The Enterprise Architecture Playbook

12 Steps to Excellence in Enterprise Architecture

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Confront These Core Challenges to Lead With Architectural Impact

By understanding these challenges, EA leaders can overcome obstacles and drive systematic improvement that future-proofs the enterprise.

Conflicting priorities cause duplication and inefficient platforms.

Ivory tower architects and disconnected architecture are barriers to progress.

Scarcity of skills and resources for modern challenges.

Insufficient architectural support increases risk, cost, and time to market.

Unmitigated risks derail operations and your reputation.

Complex architectures and legacy technologies hinder change and growth.

Complex processes and systems promote errors and human middleware.

Capacity for innovation is limited by data quality, resource constraints, and legacy systems.

  • 66%
    Only 66% of respondents agreed that "our EA helps align IT investments with long-term strategy to reduce risk and deliver business value outcomes."
  • 34%
    34% of respondents think that EA is misaligned to business outcomes.

The State of Enterprise Architecture 2025, Bizzdesign, n=523

Focus on These 12 Core Secrets Is Critical to Success as an EA Leader.

Understanding the 12 secrets is imperative to overcoming your most prominent challenges and systematically improving IT for the future.

1
Connect your EA to the organization's
forward-looking vision.
2
Embed your
enterprise architects into
the business.
3
Develop your
architects at
the pace of technology.
4
Be an enabler,
not an obstacle.
5
Champion adaptive governance across
the enterprise.
6
Simplify your technology landscape.
7
Enable the
free flow of information and insights.
8
Adopt an Exponential 
IT mindset.
9
Shape how AI
powers your enterprise – don't
just consume it.
10
Prioritize automation efforts wisely along the value chain.
11
Engineer your platforms to balance cost, capacity, demand.
12
Architect for
flexibility, scale,
and autonomy.

The Enterprise Architecture Playbook

12 Steps to Excellence in Enterprise Architecture

Our 12-step process has been proven across maturity levels, and each step comes with a matrix of methodologies, tools, and templates that's right for you.

Structured, Actionable, 12-Step Framework

Clear activities to delegate to your team

Customizable initiatives with measurable results

Our highest-value advisory engagements

A proven path to excellence

1
Jan

EA Strategy

Connect your EA to the organization's forward-looking vision.
Assess EA Maturity & Current State Evaluate EA Service Needs Update Your Enterprise Architecture Strategy
2
Feb

Operating Agility

Embed your enterprise architects into the business.
Measure EA Performance With OKRs Build an Agile Enterprise Architecture Operating Model
7
July

Integration Strategy

Enable the free flow of information and insights.
Build a Data Integration Strategy Build an Application Integration Strategy
8
Aug

IT Transformation

Adopt an Exponential IT mindset.
Measure Your Readiness for Exponential IT Develop an Exponential IT Roadmap
9
Sept

Innovation Readiness

Shape how AI powers your enterprise, don't just consume it.
Assess Your AI Readiness Realign AI Architecture With Business Priorities
10
Oct

Business Architecture

Automate selectively along the value chain.
Define Your Business Architecture Develop an Enterprise Application Platform Strategy
11
Nov

Platform Architecture

Engineer your platforms to balance cost, capacity & demand.
Develop Your Solution Application Architecture Build Your Infrastructure Architecture
12
Dec

Data Architecture

Architect for flexibility, scale, and autonomy.
Identify Data Innovation Trends to Adopt Build a Data Architecture Roadmap
Legend
Assessments & Diagnostics
Strategy & Planning
Implementation & Training

Benefits of the Program

Your enterprise architecture team has the potential to be the powerhouse that drives your organization to new heights. With our targeted improvement plan, you won’t just keep up – you’ll redefine the game.

A Proven Methodology

A proven methodology to lead enterprise architecture, offering a superior alternative to ad hoc advisory engagements.

A Structured Framework

A calendar with 12 actionable steps aligned to the enterprise architecture leader’s most pressing priorities.

High-Value Advisory Engagements

High-value advisory engagements that deliver tangible results.

Clear Activities You Can Delegate

Clear activities you can delegate to your team with Guided Implementations and actionable best practices.

Customizable Initiatives With Measurable Results

Customizable initiatives with measurable results that align with your organizational, departmental, and personal goals, with annual proof of improvement.

How Enterprise Architecture Systematic Improvement Works:

Commit to your Evolution

  • Contact your Counselor to learn more about the Enterprise Architecture Playbook.
  • Become familiar with the Enterprise Architecture Playbook benefits, steps, expectations, and deliverables.

Assess your Team Performance

  • Build your Enterprise Architecture scorecard based on your personal success metrics and targets.
  • Conduct your Annual Enterprise Architecture Department Assessment by evaluating your team’s performance of each step based on your current business context and performance goals.
  • This will result in a prioritized set of steps for which to leverage Info-Tech’s support in your first year.​

Customize Your Playbook

  • Create your individual systematic improvement key initiatives plan, which will include your top 2-3 Playbook initiatives with your Counselor​.
  • Leverage Info-Tech's Diagnostics, Advisory Guided Implementations, Workshops, and Consulting experiences to customize and expedite your progress.​
  • Identify key contributors to the 12 monthly steps (direct reports) and delegate​.

Stay on Track & Accelerate

  • Quarterly, connect with your Counselor to review progress on the remaining Playbook activities and determine if you would like additional assistance with any of them.​

Celebrate Wins & Evolve

  • At the end of each year, you will review and measure your progress across each of the 12 areas through quantifiable success measures. ​

Be Future Ready. Get Your IT Department Started Now.

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