The Enterprise Map:See the unseen Enterprise

Present to The Association of Enterprise Architects -

DCMay 4, 2011

John Chi-Zong Wupeaitce@yahoo.com

My Goals

Explain why the enterprise map is a fundamental tool for EA professionals.

Describe the enterprise map and its real-world applications.

Discuss the preparation of the initial Enterprise Map.

Share successful implementations of the Enterprise Map approach.

Enterprise Map

Why an Enterprise Map?

The enterprise map is analogous to a topographical map.

It enables stakeholders to:

See the “unseen” enterprise.

Visualize the “big picture” of the enterprise.

Cultivate an enterprise-wide collaborative culture.

Possess a portal to enterprise knowledge.

Background

The Enterprise Map approach was born in 1998 to support the Immigration and Naturalization Services' (INS) year 2000 preparation.

The second generation of the Enterprise Map was developed for the Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to support agency transition efforts.

The latest generation of the Enterprise Map was developed for the Office of Workers' Compensation Program (OWCP) in the Department of Labor (DOL).

Using an Enterprise Map An Enterprise Map is similar to a

geographical map: it maps enterprise locations, business functions, processes and application systems. Helps new staff see the “big picture” of

the enterprise. Serves as an information repository. Helps to organize enterprise knowledge. Allows practitioners to drill-down into

specific areas of enterprise knowledge.

The topographic map of EA

The Enterprise Map (the "ground work" of EA) is similar to an engineering survey.

Not just a glorified diagram output from a complicated EA system!

Built piece-by-piece from the hard work and total participation of various stakeholders.

Does not require a complicated EA system!

By nature, an enterprise is logical and invisible. You can’t manage what you can’t see. You can’t architect what you can’t see.

The enterprise as represented in the mind can become very different when put to paper.

An enterprise map allows everyone insight into the enterprise -- no longer a privilege for the chosen few.

Seeing the “unseen” enterprise

“Knowing in part may make a fine tale, but wisdom comes from seeing the whole.” [ ] 

What is the true “big picture”? The Blind Man and The

Elephant People tend to believe the

part the touched is the whole. It takes a collaborative effort to

truly see the big picture.

Seeing the true “big picture”

The creation of an Enterprise map is a collaborative effort!

The challenge EA practitioners face is how to. Facilitate collaboration by

knowing human psychology via the concept of stone soup.

EA professionals are the glue to facilitate collaboration rather a guru to command and control.

Cultivating a collaborative culture

A portal to enterprise knowledge

The visible enterprise map also serves as a portal to navigate the body of enterprise knowledge; it can link to detailed information within the EA repository.

One of EA’s main benefits is its ability to preserve enterprise knowledge.

Collaborative software (like Sharepoint) allows for: Preservation of enterprise knowledge. Accessibility of shared information. Maintenance of EA information as a result of collaborative

efforts.

The Enterprise Map Approach

The Enterprise map adopts the same concepts as traditional architecture drawings.

Proven form of communication for many years

Utilizes the standard drawing templates that architects and engineers use

The high tech EA community can greatly benefited on the old technology to communicate architecture knowledge.

Architecture Drawings

The enterprise map is essentially the visible business architecture

The Value Chain The Organization

Chart The Location Drivers Customers Function Processes Support organization

A visible business architecture

Step by step - Business Architecture

The Enterprise Map not only consists of business processes (as most of the other EA drawings do) – it also illustrates how businesses can take advantage of technology.

The EA map consists of the following technology layers: Application layer Data Layer Technology Layer

Aligning Technology to Business Needs

Step by step to align technologies

Simple Drawing Tools The Enterprise Map only

requires basic drawing tools to start with.

It is not necessary to make significant investment on EA tools to initiate EA efforts!

Drawing software (Visio)

A large plotter EA repository comes after

EA maping.

Why a large plotter?

Why do we need hard copy in a paperless age? Used to facilitate collaboration -- technologies

may have evolved rapidly, but humans are still humans.

Tangible paper copies are tools to facilitate participation. They can be laid on the table or posted on the

wall to enable discussion and contribution. Enterprise map on the wall eventually become

portals to the treasures of enterprise knowledge.

Hard Work Leads to Total Participation

The not so good news is that Enterprise Map is the result of hard work.

The Enterprise Map is the “ground work” of EA. It is manually put together piece by piece, like a big puzzle. It is all about people. To facilitate collaboration, the EA professional has to

conduct significant research to publish a “straw man version”.

The “straw man version” serves as a platform to raise people’s curiosity and participation levels.

Facilitating collaboration requires significant time and effort.

On the other hand, the enterprise map is not all about work -- it is fun, too!

The Enterprise Map is a big puzzle without a picture for guidance.

All jigsaw puzzle technique still apply.

Building a jigsaw puzzle is a wonderful way to help your mind focus on a structured method of using problem solving skills.

The Enterprise Map - A Big Puzzle

The Enterprise drawing set The end products of the

Enterprise Map approach is a set of enterprise maps similar to traditional architecture practice.

It start with the over all Enterprise maps and subject to break down for more detail.

However, it should not exceed 10 pages to become overwhelming.

It is a matter of macro cosmos and micro cosmos.

Dissemination

Deliver the Enterprise Map both in electronic form and by hard copy:

Use PDF for electronic delivery. Hard copy is useful but difficult to deliver.

Print the hard copy on Desktop version: (24” X 18”) Wallpaper version: (36” x 24”)

The EA 101

Enterprise map to see the unseen enterprise is a unique EA capability.

It is fundamental EA training considered as the EA 101.

All engineering students take engineering drawing classes.

Al Enterprise Architecture also learn Enterprise Map.