Defining and Enforcing Standards for Enterprise Architecture Artefacts

In my previous articles, I provided an overview of enterprise architecture governance and explored the first aspect of enterprise architecture governance: establishing an enterprise architecture governance framework. In this article, I will delve into the second aspect of enterprise architecture governance: defining and enforcing standards for enterprise architecture artefacts.

Enterprise architecture artefacts include architectural principles, models, and frameworks. Defining and enforcing standards for these artefacts is critical for ensuring that the enterprise architecture is consistent and coherent. It helps to ensure that the enterprise architecture is aligned with the organisations business goals and strategies, and that it delivers value to the business.

To define and enforce standards for enterprise architecture artefacts, it is important to establish a governance board or committee that is responsible for reviewing and approving new artefacts. This board should include representatives from the business, IT, and enterprise architecture teams.

The governance board should define and document the standards for enterprise architecture artefacts, including the format, content, and quality criteria. These standards should be communicated to enterprise architecture, solution architecture, wider-IT and other stakeholders.

Enforcing standards for enterprise architecture artefacts requires ongoing monitoring and review. The governance board should regularly review new artefacts to ensure that they meet the established standards and that they are consistent with the organisation’s business goals and strategies.

Let's look at each of these in detail:

Defining Standards for Enterprise Architecture Artefacts

Defining standards for enterprise architecture artefacts is an essential part of enterprise architecture governance. Standards ensure that enterprise architecture artefacts are developed consistently across the organization, which makes it easier for stakeholders to understand them. Here are some specific steps that I take when defining standards:

1. Identify the relevant stakeholders - To define effective standards, identify the stakeholders who will be affected by them. This includes business leaders, IT teams, application owners, and other key stakeholders.
2. Develop the standard - Once you have identified the relevant stakeholders, work with them to develop the standard. This involves identifying the relevant artefacts and specifying the format and content that each artefact should include. For example, a standard for solution architecture artefacts might specify that each artefact must include a detailed description of the solution's functional and non-functional requirements, along with a diagram of the solution's architecture.
3. Socialise the standard - Once the standard has been developed, socialise it with the stakeholders who will be affected by it. This involves communicating the standard's purpose, its scope, and the benefits of adhering to it.

Enforcing Standards for Enterprise Architecture Artefacts

Once you have defined the standards for enterprise architecture and solution architecture artefacts, the next step is to enforce them. This is essential to ensure that the artefacts are consistent and meet the organisations needs. Here are some specific steps that I take when enforcing standards:

1. Identify the artefacts that need to be reviewed - To enforce standards, I need to identify the artefacts that need to be reviewed. This might include solution architecture artefacts, infrastructure architecture artefacts, or other types of artefacts.
2. Establish a review process - Once I've identified the artefacts that need to be reviewed, I need to establish a review process. This process should specify who will review the artefacts, how they will be reviewed, and what criteria will be used to evaluate them.
3. Conduct the reviews - With the review process in place, I can begin to conduct the reviews. During the review, I evaluate each artefact against the standards that have been established, looking for inconsistencies or gaps that need to be addressed.
4. Provide feedback and guidance - Once I've completed the review, I provide feedback and guidance to the teams responsible for developing the artefacts. This might involve identifying areas where the artefacts don't meet the standards and suggesting ways to improve them.

Running the Process of Enforcing Standards

Enforcing standards is an ongoing process that requires careful planning and execution. To ensure that the process is effective, there are several additional facets that need to be considered. These include:

1. Continuous improvement - The process of enforcing standards should be designed to continually improve the quality of enterprise architecture artefacts. This might involve identifying areas where the standards need to be updated or refined based on changes in the organisation's needs or technology landscape.
2. Automation - To streamline the process of enforcing standards, I leverage technology wherever possible. This might include using tools to automate the review process or developing templates to ensure that artefacts are developed consistently.
3. Training and education - To ensure that teams understand the standards and how to adhere to them, I provide training and education to the relevant stakeholders. This might include workshops or online training courses.
4. Governance and oversight - Finally, to ensure that the process of enforcing standards is effective, I establish governance and oversight mechanisms. This might include regular reviews of the process and the outcomes to ensure that they are aligned with the organisation's goals and objectives.