REAL Talk With Sam Holcman

The adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to develop Enterprise Architectures (EA) is attempting to transform the field, but it comes at a cost: a noticeable decline in traditional EA competency and growing skepticism among stakeholders as to the worth of Enterprise Architecture.  Contemporary Enterprise Architects expertise is no longer just a nice-to-have - it is a strategic imperative for any organization seeking to thrive in an AI-driven world.

This is a post from Peter Kinev that I will be embellishing a bit.  Somehow, over time, Enterprise Architecture has developed a language of its own.  A language that seems more designed to deflect than to inform.  I think it is time we change the narrative.

This historical synergy between engineering and manufacturing int the industrial age offers a powerful analogy for understanding the complementary relationship between EACOE Architecture Models and EACOE Implementation Models for Enterprise Architecture, in the EACOE methodology for Enterprise Architecture (EA). Just as the collaboration between engineers and manufacturers powered the Industrial Revolution, the partnership between EACOE architecture models and EACOE implementation models is crucial for successful enterprise transformation. One without the other is incomplete: architecture without implementation remains theoretical, while implementation without architecture risks inefficiency and misalignment. 

This somewhat extended broadcast of Real Talk brings forward the fundamental truth facing success use of AI – most organizations data is not at all ready for use in AI (or for that matter, decision making outside of AI).  You will hear a bit of sarcasm in my voice, and at the end, yes a commercial on how to actually build a quality data environment. Wishing it were not true, will not make it so.

In the quest to optimize budgets, many organizations focus heavily on minimizing upfront costs - especially when it comes to Enterprise Architecture training, and certification decisions. However, prioritizing initial cost savings above all else can be a risky strategy, often leading to long-term inefficiencies, increased risks, and diminished personal, professional and organizational credibility.

How do you get someone to click on your article, product version, advertisement, or post?  Just put AI or artificial intelligence in the headlines.  Click bait has been around since the advent of the internet.  But you need to read past the headline to understand what actually it takes to “use” AI – Data, as this broadcast describes with an actual example.

With the advent of the internet, LinkedIn, Facebook, Artificial Intelligence, etc., behind all of these are people.  Well, who are these people, what are their “characteristics”, how do we recognize them, and who should we pay attention to?  This broadcast outlines these types of people, with a bit of humor, yet serious tone.

We explore the analogy between the agility of a salad bar - where a chef or diners assemble custom salads from a variety of ingredients - and the use of the EACOE Enterprise Architecture (EA) Framework and its elements to assemble business solutions, as opposed to traditional computer programming or coding.

This paradigm shift, from crafting each solution from the ground up to assembling from a menu of well-defined options, underpins modern approaches to both dining and enterprise technology.

Planned obsolescence in Enterprise Architecture or Business Architecture certification takes on a unique - and often contentious form, when certifying bodies release a new version of a credential, effectively rendering previous versions less valuable or even obsolete, despite earlier assurances of permanence or lifetime validity. This scenario can have significant repercussions for certified professionals and organizations alike.  One indicator of this phenomenon is a certification that is attached to a named and indicated certification version number.

An often-cited Wayne Gretzky quote applies perfectly here: “Skate to where the puck is going, not where it has been.” In Enterprise Architecture and Business Architecture, this means developing architectures that identify possible future trends, rather than just reacting to what’s already happening.