For This Assignment You Will Write A 3-5 Page Paper That Exp ✓ Solved

For this assignment you will write a 3-5 page paper that exp

For this assignment you will write a 3-5 page paper that exp lain what enterprise architecture (EA) is and how it supports each SDLC phase. In your analysis, discuss Initiation, Planning, and Concept; Systems Analysis and Requirements; System Design; Development; Integration and Testing; Implementation; and Operations and Maintenance. Use at least two external scholarly sources and APA citations to support your arguments.

Paper For Above Instructions

Introduction

Enterprise architecture (EA) is best understood as a discipline that aligns an organization’s strategy, information systems, and technology assets through a coherent framework of principles, models, and standards. At its core, EA provides a structured view of an enterprise, describing how its business, information, applications, and technology domains interrelate. A well-defined EA creates a blueprint that guides decision making, investment prioritization, and change management, ensuring that IT initiatives support the organization’s strategic goals rather than pursuing isolated projects (The Open Group, 2019; Zachman, 1987). By integrating governance, modeling, and standardization, EA helps organizations manage complexity, reduce redundancy, and improve the return on IT investments (Ross, Weill, & Robertson, 2006).

EA's role in the SDLC (System Development Life Cycle) is to provide a consistent architectural context that informs and constrains activities across all phases, from initiation to operations. The framework helps translate business strategy into actionable requirements, design patterns, and deployment plans that are compatible with the enterprise’s current and target architectures (Weill & Ross, 2004). This alignment enables smoother collaboration among stakeholders, increases traceability of decisions, and reduces risk by ensuring that system development is governed by overarching architectural principles and standards (Winter & Fischer, 2007).

Initiation, Planning, and Concept

During initiation and planning, EA adds value by establishing the architectural vision and the scope of efforts in alignment with business strategy. An EA-driven initiation defines the target architecture states, identifies critical stakeholders, and articulates governance structures that will oversee the SDLC activities. By providing reference models, architecture principles, and baseline artifacts, EA supports a rigorous project charter and a transparent decision-making process (The Open Group, 2019; Ross et al., 2006). This upfront work helps prevent scope creep and ensures that subsequent requirements capture and design decisions reflect a coherent enterprise direction rather than isolated technology choices (Zachman, 1987).

Systems Analysis and Requirements (including quality or non-functional requirements or “ilities”)

In the analysis phase, EA’s role is to translate business strategy into measurable quality attributes—security, reliability, maintainability, scalability, and interoperability. EA frameworks promote the explicit definition of architectural requirements and ensure traceability from business objectives to system requirements. By prescribing standardized interfaces, data models, and service contracts, EA helps ensure compatibility across systems and reduces rework caused by ad hoc integrations (Lankhorst, 2017; Bernard, 2012). Considering the “ilities” early in this phase improves system resilience and supports later testing and validation efforts (Winter & Fischer, 2007).

System Design

During system design, EA contributes by providing architectural patterns, reference architectures, and modeling approaches that help engineers create cohesive designs aligned to the enterprise’s target state. The presence of enterprise-wide standards—such as data models, security controls, and integration patterns—facilitates reuse and reduces design fragmentation. EA also supports trade-off analysis by making explicit which architectural choices align with strategic priorities, enabling architects to balance performance, cost, and risk within the enterprise context (The Open Group, 2019; Ross et al., 2006).

Development

In development, EA guides implementation by enforcing conformity to approved architecture descriptions and component standards. Architectural governance processes can prevent drift from the target state and promote reuse of components, services, and patterns. By providing a common vocabulary and a set of reference implementations, EA accelerates development while maintaining alignment with business goals and regulatory requirements (Weill & Ross, 2004; Winter & Fischer, 2007).

Integration and Testing

For integration and testing, EA offers a blueprint of system interfaces, data flows, and service contracts that support end-to-end integration. Standardized interfaces and service-oriented architectures enable easier composition of new and legacy systems, while predefined non-functional requirements guide testing scope and acceptance criteria. EA also supports risk management by making dependencies and critical interfaces visible, enabling targeted testing and early issue detection (Lankhorst, 2017; Zachman, 1987).

Implementation

In the implementation or deployment phase, EA informs migration planning by identifying transitional architectures, sequencing of work, and governance controls needed to move from the current to the target state. Architecture-driven migration plans help coordinate multiple workstreams, minimize disruption, and ensure alignment with security, compliance, and data governance requirements. EA also supports portfolio and program management by providing a stable reference framework against which project progress and value delivery can be measured (The Open Group, 2019; Weill & Ross, 2004).

Operations and Maintenance

During operations and maintenance, EA supports ongoing governance and continuous improvement. The architecture repository serves as a living source of truth for decisions, configurations, and change impact analyses. Effective EA governance helps organizations adapt to changing business needs while preserving core architectural integrity, thus enabling flexibility and resilience in the face of evolving technology landscapes (Ross et al., 2006; Winter & Fischer, 2007).

Conclusion

In sum, EA is not merely a documentation exercise but a strategic, governance-driven approach to aligning business and IT. By influencing each SDLC phase—from initiation through operations—EA provides a cohesive framework of standards, models, and governance mechanisms that support strategic decision making, reduce risk, and enable enterprise-wide reuse and interoperability. A well-defined EA helps organizations translate strategy into sustainable capabilities, enabling faster, more reliable delivery of technology-enabled business value (The Open Group, 2019; Ross et al., 2006; Bernard, 2012).

References

  • The Open Group. (2019). TOGAF Standard, Version 9.2. The Open Group. Retrieved from https://www.opengroup.org/togaf
  • Zachman, J. A. (1987). A framework for information systems artifacts. IBM Systems Journal, 26(3), 454-470.
  • Ross, J. W., Weill, P., & Robertson, D. (2006). Enterprise Architecture as Strategy: Creating a Foundation for Business Success. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press.
  • Lankhorst, M. (2017). Enterprise Architecture at Work: A Business-Driven Approach (3rd ed.). Berlin, Germany: Springer.
  • Winter, R., & Fischer, R. (2007). Essential frameworks for enterprise architecture. Communications of the ACM, 50(2), 37-42.
  • Bernard, S. A. (2012). An Introduction to Enterprise Architecture. Fremont, CA: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.
  • Weill, P., & Ross, J. (2004). IT Governance: How Top Performers Manage IT Decision Rights for Superior Results. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press.
  • Kappelman, L. A., McLean, E. R., Johnson, V. E., & Snyder, A. (2008). The 2008 IT and Enterprise Architecture Survey: The state of the practice. MIS Quarterly Executive, 7(3), 63-83.
  • Bernard, S. A. (2012). An Introduction to Enterprise Architecture: A Systems-Based Approach. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.
  • Keller, D., & Smith, A. (2014). Architecture governance for IT-enabled organizations. Journal of Enterprise Architecture, 11(4), 27-38.

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