Light Enterprise Architecture Web

It is nice to see the evolutin of next generation enterprise architecture is echoing the Light EA direction. In addition to the Gartner's New Approach for Enterprise Architecture

Tom Grave have also published the every day Enterprise-Architecture . Thanks for his generasity , at present you can still download the complete PDF e-book via this link.

In Anything Enterprise Architecture, Tom Grave reply to the discussion on Gartner's new approach for EA. He said:

Several people above have remarked on the usefulness of the Cynefin framework. I strongly agree, and have used similar ideas in enterprise-architecture and strategic assessment for many years - see, for example, my book Everyday Enterprise Architecture: sensemaking, strategy, structures.... Do be warned, though, that Dave Snowden, the current custodian of Cynefin, has very strong views on how Cynefin should and should not be interpreted, and will likely disagree in no uncertain terms to many typical usages of the Cynefin frame in EA. It's probably safest to refer to that mapping of Simple [aka Known], Complicated [aka Knowable], Complex and Chaotic, and the contrast of order and unorder, as a 'Cynefin categorisation' or a 'Cynefin-like frame', rather than 'as' Cynefin itself.

(More detail here, if anyone's interested.)

John Wu and others also referred to Wu Xing (Five Elements), a traditional Chinese framework that's even more layered and meaning-rich than Cynefin. Interestingly, it also aligns well with Bruce Tuckman's 'Group Dynamics' project-lifecycle of forming, storming, norming, performing and adjourning. There's more detail on that, and its application in EA and EA-related work, in the 'Five Elements' chapters in my book SEMPER & SCORE: enhancing enterprise effectiveness. There are also strong cross-links between the Five Elements and key themes in organisational effectiveness (efficient, reliable, elegant, appropriate, integrated): as documented in another of my books, Real Enterprise Architecture: beyond IT to the whole enterprise, this provides a very useful framework for architectural assessment and review at a whole-of-enterprise scope.

If we start from there, Gartner's 'new approach' then provides a very useful checklist and cross-reference to guide a true enterprise-scope architecture.

Hope this helps, anyway.

The Business Canvas

Enterprise Topology approach is comparable to the Business Canvas approach. Both Enterprise topology and Business Canvas suggest to know the enterprise via total participation, collabortion and reconciliation. And both suggest to faciliate and articulate the participation, collaboration via tangile artifact of hard copy drawing which works well with a group of poeple. Tom Grave the author of many EA books have a intensive development in the month of July, 2010. This all fresh from the oven. First is The Enterprise Canvas based on Alex Osterwalder’s Business Model Canvas and He further elaborate the enterprise canvas to Contect-space mapping with Enterprise Canvas. Now the Enterprise Topology, the business Canvas, the Enterprise Canvas are all on the same boat.

The differnence between Business Canvas and Enterprise topology is that :

. Business Canvan focus to serve business community; Enterprise topology is intended to serve both business and engineering community.

. The other differeence is that Businss Canvas is a thinking tool to faciliate business modeling. Enterprise topology is a visulization effort with explicit model for tangible utilization.

The bottom line of LEA Enterprise topology approach is a tangible EA product for both business and engineering community to comprehend rather a framework as a EA thinking tool and check list.
Although the enterprise topology appraoch was initiated and used before 2000. It has not been shared with EA community as the business canvas approach do. Enteprise Topology method can learn from the Business Canvas experience to share the method with EA community.

Alex Osterwalder suggest the business canvas approach. It propose a single reference model based on the similarities of a wide range of business model conceptualizations.



The Business canvas has been presented in :

. Business model Canvas Book Business Model Generation,

. Business model Canvas Training Bhsiness model canvas game.

. Business model canvas tools The are several business model cavas tool. Here is one from bm designer.
Business model Canvas tool

I am glad to hear about new EA approach from Gartner and know that I am not alone on the road of Light Enterprise Architecture . Bruce Robertson of Gartner group present Architecting for Emergence: New EA Models Embracing Change

Egham, UK, August 11, 2009 — Enterprise architects must adopt a new style of enterprise architecture (EA) to respond to the growing variety and complexity in markets, economies, nations, networks and companies, according to Gartner, Inc. Analysts advised companies to adopt ‘emergent architecture’, also known as middle-out EA and light EA, and set out definitions of the new approach.

Despite there are plenty of different comments on this EA approach as list in the following, I do appreciate the value of this approach and feels that LEA and Architecting for Emergnece are convering to a future EA direction.

Todd Biske
Leo de Sousa
Mike Rollings

EA has not evolved as expected, Scott W. Ambler, chief methodologist for Agile and Lean for IBM Rational. says in
Enterprise Architecture: Reality over Rhetoric

"For several decades we've heard that effective enterprise architecture programs are a critical success factor for medium-to-large size IT organizations. I have been a promoter of enterprise architecture, both in my writings and working with organizations around the world, yet after all these years it seems that the reality of enterprise architecture is nowhere close to fulfilling some of the rhetoric around it. So I decided to find out what's actually working in practice, and what's not working for that matter, in my Enterprise Architecture Survey Results from the January 2010 DDJ State of the IT Union Survey"

In 2008, Ian Rowland says in Why Isn’t Enterprise Architecture In The Big Time?

"Let’s confess, then, what we really know in our heart of hearts … Enterprise Architecture is a discipline that hasn’t really made it to the big time. If that’s the case, what are the causes? Is EA a rocket that hasn’t got off the launch pad, or a firework that has fizzled? "

Thanks to Akshaya Bhatia's introduction on LEA in the Toolbox for IT. It is truly a great recognition and encouragement:

Light Enterprise Architecture (LEA) is a pragmatic, innovative, light weight and fast track enterprise architecture model developed and documented by an eminent enterprise architect John Wu.

The LEA immaculately blends cohesive system modeling endeavors encapsulating study of business architecture and analysis of system architecture using appropriate system segmentation by way of an agile approach aiming at development of a business enterprise based on technology alignment with the business.

Although the LEA model borrows some concepts from other well known EA models such as Zachman Framework, TOGAF ( The Open Group Architecture Framework), PRISM (Partnership for Research in Information Systems Management) Architecture Framework, Gartner approach to EA, FEA (Federal Enterprise Architecture)-US etc. , it is, per-se, a pragmatic, innovative and unique approach in many ways owing to it’s emphasis on agility along with mapping technology solutions for maintaining a flexible and strategic thrust on business alignment in sight of continuously evolving business enterprise.

Just like most of the popular EA models in vogue, the LEA model also caters in extenuating the complexity involved in system design process so as to make an appropriate use of technology in implementation of business processes such that business goals of the enterprise are fulfilled, albeit with a relatively less emphasis on building from scratch and more emphasis on building upon the existing framework by application of agile approach and characteristically looking for a cross cutting approach based on loose coupling.

Key idea is to follow a structured approach by identifying commonality (patterns) amongst the attribute values of the sub-systems , deciphering the bottlenecks or business performance gaps among the business segments and plugging in the gaps by visualizing through business plus data plus application architectures.

Furthermore, the LEA encourages reuse and consolidation of application system architecture for enterprise application integration with service oriented loose coupling and appropriate built-in security, iteratively through the various layers of architectures (business,data,application) and thereby obliterating existence of the stove pipes systems.

Pragmatically speaking, if applied appropriately, the LEA model can bring in application of technology as an investment and value addition to a business.

Akshaya Bhatia has generously accepted my invitation as one of the Coherent EA advisors. They are my mentors to guide and encourage me in the development of Coherent EA.

Akshaya Bhatia is globally well known EA specialist, Business Analyst and business management consultant. He has nearly 22 years of comprehensive IT experience with expertise in Project Management, IT and Business Strategy, Enterprise Architecture, MIS, System Design and Development, Internet, Web and Telecom technologies, Network Security, Web services, SOA (Service Oriented Architecture), EDA (Event Driven Architecture), CEP (Complex Event Processing), SEO (Search Engine Optimization), ERP, distributed data processing, database strategy, plan and implementation, Master Data management, CRM, and Change Management.

He has thoroughly researched on various approaches to Enterprise Architecture and practically involved in implementing the optimized IT system in total alignment with the Business. He has thoroughly studied and experimented with the well known EA models such as Zachman Framework, TOGAF ( The Open Group Architecture Framework), PRISM (Partnership for Research in Information Systems Management) Architecture Framework, Capgemini Integrated Architecture Framework, AGATE (Atelier de Gestion de l'ArchiTEcture des systèmes d'information et de communication), DODAF (Department of Defense Architecture) Framework-US, FEA (Federal Enterprise Architecture)-US, Microsoft EA etc. He has reviewed and contributed to the course material used in training used in several Institutions for EA, MIS and Web and networking technologies.

He has participated in design, development and implementation of variety of information system packages such as Inventory control, Accounts Receivable system, Payroll, Marketing Survey Analysis, Order Processing and Project monitoring systems in variety of industries such as Hardware manufacturer/distributor, Software developer/testing, customer support, Manufacturing, Real Estate, Finance, Event Marketing, Hospitality and Services.


He has thorough acumen in implementation as well as management of the financial, marketing, HR systems and also has comprehensive knowledge of theoretical, practical and operational aspects of each sub-system.


He has authored many a books on MIS that are prescribed in well known universities and management institutes for the post graduate management degree courses. He have provided assistance to numerous research scholars doing path breaking research in the field of engineering, mathematics, computer sciences and management.

John Chi-Zong Wu has been an Enterprise Architecture advocate since 1998. He has actively participated and witnessed the EA evolution occurred in the Washington DC area and around the world. To navigate in the jungle of EA definition and looks for the truth of EA, he has kept his EA thoughts in the web site of Light EA.

John has initiated the e-cio organization. He suggest, in the notion of " eat your own dog food", the office of Chief Information Officer (OCIO) must demonstrate their transition from stove pipe solution to EA culture. It is difficult to convince and get buy-in from the stakeholders when the OCIO has yet making the transition.

John is also a contributing author of the Cutter Consortium and has actively contribute EA thought to the ITtoolbox blog . John has been active to support of the Association of Enterprise Architects DC chapter which provide regularly present EA seminars in Washington DC area.

John has earned a M.S. in Civil engineering form Howard University in 1979 and M.S. in Computer Science from Florida Institute of Technology in 1984. He was a registered Professional Engineer in the state of Florida since 1981. The inter discipline of engineering and computer science enable him to develop the Light Enterprise Architecture approach

He has built his strength in Enterprise Architect via hands on experiences in broad areas of application development, system engineering, database administration, and system administration and computer support management.

EA is the relation between Technology and Business to align IT with business need. Mathematically speaking, it is more topology than geometry.

A topology (from Greek topos meaning place) is a description of any kind of locality in terms of its layout. It is:

A mathematical branch that deal with position. Topology is contrary to common geometry, which puts emphasis on how points, lines and planes are composed in order to create ideal solid forms. Topology does not deal with single object and it visual attributes, but pays attention to how an object may be connected to or situated in relation to another object. []

EA is the study of the relation between technologies and businesses rather than developing a large scale application system.

Under the understanding of EA as the topology rather than a geometry, the study of topology relies the set theory. The Light EA suggests to study the intersections set rather than the union set. It is an effort to establish the common foundation and building blocks to enable the agility and simplicity on taking advantage of technology evolution.

Topography (Greek topos, "place", and graphia, "writing") is the study to render topology in schematic presentation. EA topography is the effort to render a comprehensive EA topology between business, application, data and technology. For more information please read:

EA Maps

Light Enterprise Architecture (LEA) suggests that EA is the relation between technology and business which align technology solutions to enterprise business need. Enterprise Architecture is not all about technology, it is not all about business either.

EA is not only all about technology. In the early stage of information age, many automation efforts are technology driven because the way that technology has change how business doing business. However, gradually, the community realizes that the evolution of information age got carried away in the technology driven approach to departure from what business need. Under this concern, EA was initiated to align technology and business and resolve the challenge of stovepipe systems. Even so, the technical world still interprets EA as the enterprise scalable system which is technology oriented.

EA is not all about business either. In the last few years, the EA community have swing the definition of EA to the other extreme to suggest the EA is all about business by interpret EA as "Architecting the enterprise" and it is all about business. The notion of EA is all about business has totally missed the point of what EA was initiated. It interprets EA by the word of "Enterprise Architecture" rather than by the origin of EA in the information age. It is unfortunate that it only scratch the surface of the words rather go to the depth of the root. EA is not in cosmetic business. Under this on going movement, EA has become the new name for old paradigm of business transformation which can be accounted from the old days bloody revolution, industry engineering, information engineering, enterprise engineer , business process reengineering and continuous improvement.

Enterprise Architecture is an emerging paradigm rather than enterprise large scale system architecture or the new episode of business improvement and transformation effort. EA aligns technology with business need, see the enterprise big picture to know the enterprise environment, learn experience of the others and establish common foundation and building blocks to enable agile and simple business transformation. Enterprise Architects is an emerging discipline o map technology with business need, the enterprise architect have to know the technology side and the business side enough to establish the relationship.

Thanks to Akshaya bhatia comment on LEA.

Having read about the LEA concept, albeit in pieces, the concept seems to be interesting. Lot of thoughts and efforts must have been gone into suggesting an approach that advocates the agility in the enterprise architecture. Thrust on business alignment and mapping technology solutions with the business processes, which most other models of EAs also suggest, is apt. May be a bit of refinement and openness in integrating the enterprise solutions in some form ,albeit in the background, into the EA domain will make it more interesting and comprehensible. Also, one to one comparison with other EA models will strengthen and not weaken the innovative idea of having a light weight EA model. Just some thoughts.

Wishing all the best to John Wu for working on innovative ideas on EA, which at onset look adventurous but may emerge pragmatic with a bit of more refinement and openness.

regards,