add to further challenges which call for the need to reconceptualise enterprise architecture to be relevant to the emerging context. We respond to this call by presenting a comprehensive review of the literature concerning enterprise architecture and management to facilitate future work. Our review revealed various facets related to enterprise architecture and enterprise architecture management which we present and discuss here. Further, we also chart out possible areas of future explorations. By doing so, this research lays a foundation for continuing inquiry on enterprise architecture and management, contributing to new knowledge for the field.

Developing and implementing contextualised S&OP designs – an enterprise architecture management approach

PurposeThis paper provides a five-step Enterprise Architecture Management (EAM) approach to systematically guide the development and implementation of contextualised Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP) designs.Design/methodology/approachA case study is conducted at a European chemical manufacturer. The research applies the five-step approach, embracing the descriptive and prescriptive EAM functions combined with the lens of contingency theory.FindingsThe research findings demonstrate the suitability of the proposed EAM approach for the contextualisation of S&OP designs from a contingency theory perspective. Its descriptive EAM function serves to assess context-specific S&OP challenges and enables to analyse the contextual fit of S&OP designs. Its prescriptive EAM function guides the development and implementation of context-specific S&OP designs towards increasing the S&OP effectiveness. EAM's integrated view onto people, process and information technology served to analyse current practices on the dynamics of S&OP contextualisation in innovation- and quality-driven contexts. Thereby, the paper contributes to a better S&OP contingency understanding.Practical implicationsThe EAM approach offered in this paper provides a concrete and practically applicable guidance to support managers to face their context-specific challenges and guide the contextualisation of their S&OP designs to increase the S&OP effectiveness. Moreover, practitioners can improve their understanding regarding the need for S&OP design adjustments to reflect changes in their companies' contingencies.Originality/valueThe research introduces a novel EAM approach for S&OP contextualisation, particularly reflecting contingency theory's dynamic view of structural adjustments to regain fit (SARFIT).

Product-IT Inclusive Enterprise Architecture Management: An Approach Based on Ecosystems, Customer Journey and Data-Driven Business Opportunities

Products have evolved from being solely composed of mechanical and electrical parts to complex systems that are connected to the Internet and form the basis for new kinds of functionalities and services. Such smart connected products include a substantial amount of software and information technology which can be called the “product-IT”. Enterprise architecture (EA) management is an established function in enterprises providing methods and tools for a systematic alignment of business and IT in an organization. However, EA models capture the details of business, information and technology architecture of an enterprise (i.e., the enterprise-IT) but usually do not include the product-IT. When value creation and delivery in an enterprise’s business model also includes the product-IT, a product-IT inclusive view on EA urgently is required. The focus of this article is the methodical support for integration of product-IT and enterprise-IT using enterprise architectures. The main contributions in this article are the conceptual expansion of EA management to become product-IT inclusive that is manifested in a proposal for an extended EA meta-model, and an approach and method components to handle product-IT inclusive EAM.

Enterprise architecture management as a solution for addressing general data protection regulation requirements in a big data context: a systematic mapping study

ContextBig Data Analytics is a rapidly emerging IT practice whose applications offer benefits for a wide variety of business areas across an organisation. Given the wide scope of applications, the many types of processing involved, including those for purposes not yet foreseen, and the inherent privacy concerns resulting from collecting and storing personal data, the newly introduced General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) poses specific challenges for safeguarding the security and protection of big data. These challenges are not limited to the IT function but extend across the entire organisation. This raises the question whether Enterprise Architecture Management (EAM), as an approach for ensuring the coherence, strategic alignment and focus on value creation of all organisational resources, offers guidance for addressing those challenges in a holistic manner, and thus provides a fruitful ground for developing an approach for complying to GDPR requirements in a Big Data context.ObjectiveThis study surveys the state-of-the-art in research on security, privacy, and protection of big data. The focus is on investigating which specific issues and challenges have been identified and whether these have been linked to GDPR requirements. Further, it examines whether previous research has investigated the potential of EAM in addressing those challenges and what the main findings of those studies are.MethodWe used Systematic Mapping Review (SMR), which is a methodology for literature review aimed at surveying the state-of-the-art in a research field as it is documented in the scientific literature. Further, we used Template Analysis, which is a thematic analysis technique, for coding the texts of the selected papers, classifying the research studies, and interpreting the different themes addressed in the literature.ResultsOur study indicates that only few researchers have explored the use of EAM practices in relation to data security and protection in a Big Data context. We further identified seven trends within the areas under consideration that could be subjects for further research.ConclusionsOur study does not invalidate the potential of EAM to help addressing GDPR requirements in a Big Data context. However, how EAM practices may contribute to risk management and data governance in environments where big data are being processed, is still a huge research gap, which we intend to address in our future research.Supplementary InformationThe online version of this article (10.1007/s10257-020-00500-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.