Transformation

{{post_terms.hashtags}}

Leveraging Enterprise Architecture for Reform and Modernization

The core of Enterprise Architecture (EA) work focuses on the improvement of businesses and transforming them into business desired states. Transformation through EA work requires heavy investment and necessitates the commitment of the organization’s executives. Dubai Customs is one of the most important Dubai Government Departments responsible for ensuring that the economy of Dubai is protected against fraudulent and dangerous goods (socially and commercially) by streamlining trade and goods clearance processes. Dubai Customs is also responsible for collecting revenue, and tracking and trending trade data to other Government Departments, Federal Agencies, and Ministries on behalf of Dubai Government. This case study highlights how Dubai Customs decided to build a sound EA to help them achieve their business goals.

Enterprise Architecture – Critical to Large Transformation Programs

Business transformation is increasingly a key driver for many organizations in today’s competitive environment where the focus is either on cost reduction by means of improving operational efficiency or on increasing the market share through innovation and other means of growth. Information Technology (IT) is looked upon as one of the key enablers for business innovation and competitive differentiation. As a result, many organizations identify a number of IT initiatives that enable business transformation and alignment of IT to business objectives and drivers. Such initiatives are often undertaken as part of large, multi-year business transformation programs that are aimed at changing and optimizing business processes and enhancing the IT capabilities that enable them. The initial effort and excitement of such changes often propel many transformational projects directly into an execution phase where focus is often on delivery without appropriate investments in program planning and further in planning and definition of the enterprise architecture. Such an approach often results in lack of appropriate guidance for the implementation projects and leads to large pitfalls. Organizations become unclear of what to deliver and how to deliver the change that can provide value to business and provide a return on the investment. Eventually this lack of planning leads to a failure to achieve the transformational objectives. This article highlights the need for enterprise architecture definition in large transformation programs, key considerations for defining the enterprise architecture, key challenges involved, and concludes with the benefits enterprise architecture brings to various stakeholders involved in transformation programs.