Agile EA: Reflections from My Experience as an Agile Practitioner
Recently, I had the opportunity to be interviewed for a research study on Agile Enterprise Architecture (EA). This topic caught my interest because of its alignment with Agile principles, which I see as increasingly vital in addressing challenges in EA development and implementation. As someone who values the iterative and adaptive nature of Agile, I found this discussion highly relevant to how EA can support dynamic organizational needs.
In the interview, I highlighted some major challenges organizations face in implementing EA, mostly based on my experience creating an EA in my workplace, the Directorate General of Taxes (DGT). One key issue is the lack of cross-functional collaboration, where EA development often occurs in silos without sufficient input from various stakeholders across departments. Additionally, limited resources and expertise pose significant barriers, as not all organizations have the skilled professionals needed to design and implement EA effectively.
Traditional EA approaches exacerbate these challenges. These methods are often linear and rigid, resembling waterfall methodologies in software development. Consequently, they tend to be inflexible and non-iterative, making it difficult for organizations to adjust EA to evolving needs.
Agile EA
Agile EA offers a more adaptive and iterative alternative, which I believe is highly relevant to the modern demands of EA. During the interview, I emphasized the importance of cross-functional collaboration to ensure that EA reflects the organization’s real needs. I also highlighted that individual competencies within EA teams are crucial, both in designing EA as a strategic blueprint and in implementing its operational components. Furthermore, I also noted that technology and tools, albeit not crucial in Agile, played a role in accelerating iteration and facilitating progress measurement.
I also shared my perspective on the distinction between creating EA and building EA. Creating EA results in a strategic roadmap, while building EA focuses on implementing the components aligned with that roadmap. In Agile contexts, these processes can be managed separately, involving different actors but maintaining close collaboration.
Modularity and Simplicity
One of the Agile principles I find particularly relevant to EA is modularity. A modular approach allows EA to be designed incrementally, enabling flexibility to adjust components without disrupting the overall framework. This incremental approach makes EA more adaptive to changing organizational needs.
Simplicity is another key focus. In the interview, I stressed that the primary emphasis should be on delivering usable EA products rather than overloading the process with excessive documentation. Two essential artefacts I identified are the digital transformation roadmap and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). The roadmap provides clear strategic guidance, while KPIs allow for quantitative evaluation of success.
Governance
When discussing governance, I emphasized the need for regular reviews to ensure EA remains relevant. Additionally, instant feedback systems enable quick adjustments based on real-time input. I also recommended establishing an independent EA governance committee, which can minimize hierarchy in decision-making, expedite processes, and ensure input from diverse stakeholders is effectively incorporated.
Reflections
This interview allowed me to explore the relevance of Agile principles in EA development. Agile approaches provide the flexibility needed to design EA iteratively and ensure it remains responsive to organizational needs. I am still convinced that Agile principles like collaboration, modularity, and simplicity can significantly improve how EA is designed and implemented.
