1. Defining the Scope of the Enterprise Architecture Development Cycle
Set the scope of the EA development cycle in line with the entity strategic directions, by identifying the domains, viewpoints, and level of detail to be covered. The stage draws on the business strategy, the digital transformation strategy, and the initial requirements of business stakeholders as primary inputs, and produces the development cycle charter as its main output.
2. Diagnosing the Current State
Document, understand, and evaluate the current state of the EA components, and gather the information needed to grasp the existing components that the development cycle will affect. The sharper the current state diagnosis, the better the future state design that follows. The stage produces a current state document for every domain within scope.
3. Identifying and Studying Future Trends
Agree on the future development trends for the EA domains by reviewing available information sources, local and global experiences, benchmark practices, and the relevant national requirements. The stage outputs an approved list of future trends per domain.
4. Designing the Future State
Build the initial picture of the future components for each EA domain, align them with one another based on the current state diagnosis and the approved future trends, then detail the components and viewpoints needed to reach the future state within the cycle scope. The stage produces a future state document for every domain.
5. Analyzing Enterprise Architecture Gaps
Compare the current and future EA components inside the entity, identify the gaps across the different domains, and define the right solutions to close them. The stage relies on the current and future state documents, and outputs an approved gap list with a proposed solution for each gap.
6. Developing the Roadmap to Achieve the Objectives
Build the list of initiatives and projects needed to deliver the future state of the EA, and lay out a roadmap to implement them, drawing on the future state design outputs, the gap analysis results, and the list of ongoing and scheduled projects. The stage outputs an approved roadmap with its initiatives, projects, and indicative costs.
7. Managing Enterprise Architecture Requirements
An ongoing process that runs throughout the development cycle. It defines the tasks needed to manage requirements across the EA domains, track them through every stage, and govern their status from the moment a requirement is raised until it is implemented or closed. It ties the stages together and keeps the EA evolving after the cycle ends.
