Creating the Enterprise Architecture Master Plan

Once Solution Opportunities are defined, it is time to create the Enterprise Architecture (EA) Master Plan:

• Document high level business processes, with special notation for roll up/drill down requirements and integration points 
• Determine high level application functional areas 
• Establish a Business Data Dictionary 
• Ensure the technology infrastructure can support the proposed solution

The EA stack has traditionally been depicted as a pyramid, with the technology infrastructure consuming the a large part of IT's budget, focus, and service delivery. 

With the emergence of cloud, mobile, and configurable vendor solutions, the Solutionist strives to define the EA downward from business process, creating a taller, narrower EA pyramid using a Roadmap approach .  This provides a greater opportunity to focus on business process.

Contents of the EA Master Plan

Business Processes including roll up/drill down and integration points

• Diagram of Business Operating Model that describes business functions and organization
• Business Process Map including integrations, dependencies, and overall flows, timing, and ownership
• Existing State: restrictions, commitments, and partnerships with vendors and strategic sourcing

Business Data Dictionary 

• Conceptual data model that depicts major subject areas, entities, and relationships of information across the enterprise
• Business data dictionary including a common vocabulary for major data elements including a cross reference for common data elements with multiple names and vice versa

Application functional areas 

• Inventory of software applications including business purpose and integrations between systems, both external and internal
• Cross-reference for software applications to business purpose (systems that are used in more than one and multiple systems providing similar functions) 

Technology infrastructure 

• Physical hardware maps, both internal data centers and hosted/cloud services
• Networks and connectivity diagrams
• Inventory of Operating systems, database systems, middleware, utility software, programming languages
• Security solutions
• Inventory of User hardware (PC's, laptops, mobile)

Roadmap

• Overall strategy tied to business objectives
• Short and long term objectives for getting from existing state to future state
• Governance plan
• Gaps and overlaps with high level opportunities and risks
• Prioritization and catagorization of projects required to execute the roadmap