CMM-Based EA: Achieving the Next Level of Enterprise Architecture Capacity and Performance

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Edmond Vail III, Bruce McCabe, Robert Kay

Abstract

Typically, organizations start their enterprise architecture (EA) journey using non-integrated point-applications including documents, spreadsheets, and databases. While this approach to EA is initially easy and convenient, it inevitably leads to continuous reconciliation, the inefficient use of scarce resources, and eventual frustration. This is because point application tools lack the power to maintain the consistency of multiple EA models across EA teams and organizations. As a result, accurate cross-enterprise EA analyses are typically time and resource intensive, or are impossible to effectively perform. Moving from point tools EA to the capabilities of Capability Maturity Model (CMM)-based EA is more than a simple technology issue. The purpose of this article is to help organizations understand the potential benefits and dimensions required to implement CMM-based EA effectively. CMM-based EA is flexible enough that it can be successfully applied to the civilian and defense government programs.

Keywords

capability maturity model, enterprise architecture, repository-based enterprise architecture

About the author

Edmond F. Vail III is a Senior Consultant at Telelogic AB. Telelogic’s System Architect™ is a leading repository-based EA application. Mr. Vail has worked with numerous Federal Government and commercial sector clients in successfully implementing their repositorybased EAs with System Architect.™ He has an MBA (concentration in Operations Research) from Boston University. He has also published previously on the topics of Knowledge Management and Enterprise Architecture.

References

Grossman, I. (2005). “Department of Commerce and National Oceanographic and Aeronautics Administration Enterprise Architecture Accomplishments.” September 2005. Pages 1-4

CMU-SEI (2005). Carnegie Mellon University, Systems Engineering Institute, Capability Maturity Model Integrated. Downloaded: http://www.sei.cmu.edu/cmmi/results/resultsby- category.html

Federal Chief Information Officer Council (2001). “A Practical Guide to Federal Enterprise Architecture.” Downloaded: http://www.e-gov.gov

United States Government Accountability Office (2003). Information Technology: A Framework for Assessing and Improving Enterprise Architecture Management (Version 1.1), Executive Guide. April 2003. Page 5.

Vail, E. (2001). “Knowledge Management and Enterprise Architecture”, Knowledge Management Review, pp. 8-9, Melcrum Publishing, May/June 2002.

Journal of Enterprise Architecture

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