The Enterprise Architecture Playbook

12 Steps to Systematically Achieve Enterprise Architecture Excellence

IT is not meeting its organizational mandate

Most C-suite leaders rate their IT functions as firefighters.

• Business satisfaction is IT's key metric.
• Over 80% of CEOs and CFOs say that their IT functions are either firefighters or unstable.
• Meanwhile, the overwhelming majority - 93% - of C-suite leaders say that the desired target state for their IT department is to be at the level of Trusted Operator or above.

Source: CxO-CIO Alignment Diagnostic; N=500+; Time period from Jan. 2021 to April 2024

It's time to adopt a new playbook for enterprise architecture

For too long, enterprise architecture (EA) has been missing, underrepresented, or perceived as an obstacle to progress.

In today's ever-changing technology landscape, enterprise architecture isn't just a role - it defines the fabric connecting technology and operations.

However, many organizations struggle to align IT initiatives with strategic business priorities, manage legacy fragmented technologies, and ensure adaptive IT operations.

34% of respondents think that EA is misaligned to business outcomes.

Enterprise architecture must be an organizational capability that delivers insights, designs, and services that solve for the organization's strategic goals and vision.

It's time for EA to deliver on this promise.

Of the respondents, only 66% agreed that "Our EA helps align IT investments with long-term strategy to reduce risk and deliver business value outcomes."

Source: "The State of Enterprise Architecture 2025." Bizzdesign, 2025; n=523.

8 secrets underpin enterprise architecture success

For each of the key challenges enterprise architects face, Info-Tech has identified 8 secrets to EA success.

For EAs looking to succeed, focusing on these 8 core secrets will be critical.

Four more steps make your systematic improvement sustainable

In addition to the 8 secrets, there are 4 steps that make recurring departmental success an achievable and sustainable target.

8 SECRETS

1 Connect your enterprise architecture 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.

4 STEPS

9 Every enterprise architecture leader must also master these common-sense steps:

10 Prioritize automation efforts wisely along the value chain.

11 Engineer your platforms to balance cost, capacity, and future demand.

12 Architect for flexibility, scale, and autonomy.

Follow our 12-step EA Playbook to systematically achieve better outcomes

Based on our 8 secrets and 4 additional key activities, Info-Tech's proven 12-step path results in sustainable EA excellence.

Our EA Playbook is a structured, calendar-aligned, actionable framework that enterprise architecture leaders can follow to confront and overcome the key challenges that EA departments face.

At Info-Tech, we firmly believe that the path to EA excellence is systematic. We've put decades of knowledge into building the Playbook. This framework helps EA leaders step out of reactive mode to meet their mandate as true innovators and organizational partners, catapulting their organizations into an exponential future.

Info-Tech's approach

Info-Tech has compiled a thorough and proven library of research products aligned with the 12 steps in the EA Playbook.

Under each of the 12 steps in our EA Playbook framework are a series of research products with associated deliverables that will help you achieve excellence in each area. There are 28 research experiences in total.

See next slide for full-size image of our EA Playbook thought model.

The Info-Tech difference:

1. A structured, actionable, 12-step playbook
2. Our highest-value advisory engagements
3. Clear activities to delegate to your team
4. Customizable initiatives with measurable results
5. A proven path to EA excellence

You can't do it all alone

Strategic delegation is key to success.

• It is not expected or feasible for the enterprise architect to carry out all 12 steps within a year on their own. A key tenet of the EA Playbook is that many, or even most, of the steps should be delegated to other leaders accountable for relevant processes.
• One of the first activities that the enterprise architect should carry out as part of Playbook adoption is to identify those accountable to them for each of the 12 steps, then assign specific tasks to those individuals based on their experiences and deliverables within each step.
• The enterprise architect will then spend each month of the year focusing on a specific task to check progress with Info-Tech's support.

For example, as the enterprise architect, you may maintain accountability for the highlighted steps and delegate the remaining steps to your direct reports.

Your Info-Tech Technical Counselor will help you create a tailored plan specific to your organization, staff, and priorities.

Example only:

How do I adopt the EA Playbook?

Adoption of the EA Playbook is a tactical mix of advisory-led and self-directed initiatives, using Info-Tech's most proven research as your journey map.

• After completing an IT Department Assessment with your Info-Tech Counselor, you will have prioritized two to three Playbook steps to add to your annual Custom Key Initiative Plan (CKIP). Focus on completing these throughout the year with Info-Tech's support.
• The EA will still delegate, monitor, and track the progress of the remaining eight to ten Playbook steps to work toward the goal of systematic improvement. These initiatives will be discussed through regular progress reviews with your Info-Tech Counselor.

EXAMPLE ONLY:

Steps 1, 2, and 10 are prioritized in the CKIP, while the remaining steps will be monitored through regular progress checks.