The Enterprise Topology Training
Training is essential to learn the Enterprise Topology methodYou can not learn swiming or ride a bike from reading, to learn the Enterprise Topology requires systematic training effort with hands on experience. Although the book have describe the Enterprise Topology approach in detail, there many subtle detail which is beyond the description by words.
EA community must recognize the discipline in EA mapping
Many EA professional consider the effort to document “as-is” is a no-brainer work because it already existed. The problem is that being exiting does not means it is comprehensible. On the physical side, human can not comprehend an object when it is too large to see or when it is too small to see. On the logical side, it is completely invisible to human beings. Mapping the Enterprise is an EA training
Enterprise Map distinct EA from the other discipline EA is an emerging paradigm, the discipline of Enterprise Map distinguishes Enterprise Architecture from the traditional architecture and system engineering paradigm. Many traditional architects and system engineers would like to consider EA as a large scale architecture rather than a new paradigm. The did not realize the challenge of EA is the defining the “Enterprise” rather than competing the “Architecture” excellence. The nature of architecture training which tend to insist on their righteousness do not really help the EA goal to make transition from the stove pipe culture to an interoperable culture. Enterprise Architects are trained to see the logical and invisible enterprise and align application, data and technology for the business need. It is a mater of acquiring the right cars rather than an effort to how to make the cars.
Enterprise Map requires dedicated training and effort Although every one talks about the intelligence of seeing the big picture, but not many people have the capability to see the big picture. It is a human limitation that human can not comprehend an object which is too large or too small. Surveying techniques have existed throughout much of recorded history. In ancient Egypt, when the Nile River overflowed its banks and washed out farm boundaries, boundaries were re-established by a rope stretcher, or surveyor, through the application of simple geometry. The nearly perfect squareness and north-south orientation of the Great Pyramid of Giza, built c. 2700 BC, affirm the Egyptians' command of surveying. Now days, the physical topographical map, leverage on technology evolution, is possible to see the big picture using satellite image from the high altitude.
However, for the logical and invisible enterprise, the challenge to render the enterprise requires a different set of training. The evolution to technology does not improve the effort to see the enterprise. It requires special training and dedicated effort to comprehend and render the invisible enterprise big picture.
The effort of Enterprise Map is to collect the enterprise parts and orderly arrange the parts into a big picture. Enterprise map serve as the platform for identifying and gather the parts of the enterprise and orderly arrange the parts. For the logical and invisible Enterprise, it requires an collaborative efforts to create the Enterprise Map. It is a lot of effort to identify the parts in the different layer of the enterprise. It is the effort to identify the function, the process, the organization, the location, the application systems, the data and the technologies.
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Who need Enterprise Topology?
Who need Enterprise topology?1.1 New staff use Enterprise Topology for Orientation
In the information age, workforce become very transient particular in a organization which relies contractor support. EA maps work very well for the new staff orientation. New staff member use the EA topology for orientation. Usually, it will take a long time for a new staff to know the enterprise environment and become productive. Walking through the EA maps enable the new staff member to know the enterprise environment in a short time. It pass the knowledge from many experience staff to the new staff with minimum effort. EA map contributes to significant cost saving in Enterprise workforce consider the time which new staff member spent to know the enterprise environment.
1.2 Exiting staff need EA map to open up their mind
Average of staff in an enterprise have focus to work in their own area and have not get a chance to see the Enterprise Big picture. Gradually they become the from under the well which is used to describe a situation or individual who cannot or refuses to see the big picture because of being sheltered and/or closed minded. In many cases, during the years of developing the EA map, there are some people come to tell me that they did not realize this is how the organization works. The EA map render the Enterprise big picture and enable the existing staff to understand what others are doing.
1.3 Enterprise Leaders use Enterprise Topology for business vision and strategic planning
Enterprise topology enable critical thinking on business vision and strategic planning. . A leader or business manager who is habitually a "right-brainer" and they can connect themselves to the big picture which enable critical think in business vision and strategic planning. Critical thinking which consists of mental processes of discernment, analysis and evaluation. It includes possible processes of reflecting upon a tangible or intangible item in order to form a solid judgment that reconciles scientific evidence with common sense. The Enterprise topology support the Business leaders in enterprise wide business vision and strategic planning by:
• Render the logical and invisible Enterprise big picture with human factor consideration via visual reference
• Describe the Enterprise from the aspects of Mission, Functions, Processes, Organization, Location and Business context to the true Enterprise big picture.
• Use a one page approach in the principle of the sum is greater than the parts. A part by itself is only a part. Put the parts together on a large page, it become meaningful and leads to creative business vision and strategic planning.
1.4 Risk manager use EA map to support Enterprise risk management (ERM).
ERM provides a framework for risk management, which typically involves identifying particular events or circumstances relevant to the organization's objectives (risks and opportunities), assessing them in terms of likelihood and magnitude of impact, determining a response strategy, and monitoring progress. By identifying and proactively addressing risks and opportunities, business enterprises protect and create value for their stakeholders, including owners, employees, customers, regulators, and society overall.
ERM can also be described as a risk-based approach to managing an enterprise, integrating concepts of strategic planning, operations management, and internal control. ERM is evolving to address the needs of various stakeholders, who want to understand the broad spectrum of risks facing complex organizations to ensure they are appropriately managed. Regulators and debt rating agencies have increased their scrutiny on the risk management processes of companies.
1.5 Performance mangers use Enterprise Topology for Enterprise wide performance measurement.
In a performance based strategic planning and capital investment, it is essential to conduct Enterprise wide business performance measurement. Business performance management (BPM) (or Corporate performance management, Enterprise performance management, Operational performance management, Business performance optimization) consists of a set of processes that help organizations optimize their business performance. It provides a framework for organizing, automating and analyzing business methodologies, metrics, processes and systems that drive business performance. The performance managers use EA map:
• To prepare enterprise wide performance measurement plan.
• Identify key performance indicator and measurement points. Key Performance Indicators (KPI) are financial and non-financial measures or metrics used to help an organization define and evaluate how successful it is, typically in terms of making progress towards its long-term organizational goals[1].
1.6 Enterprise Architects use Enterprise Topology to plan enterprise architecrue
The Enterprise Topology was developed initially to support Enterprise Architecture. The EA map provide a visual reference for creative architecture effort. On the EA map, the architects can determine :.
• Identify stovepipe system
• Identify automation opportunity.
• Identify redundant automation.
• Identify common services.
• Identify obsolete technology.
• Analyze interoperability and information sharing.
1.6 System Architects use Enterprise Topology to develop system reqirements
System Architects use Enterprise Topology to develope their system requirements. Instead of developing system requirment from scratch by talking to people on what they need, the system architect can do their homework to study the holistic Enterprise Topology for a better ideal on what the enterprise need rather what each individual want. The holistic system requirment approach take the first shot from Enterprsie Topology and refine the requirments communicating with stakeholders.
1.7 Security managers use EA map for enterprise wide security managment
Security or information assurance must be planned from the Enterprise big picture rather than by each project. Security is tightly couple with Enterprise Architecture to know what to secure. A tangible and visible EA map is the foundation of all security planning and architecture effort. The wikipedia suggest that :
Enterprise information security architecture (EISA) is the practice of applying a comprehensive and rigorous method for describing a current and/or future structure and behavior for an organization's security processes, information security systems, personnel and organizational sub-units, so that they align with the organization's core goals and strategic direction. Although often associated strictly with information security technology, it relates more broadly to the security practice of business optimization in that it addresses business security architecture, performance management and security process architecture as well.
In the years of developing EA map, the author have worked closely with security teams in many organization. The security team have use EA map to establish security priority and certification and discover hidden automation systems in the Enterprise.
1.8 Application developers use EA map to adapt the Enterprise environment
On the EA map, the application developers are able to comprehend the overall business and technology environment from the Enterprise Topology Map and Enterprise Baseline map. technology baseline map. Stove pipe application systems are developed due to lack Enterprise big picture. Application developers use EA map to :
• Develop application system requirements
• Develop application system interface
• Adapt the Enterprise environment
• Learn experience from the same line of business.
• Reuse application services.
1.9 Project managers use EA map for enterprise wide project management
Project managers use EA map to establish Enterprise wide project management approach where the projects are initiated and managed based on enterprise wide consideration based on business vision, strategic planning and performance gaps rather in a stove pipe approach where the projects are initiated by individual consideration.
1.10 Asset manager use EA map for Enterprise Asset management
Asset managers use the tangible and visible EA map for Enterprise asset management. From the wikipedia:
“Enterprise asset management (EAM) means the whole life optimal management of the physical assets of an organization to maximize value. It covers such things as the design, construction, commissioning, operations, maintenance and decommissioning/replacement of plant, equipment and facilities. "Enterprise" refers to the management of the assets across departments, locations, facilities and, in some cases, business units. By managing assets across the facility, organizations can improve utilization and performance, reduce capital costs, reduce asset-related operating costs, extend asset life and subsequently improve ROA (return on assets).
The functions of asset management are taking a fundamental turn where organizations are moving from historical reactive (run-to-failure) models and beginning to embrace whole life planning, life cycle costing, planned and proactive maintenance and other industry best practices”
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The LEA Architecture drawing tools
1.0 INTRODUCTIONThe most frequent question on Enterprise Topology is what tool do you use to generate these pretty picture? In their mind, the Enterprise Topology must be generated by a complicate computer system or graphic tools. Howerver, to their disappointment, the Enterprise topology is composed manually.
Enterprise topology, similar to geographical survey work or a gigantic jigsaw puzzle, is composed manualy piece by piece. There is no easy way to see the true enterprise big picture because it is the original information similar to geographic survey field note. A Enterprise Topology serve as the input information EA repository rather than a pretty picture generate by complication computer graphic tools.
EA on spread sheet
Spreadsheet can be useful on EA analysis.
2.0 ENTERPRISE TOPOLOGY WORK PLACE
An Enterprise Architect work place is not much difference from a tradition architect office except a drafting table. Enterprise Topology require significant mind work to compose the big puzzle. To compose Enterprise Topology, it require a drawing package on desktop computer; a D size plotter to print out the working draft; a posting area to post the draf Enterprise topology. it is important to look at the draft Enterprise Topology every day to allow the subconscious to work. Enterprise Topology can be composed in parallel at differnt phase; The drawing rack for easy access to the Enterprise Topology packages.
2.1 A drawing on desktop such as the Microsoft Visio
The author has used the Microsoft Vision to compose the Enterprise Topology. The manual drawing process enable the the architects capture the architecture thinking on the drawing pakage freely without complicate drawing skill to hinder the architects creation. Hand drawing carry the human touch which is essential to the communication between the architects and stakeholders in the design process. Mechanically generate drawings which document the architecture design can not replace the hand drawing , it serve the purpose to document the architecture after the fact of the designing process.
2.2 The D size plotter
The Enterprise Topology approach in the last chapter sugget to use hard copy in faciliating human interaction. It is essential to have the capability in printing hard copy of the Enterprise topology. One way to judge the establishment of Enterprise Architecture effort in an organization in the capability of EA is to look for the paper plotter. A serious Enterprise Architecture office usually have a D size plotter to print out hard copy.
Despite the technology evolution, the human specie has not evolved much in the last couple thousand years, the hard copy still the best for human interaction to compose the big picture, induce the hidden institutional knowledge and enable reconciliation over the true enterprise topology. As much as we want to get rid of paper in the information age, the Enterprise Topology approach has found that hard copy still serve as the practical instrument to compose the Enterprise topology because human is still human.
The hard copy Enterprise topology serve as a practical instrument to compose the true enterprise big picture. Most human being only believe what they can see and touch, the hard copy Enterprise topology enable them to comprehend, communicate, and contribute their institutional knowledge toward the Enterprise Big Picture.
2.3 Posting area for subconscious to work
Enterprise Architects need an area to post the draft Enterprise Topology print out to enable subconscious to work. Here is a jigsaw puzzle technique that seems odd, but works miracles. Most people know that the subconscious brain works on problems while we are not actually aware of it. The brain can be encouraged to do this while assembling a jigsaw puzzle. It works best during the middle part of a puzzle when things are starting to take shape, but can be done anytime. The Enterprise Topology display post on the following picture is design by the author for practical need. It work well for architect with limited space. The posting area consist of multiple Enterprise Topology drawing. An architect can work with multiple Enterprise Topology.
2.4 The Drawing rack
One important aspect of hard copy Enterprise Topology is easy access, people can read it any time without turn on the computer and pan and zoom on the screen. Similar the an Architecture office, the Enterprise Architecture office also use the traditional architecture drawing rack to hang the Enterprise Topology packages. It is not the best way to roll the Enterprise Topology drawing package in a tube file, it is difficult to read and struggle to keep it flat.
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Preserve Institutional Knowledge
1. PRESERVE ENTERPRISE KNOWLEDGEEnterprise Architecture preserve the institutional knowledge for business continuity. It is inevitable of personnel transition in a enterprise. Instead let the institutional knowledge walk away with the transition, EA is effort to preserve the institutional knowledge and maintain enterprise continuity.
Documenting the existing environment is the fundamental of EA. A managed chaos is better than an out of control chaos. Why the effort of documenting existing environment? Starting from a clean sheets for optimization is not a realistic option for most of exiting enterprise, there are many reasons for an enterprise to become the way it is. EA can not bring the business and technology together without knowing the reasons behind the way it is.
Many people have thought that documenting existing environment is trivial because it is exiting and it is all there. It is easy to see a tree but it is not trivial to see the forest. Documenting the existing environment to map out the enterprise is a major effort in EA. It required systematic engineering approach to document the existing environment for the enterprise similar to the national geographical survey to the country.
Documenting existing environment offer a solution to architecture buy-in. It establish a sense of community to the stakeholders toward architecture compliance. The best architecture compliance enforcement is among the stakeholders rather than totally relies on the government. In urban planning, the sense of community and culture have been a major driver for architecture compliance. For example, neighbors in a subdivision keep up with each other to follow the standards and regulation. Existing environment support
Pattern recognition from documenting existing environment offer a solution to the EA “paralysis by analysis”. The effort of Enterprise Resources Planning approach with the concept of generic model have encountered different bottle because of every enterprise has it own culture and one size does not fit all. Documenting the existing environment tells the most of what the stakeholders need. Pattern recognition from the existing environment establish building blocks to best suit the agency’s particular organization, culture, and internal management practices.
The Preserving Institutional Knowledge section elaborate the approach to preserve institutional knowledge.
To adapt the knowledge management approach in managing the Enterprise institutional knowledge. Knowledge management (KM) comprises a range of practices used in an organization to identify, create, represent, distribute and enable adoption of insights and experiences. Such insights and experiences comprise knowledge, either embodied in individuals or embedded in organizational processes or practice.
The type of Enterprise Knowledge
According to Inside Knowledge, Snowden's early work in the field of decision support systems informed his principles of organic knowledge management, using "the natural contours of [an] organisation to allow knowledge to self-organise and self-manage." [4] He describes his three basic rules or principles of knowledge exchange: [9][10]
"Knowledge can only be volunteered; it can't be conscripted."
"People always know more than they can tell, and can tell more than they can write."
"People only know what they need to know when they need to know it."
Enterprise Topology to preserve Intitutional knowledge
Enterprise Topology is the effort to preserve institutional knowledge. The challenge is how to transfer the institutional knowledge from each individual. Not all institutional knowledge can be transfer by words like telling a story. Institutional knowledge reside in each individual in the following forms.. .
• . The knowledge can be described in words.
• . The knowledge can be described in picture.
• . The knowledge unable to describe.
. The subconcius knowledge that the individual does not know they know.
In everyday speech and popular writing, however, the term is very commonly encountered. There it will be employed to refer to a supposed 'layer' or 'level' of mentation (or/and perception) located in some sense 'beneath' conscious awareness -- though, again, the notion's dependence upon informal 'folk-psychological' models that remain vague means that the precise nature and properties of this 'underlying' layer are either never made explicit or possess an ad hoc quality. At different times, references to the 'subconscious' as an agency may credit it with various abilities and powers that exceed those possessed by consciousness: the 'subconscious' may apparently remember, perceive and determine things beyond the reach or control of the conscious mind. The idea of the 'subconscious' as a powerful or potent agency has allowed the term to become prominent in the New Age and self-help literatures, in which investigating or controlling its supposed knowledge or power is seen as advantageous. The 'subconscious' may also be supposed to contain (thanks to the influence of the psychoanalytic tradition) any number of primitive or otherwise disavowed instincts, urges, desires and thoughts.
It take some psychological skill to transfer the institutional knowledge from each individual . In the stone soup story, food is very short right after the war. the hungry solders knows very well that they will get starved by asking food directly from the villagers. But they really knows how to get the hidden food out the villagers and make the best soup that villagers can never forget. Enterprise architecture must also know how to excavate institutional knowledge from each individual, it is more than not just a matter of sent out data call and expect people to tell every thing they know. The skill to excavate embedded institutional knowledge from people requires substantial understanding of human nature.
3.1 The limitation of direct inquiry
Most EA approach gather the enterprise knowledge in a direct approach by sending out data call, survey form and conduct site interview in a very direct approach. In the story of stone soup, the solders knows better that they will get starved if they ask food directly from the villagers, people will not even open the door. It is also a common EA experience that people want Enterprise Architecture to go away because of redundant and overwhelm data call and interview from EA initiatives. Frequently, for the people who have the institutional knowledge, answer the survey is not their priority. The data call an inquiry may comes people with limited institutional knowledge.
3.2 Knowledge transfer by knowing human nature
In the Stone Soup story, the solders knows well to use human nature on getting the hidden food from the villagers. They raise the villagers curiosity by setting up as pot of water and declare to make soup with magic stone. With the curious villagers around, they orchestrate the voluntary contribution of their hidden food. The solders knows the human nature of showing off when a person feels that they know better. Enterprise topology take the same approach to transfer the embedded institutional knowledge from each individual.
3.2.1 Knowledge transfer via the human nature of curiosity
Curiosity is a human gift. One cannot help but be in awe when he contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure of reality. The initial Enterprise Topology raise the stakeholder curiosity with a very high level Enterprise Topology template similar to the pot of water in the stone soup story.
3.2.2 Knowledge transfer via the sensation of solving a puzzle.
Not only the architects want to put together the Enterprise big picture, the Enterprise Topology has also become a sensation to the stakeholders too. The Enterprise Topology become a big puzzle challenge to every one and trigger the knowledge transfer to complete the enterprise and see the true big picture.
3.2.3 Knowledge transfer via the nature of show off
It is a human nature that people want to show that they know better than you. Do not worry making mistake in preparing the initial enterprise topology. Making honest mistake on the enterprise topology give the opportunity for the stakeholder to show off that they knows better. From there on, they begin to to dumping out their hidden institutional knowledge. The caveats is the architects must do their home work so that they do not appears to ignorant.
Enterprise Architecture document management
Enterprise Architecture record keeping
Organic EA suggest to use EA repository and document library to manage the enterprise knowledge.
Knowledge transfer
Enterprise Architecture preserves the institutional knowledge for business continuity. It is inevitable of personnel transition in a enterprise. Instead of letting the institutional knowledge walk away with the transition, EA is the effort to preserve the institutional knowledge and maintain enterprise continuity. This is a large problem in corporations where folks are entrenched for many years (20+) and little effort has been made with documentation.
While many industry pundits emphasize future state EA plans, there is merit with documenting the current state. A managed chaos is better than one that is uncontrolled. The value of current state architecture comes from two areas. First, when corporations face large efforts that perhaps have been mandated often they must review and change every system in their portfolio. The industry I represent, health insurance, is riddled with mandates of this nature. Understanding where things are is essential. Next, when system retirements/replacements are scheduled it is very useful to have current state blueprints, preferably in a repository, that can be queried to determine the impact of such a change. For example, if one is replacing system A, one can query the repository to see what other systems are tied to system A. Finally, current state architectural information is useful for disaster recovery efforts. While the information would need to be stored off-site it is still useful to have the data to answer questions like "if site Q is down what servers, systems, and business units are impacted?".
Many people have thought that documenting existing environment is trivial because it is exiting and it is all there. It is easy to see a tree but it is not trivial to see the forest. Documenting the existing environment to map out the enterprise is a major effort in EA. It required systematic engineering approach to document the existing environment for the enterprise similar to the national geographical survey to the country.
Documenting existing environment offer a solution to architecture buy-in. It establish a sense of community to the stakeholders toward architecture compliance. The best architecture compliance enforcement is among the stakeholders rather than totally relies on the government. In urban planning, the sense of community and culture have been a major driver for architecture compliance. For example, neighbors in a subdivision keep up with each other to follow the standards and regulation. Existing environment support
Pattern recognition from documenting existing environment offer a solution to the EA “paralysis by analysis”. The effort of Enterprise Resources Planning approach with the concept of generic model have encountered different bottle because of every enterprise has it own culture and one size does not fit all. Documenting the existing environment tells the most of what the stakeholders need. Pattern recognition from the existing environment establish building blocks to best suit the agency’s particular organization, culture, and internal management practices.
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What is see the big picture?
See the picture is capability to see the invisible by rendering the invisible into human comprehension. The story of blind man and the elephant [] is a classical effort to see the big picture. It is similar to the popular game of Jigsaw puzzle [].It is a human limitation to comprehend the very large or very small object, and it is very more difficult to comprehend the invisible logical object such as an enterprise.The capability to see the big picture is not born, it is the result of training. CEA recognize the discipline of see the big picture and suggest to see the whole using the tool of model, framework, repeatable pattern, concept of operation and the enterprise map [Wu, 2006].
2.2 EA to “See the Whole”
Seeing the whole is not a collateral duty, It is EA’s responsibility to provide the enterprise big picture. The business owners have to manage their daily business crisis, they are not in the position to see the enterprise big picture. Even if they want to, they do not have the time and resources because it is not a trivial effort to see the whole. In some cases, individual business owners have initiate redundant effort to see the whole. Each project has invested time and resources to see the part of big picture for their need to make better decision. Most of the independent effort stays within the project and never share with the other.
EA is the engineering of sharing and reuse which is dedicated and unded with resources to see the whole and provide the enterprise big picture for the stakeholders. Seeing the whole is the effort to provide the enterprise big picture to the planners, application developers engineers, the portfolio managers, the security engineers, the infrastructure engineers.
2.3 “Seeing the whole” distinguish EA from other paradigms
EA is an emerging paradigm. Although, many other established paradigms would like to impose their own image on EA to consider EA as the enterprise wide application systems design, or the enterprise wide business process reengineering effort. Many EA experts consider that EA is a multiple discipline. They have practically denied that EA is a emerging paradigm . What distinguish EA from the other paradigm is the discipline of seeing the whole. An enterprise architect may not know as much in application development than the application developers or as mush in business reengineering than the industry engineers. But they are specially trained to see the big picture.
The Merriam-Webster dictionary define the “ Big Picture” as : “The entire perspective on a situation or issue ”. The big picture is comprehend with mind rather then eyes. Although the TV manufactures like to use big picture in their products, the effort of “see the big picture” is to visualize the subject which human eyes can not comprehend . It can be an physical subject which is too large for human eyes to comprehend or it can be an abstractive subject which does not physically exist.
“Comprehend the big picture with mind” is too profound for common soul, most of people only touch one part of the enterprise and does not have the opportunity to see the whole. The invisible big picture must be visualized for every one to comprehend. The effort of “see the big picture” is to visualize the invisible subject for every one to comprehend rather keep it stealth to some profound individual. The stakeholders must be able to visualize the big picture of the enterprise the way that we can see the earth as a big blue marble as shown on the following picture from Apollo 17 .
An enterprise big picture does not only consist of the logical big picture but also the physical big picture. Unlike the business process centric application development paradigm, EA is the engineering of reuse and sharing between organization in different geographical locations. A example is the concept of operation from the legacy US Customs Services. The following figure from the Practical Guide for Federal Enterprise Architecture by CIO council captures the operational environment of the U.S. Customs Service for performance of its Trade Compliance mission. The figure shows the import of goods and merchandise into the U.S. via sea, air, and ground modes of transportation. It also shows the inspection of those goods and the rejection of invalid or illegal shipments. The graphic portrays the movement of those goods to the eventual consumers. The graphic depicts the collection of duties, fees, and taxes and the flow of those monies into the U.S. Treasury. Customs also captures and collects a large volume of statistical information at its 300-plus ports of entry. The Trade Compliance CONOPS Graphic shows the flow of that information to the Customs Data Center and to over 100 other government agencies
EA is the discipline to bring the big picture into visualization so that every one can see. The big picture looks simple but yet requires substantial wisdom and effort to see the whole. Thinking about how long does it take for human to see the big blue marble and how much effort it is to discover that the earth is a globe and it orbits around the sun. During the civilization, people envision the earth is flat , and latter they discover it is a globe and then they found out it orbit around the sun. They have not actually seen the big picture of earth as a blue marble until this picture. Now they are working to see the big picture of universe. In addition to physical big picture, there are also abstractive big picture to see the entire perspective of a situation or an issue. It requires explicit modeling technique to visualize the abstract big picture
See the big picture is not invetory the As-is
I have just realized the confusion in the EA community between "see the big picture " and "documenting as-is" . Many EA architects get more important thing to do and have no time for the tedious work of documenting the "As-is". Some EA experts told me that "document as-is" is a no-brainer clerical work for junior staff because it is existing. The assumption that " Every existing thing can be seen" does not seems to be a valid one, there are many existing things that you can not see. You can not see ithe existing subject t when it is too big or when is too small. Enterprise definition is to big to see. Thinks about the story of the blind men and the elephant.
"To know the enterprise" is not the same as documenting "As-is". Please note that the FEA framework of "as-is " "target " is a EA design transition framework, it should not be confused with the EA model .EA is described by the EA model which include the business layer, data layer, application layer and technology layer rather than the transition framework you are referring to. I have distinguished the models and framework in the framework and model section in my book proposal. It is easy to fall through the crack between the EA model and the EA framework without distinguish the EA model and different kind of frameworks.
See the big picture to know the business architecture is to describe the business architecture layer and should not confused with documenting "as-is" effort. See the whole is a wisdom that every one talks about but only a few people are capable to do so. Documenting the "As-is" is an inventory effort which is not much different from the inventory effort in a supper market. in many EA project, documenting "As-is" is a clerical effort for junior staff as it is to inventory in a super market. To see the big picture and know the enterprise definition is a test of wisdom which distinguish EA profession from the other discipline.
Further discussion to the term of "As-is". The "As-is" is not really the "As-is" , it is a baseline which is a snap shot of normal state at one point of time. The true "As-is" is a function of time, it change continuously with real time. An important responsibility of EA is to monitor the enterprise vital sign in real time. Let us save this one to discussion in the other time.
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