Confirmation Bias is defined as the tendency to attribute more weight than we should to information or solutions that are consistent with our beliefs. The technology industry has seen this in cloud computing, enterprise and business architecture, and numerous other areas. Unfortunately, the ramifications of an unoptimized solution do not show up for some time. We provide some guidance to avoid these very costly mistakes.

How do you make decisions on when to do things in-house, offshore, or outsourced?  We suggest the optional decision is what is the most direct way to achieve organizational goals and strategies.  With simple two-dimensional representation, all stakeholders will be able to see the relationship between the goals that are to be achieved and the personnel, processing power, and data each associated with those goals.  From these visuals, sound  strategy-driven decisions can be made.  A very powerful but simple technique.

Enterprise Architecture is a discipline.  Enterprise Architect is one Architecture Role.  We name the twelve architect roles in an enterprise. These names are associated with The Enterprise FrameworkTM  and are mapped into this Framework. Wordy definitions of these roles are not as helpful as the actual understanding of what each of these Roles produce. Please see our website www.ArchitecturesCOE.org, for The Enterprise FrameworkTM and this mapping.

Two articles were recently published that demonstrate clearly, the Data ownership debate/discussion/concerns that are going to determine where the public internet, search engines, and AI are facing and how these areas will mature very soon.  Quite simply, who “owns” the data, and what rights do those data owners have.  This seven-minute broadcast is an introduction to this very important topic.

When we were asked this question by one of our clients, the question being what is digital transformation, we did a bit of research.  As typical, we started with Google and Bing.  And to be a bit more contemporary, we asked a few AI engines the same question.  Summary – not really helpful!  Words have meaning.  What we suggest we need to do is enhancing or optimizing business activities through technologies – digital optimization.  Have a listen for more information.

What is the key skill that is not generally taught in Business Architecture or Enterprise Architecture Seminars and Training Courses?  Soft Skills!  The skills needed to get your point across and be heard.  Yes, a balance between “Hard Skills” that you get in these Seminars is just one component, and some say not the key component.  Have a listen to what Soft Skills are.

It has been ten-plus years since the meteoric rise in the use of off-premises computing – cloud computing.  Of course, we all know things change, and a little advertised change in the Information Technology world is the widening costs differential between in-house computing and cloud-based computing.  There has been and is a steady rise in the cost of cloud solutions and a corresponding steady decrease in the full cost of in-house solutions.  It is time to take a look at a balanced approach to these options.

We have compiled the six most often asked questions when we are called on for a potential consulting engagement. These six questions address the most important skills a consultant needs.  And you should be able to gauge the answers to these questions quite quickly.  And yes, there is one time-waster question we also suggest really is a time waster!

In a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, Paul Vieira outlines the actions taken by the Canadian Government that would force Facebook and Google (amongst others) to pay media outlets for links.  I call this leveling the playing field, and this podcast outlines why it is time for this to happen.  And by extension, the same compensation needs to occur from the AI vendors that are training their tools on intellectual capital they do not have rights to.

An article I read - "7 Ley questions CIOs need to answer before committing to generative AI," got me thinking about what questions need to be ASKED prior to not just AI - but any technology that is acquired/implemented. Using just a small component of the EACOE Enterprise Architecture approach will provide these questions. It is worth just a few minutes of your time, I believe.