Frequently Asked Questions

Business architecture maximizes alignment of the technology solution to the business needs and structure. Business architecture takes the entire enterprise, its components and impacts into consideration and not just one system or area.

How often has a business implemented a technology solution that did not meet its business needs, solved its problems or achieved its goals?

The technology needs to support the business based on established business needs and strategic goals. However, some organizations have not established the needed business roadmap to define and drive the technology components. As a result, technology availability and limitations determines what it can or will provide for business use. Fortunately, this can be minimized with a solid business architecture roadmap.

Business rules shape the company by providing guidelines, structure and standards for an organization to operate. Well-defined business rules enable the entire organization to operate consistently and cohesively.

While there may be some overlap and hand-offs, each role has its own areas of responsibilities, activities and levels of interactions. In general, Business Architects operate at the enterprise level to implement business decisions and strategy across the entire company. However, Business Analysts traditionally operate at a specific process, system or business area within the department.

Goals are broad overall concepts of what you are trying to accomplish.  Objectives are measureable targets needed to achieve the goal.  Objectives can be measured and validated often with specific improvements that may based on time, dollar amounts, percentages, and more.

A business silo (aka Organizational Silo) is a single department or group of people within a company with its own set of processes, business rules, systems and more. Typically, these silos choose to operate independently of other groups or departments within the same company. Unfortunately, this usually results in duplication or conflict of efforts, data, systems, processes, and goals.

Strategy is the long-term scope and direction of a company. Business and technology strategy enables that company to gain an advantage in its customer, competitor, market, and industry expectations. Having a solid strategy in place helps a company identify the needed skills, assets, finances, relationships, facilities, and technologies needed to achieve its goals.

The mission statement is usually a single statement about the organization’s purpose, values, and direction which is expected to stay the same over time (until the org changes overall direction). The vision is also a single statement but more of future look in what you want the org to be or be known as – essentially, how you hope to change the world.