Enterprise architecture success depends on communication and collaboration

Information Technology’s Enterprise Architecture (EA) is an ongoing development plan. Many challenges can be overcome by establishing a 2-way communication throughout the whole organization. Success in implementing an IT framework relies on the community, and everyone has a role to play to thrive throughout the changes.

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During these difficult times, the need to simplify the complexity of IT enterprise architecture has become more significant. As technologies evolve quickly, change is constant, making it even more challenging when it comes to standardizing. The uOttawa EA team considers communication & collaboration as top priorities.

We’re finalizing a new website to enable ongoing information flow about the mandate, policies, standards, processes, and continuous improvements. It will encompass EA, the Architecture Review Board (ARB) and the Architecture Working Group (AWG).

Here are some of the initiatives we have been working on.

ARB process and documentation revamp

Developed in collaboration with the Project & Portfolio Management Office, ARB members will be invited to participate in the intake process which is the starting point of a project. This is a step towards being proactive and getting more involvement about the initiatives being discussed.

To simplify the redaction of mandatory documentation, the EA team conducted 25 interviews with IT representatives, architects & clients throughout the organization to build new templates around different perspectives. They are bringing more clarity and consistency.

Diagram explaining the Architecture Review Board process

Building the framework

A major accomplishment this year has been the establishment of the uOttawa Technology Reference Model (TRM) used to classify current and potential technology investments. This enables mature decision-making that should lead to better performance. The model is being linked to the asset inventory and will define uOttawa’s IT standards.

Diagram of the uOttawa Technology Reference Model

EA success stories

Avoiding new in-house custom builds through the ARB process
Aligning sectors with enterprise direction and avoiding proliferation of new technologies for common needs
Building documentation and inventories to support decision-making and ensure visibility into the digital ecosystem
Seizing opportunities for negotiation with vendors, getting volume discounts, avoiding multiple contracts with the same vendor for the same product.

Interested in where we are headed with enterprise architecture? Contact MaryAnn Welke Lesage, Director of Enterprise Architecture at the University.