Business Architecture - 101

Business Architecture Definition

By Paul Arthur Bodine, MBA, MArch.

It seems everyone has their own definition of Business Architecture.  The definition we use is:

"Business Architecture is about learning how a business needs to change, designing the change, communicating it to others in their own language, getting everyone on board, and leading the transition."

Business Architecture at ENKI

ENKI believes strongly in the value Business Architecture can bring to its clients; it is part of everything we do; and it is something our teams practice every day. We have a passion for delivering outcomes that enable our clients to achieve sustainable competitive advantage in their marketplace.

Our Business Architecture services span from executive advisory and corporate strategy, customer experience design, program portfolio development, technology selection, and implementation oversight -- whatever is needed.

What this Means for your Company

Your company will be better prepared, better informed, and better able to compete. Your operations will run more smoothly with less conflict and more cooperation. You will attract and retain better workers. You will be able to respond to change more quickly with less anxiety. You will be able to take on larger challenges; get more from your capital investment and assets, and improving sales and margins.

How We Do It

  • We view our clients’ organizations holistically; working from the big-picture of our client's organization within its competitive marketplace down to the details of how the various parts of the organization need to work together to get there.
  • We work collaboratively, engaging all stakeholders from the beginning, and making them a part of the change process.  This enables us to float up opportunities and issues early enough to make corrective adjustments cost-effectively as a normal course of the work. This way, at implementation time, everyone will know what is going to change, how it will affect them, and how it will make the company better.
  • We scope broadly, encompassing everything that may play a role in winning or losing–from market research and business models to the customer experience, coding, and metrics. We work closely with your team, making adjusts to the scope as new information arrives.
  • We work from the same market research data your executive and strategy teams do, ensuring we are on the same page, and working toward the same corporate goals
  • We plan carefully, ensuring we mesh effectively with concurrent initiatives.
  • We bring on specialized resources to address specific needs.
  • We over-communicate. We make sure all the right people are around the table, the right information is being shared, and we all know what we need to do as things change when new information arrives.
  • We run the numbers, ensuring the options we recommend best improve your top line, bottom line, and risk exposure.

Our Team

Our Business Architecture practice is led by a combination of academic and professional leaders in the field, ensuring that the cutting-edge theory of Business Architecture and practical realities of everyday business are combined in a what that is effectively practiced every day with real business results. Our seasoned practitioners all have many years of Business Architecture experience and contribute to the foundation of the profession -- leading professional associations, setting standards, and teach Business Architecture to MBA students.