Enterprise Architecture and the PMO: Where do projects come from? Simon Chatwin Senior Systems Architect ESI International

building talent, driving results Agenda  Where do project ideas come from? (Discussion)  Enterprise Architecture under any other name  A more ordered approach to discovering projects  Creativity and the Giant Hairball  Generating ideas  Where do project ideas come from (and round we go again!) 2© ESI International, Inc.

building talent, driving results So where do your projects come from?  In your organization, who creates the ideas?  Vision from higher up  Suggestions from below  Is there an annual event or is it continuous? We need more people… We need more time… 3© ESI International, Inc.

building talent, driving results Evaluating project ideas Project Drivers  Return On Investment (ROI)  Compliance (Regulatory, Legal)  Cost/Benefit (Qualitative)  Healthcare vs. Competitive Advantage  Management Said So!  Fit to Corporate Vision But this doesn’t help generate the right ideas, merely filters the existing ideas for the best ones 4© ESI International, Inc.

building talent, driving results Enterprise Architecture Who are they? Architecture: The organization and arrangement of the major components of an environment or system. A recent post on the Enterprise Architecture group in LinkedIn elicited over 1400 responses to: “Describe EA in 160 characters” Clearly even the EA practitioners can’t agree!  Is EA part of IT or more general/strategic?  Who does EA report to?  What do they do? 5© ESI International, Inc.

building talent, driving results EA Defined - Generically  WHY Perspective  …enable an enterprise to realize its Vision through the execution of it’s Mission, whilst  enabling it to respond to change and increasing its effectiveness, profitability, customer  satisfaction, competitive edge, growth, stability, value, durability, efficiency and quality  while reducing costs and risk’s…  HOW Perspective  …by Strategic Planning, Architecture and Governance, supported by a Decision Support  framework in the context of aligning all parts of the enterprise…  WHAT Perspective  …using Models, Guidance, Processes and Tools. © ESI International, Inc.6

building talent, driving results TOGAF – a way of doing EA  The Open Group Architecture Forum  A group of practitioners who are trying to get Architecture recognized as a Profession  Qualifications (Certifications)  Knowledge base  Experience Records  Also Zachman, DODAF, FEA and lots more!  But these are mainly ontology frameworks – ways of organizing architectural knowledge  TOGAF offers a methodology or process 7© ESI International, Inc.

building talent, driving results This is not a unique methodology In principle, it is very simple Stage E. is about finding opportunities and Solutions following analytical work on Business, Information and Technology Stage F. transforms these opportunities into projects for execution TOGAF offers a methodology 8© ESI International, Inc.

building talent, driving results Can we use a more organized method for project ideas  Does having a defined process help to generate ideas?  Is creativity limited by process?  Creativity depends more on ‘atmosphere’  Are ideas received ‘risk free’?  Are reputations dependant on ideas or execution?  Is improving the organization really about creativity? 9© ESI International, Inc.

building talent, driving results Orbiting the Giant Hairball  The Hairball provides a base, resources and center = gravity!  The Hairball can trap you into a morass of bureaucracy and routine How can we encourage new things that change and grow us within our current processes and procedures Due regard to Gordon Mackenzie, Hallmark 10© ESI International, Inc.

building talent, driving results Marrying Creativity and Process need not be contradictory  Brainstorming Exercises  Well known process (PMBOK recommended!!)  Aims to generate unpredictable results  Back to the original Question:  Where do your projects come from?  How would you engage Enterprise Architecture to discover the projects?  Are enterprise architects contributing to your project?  Who is creating the Strategy that you’re following? 11© ESI International, Inc.

building talent, driving results Conclusion – what can you do  How do you create a ‘risk-free’ environment for ideas?  How do you work with your EA department?  Identify where the projects come from now  Ask what you’re missing  Find out about Enterprise Architecture  Discover the project approval process 12© ESI International, Inc.

I’ve had lots of questions… What about your questions? Simon Chatwin Senior Systems Architect ESI International