Enterprise Architecture

3 Credits · Level: Graduate

This is an introductory course in Enterprise Architecture (EA). The course defines EA as a series of interrelated reference models designed to foster a holistic top-down approach to managing Information Technology (IT) assets. Effective use of IT is essential to serving customers and/or constituents and this course explores how to align an organization’s business goals with the use of technology. The course explains the use of EA as a structured discipline for managing and governing IT, enabling everyone in the organization, from strategic leaders to tactical office workers, to see how IT affects productivity. The course explains the benefits of EA such as: • Fosters a common consistent approach to managing IT assets and technology use; providing the necessary discipline to support business agility. • Provides the framework to manage business processes as assets. With the relative cost of technology ever affordable, an organization’s business processes (how it produces goods and services) is what differentiates a successful organization from its competitors. Technology by itself is no longer a differentiator. • Provides a direct link between business needs and technology use by establishing the vertical alignment of organizational strategies, business processes, and technology solutions.