IT Cost & Value Management
Designing an Enterprise Architecture Function
The company, which has acquired several craft businesses in recent years, is confronted with a heterogeneous IT landscape and non-digitalized administrative processes. These factors pose obstacles to further growth. To advance digitization and automation, particularly in administration, an Enterprise Architecture (EA) function is to be established. This function will act as an interface between business and IT, forming the foundation for further growth.
In a strategy workshop, a vision for the EA function was developed, and action areas were identified to shape the transformation roadmap. Close collaboration between leaders from business and IT ensured efficient development of the strategy. A pitch presentation was created to convince the management of the relevance of the EA initiative and gain their support for implementation. The goal is to clearly and simply demonstrate the value of the EA function for the entire company and secure the necessary acceptance.
Client Situation
The company has continuously acquired several craft businesses in recent years. With this steady growth, both the complexity of the IT landscape and the degree of digitalization of administrative processes have increased. These factors are increasingly seen as obstacles to further growth and are in contradiction to the company’s goals of achieving disproportionate growth in administrative areas while also driving strong revenue growth. Therefore, the company intends to establish an Enterprise Architecture function, which will act as an interface between business and IT and provide the necessary structures for further growth across the entire value chain.
Solution Approach
Together with the client, we first outlined the business model and identified relevant trends, as well as internal developments and challenges, such as the construction crisis, evaluating their relevance for both business and IT. Using archetypes, we discussed the value that the EA function should contribute in the future and how the identified issues can be addressed. Based on this, we defined and prioritized action areas, which were captured in an implementation roadmap. Finally, we created a pitch presentation with the client to convince the management of the relevance of the EA initiative and gain support for its implementation.
The EA function is defined and developed based on the company-specific requirements
Cross-functional steering group from Business & IT drives EA strategy efficiency
The strategic direction of the EA function is defined by a small, selected group of key leaders from both business and IT. The close collaboration between both “sides” ensures a comprehensive perspective, while a smaller group guarantees that the development is efficient and purposeful. To address the management and non-expert stakeholders, the topic must be structured simply and concretely, clearly demonstrating how an initially abstract concept can create real value for the entire company. Clarity and simplicity are key to securing the necessary support and acceptance for the implementation.
