Enterprise Architect’s Roles in a Proactive Enterprise Development Context - PED model for understanding the role of an Enterprise Architect in a Proactive Enterprise Development context

Abstract

The main purpose of our study is to provide a sound ground for understanding the role and competencies of the Enterprise Architect in a proactive enterprise development. This knowledge can help in contributing towards the improvement of such influence by the Enterprise Architect in practice. We have tried to satisfy the above purpose though the elucidation of the following question: “What are the essential roles and competencies of an Enterprise Architect in relation to proactive enterprise development?” Our study provides a model for proactive enterprise development (PED model) in order to answer the above main question and we have carried this out in the following ways: First and foremost, we started our study by carrying out an extensive literature study on enterprise development out of which we have been able to create a model for proactive enterprise development. Thereafter, we designed our interview questions which have been generated from the specific domains of our model. In order to test the reliability of our model in terms of empirical support, we have been able to interview four very experienced Enterprise Architects. Our empirical study has revealed the existence of a strong empirical support for our model although it has been limited to only four respondents. We have observed that both the literature study and the empirical study conform to our PED model and our study has revealed the following essential roles of an Enterprise Architect in a proactive enterprise development context: As an agent of change during the Strategic Situation Analysis phase; as a facilitator, consultant and conflict resolver during the formation of the vision, mission and strategy of the enterprise; as an expert and designer of the future of the enterprise during the architectural design phase; as a facilitator and conflict resolver during the change management phase; and as a coordinator during the architectural implementation of the negotiated changes. We believe that the role of an Enterprise Architect has a strong impact on proactive enterprise development and his/her impact can be seen in the way he/she recommends the stakeholders to use a system of architectural principles in order to shape their future business or public enterprise reality. Furthermore, the concept of proactivity can be understood in terms of planning a desired future development of the enterprise and their stakeholders.