The Enterprise Map: See the unseen Enterprise

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The Enterprise MapSee the unseen Enterprise
Present to The Association of Enterprise
Architects - DC May 4, 2011 John Chi-Zong
Wu peaitce_at_yahoo.com
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My Goals

• Explain why the enterprise map is a fundamental
  tool for EA professionals.
• Describe the enterprise map and its real-world
  applications.
• Discuss the preparation of the initial Enterprise
  Map.
• Share successful implementations of the
  Enterprise Map approach.

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Why an Enterprise Map?

• The enterprise map is analogous to a
  topographical map.
• It enables stakeholders to
• See the unseen enterprise.
• Visualize the big picture of the enterprise.
• Cultivate an enterprise-wide collaborative
  culture.
• Possess a portal to enterprise knowledge.

Enterprise Map
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Background

• The Enterprise Map approach was born in 1998 to
  support the Immigration and Naturalization
  Services' (INS) year 2000 preparation.
• The second generation of the Enterprise Map was
  developed for the Immigration Customs Enforcement
  (ICE) agency in the Department of Homeland
  Security (DHS) to support agency transition
  efforts.
• The latest generation of the Enterprise Map was
  developed for the Office of Workers' Compensation
  Program (OWCP) in the Department of Labor (DOL).

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Using an Enterprise Map

• An Enterprise Map is similar to a geographical
  map it maps enterprise locations, business
  functions, processes and application systems.
• Helps new staff see the big picture of the
  enterprise.
• Serves as an information repository.
• Helps to organize enterprise knowledge.
• Allows practitioners to drill-down into specific
  areas of enterprise knowledge.

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The topographic map of EA

• The Enterprise Map (the "ground work" of EA) is
  similar to an engineering survey.
• Not just a glorified diagram output from a
  complicated EA system!
• Built piece-by-piece from the hard work and total
  participation of various stakeholders.
• Does not require a complicated EA system!

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Seeing the unseen enterprise

• By nature, an enterprise is logical and
  invisible.
• You cant manage what you cant see.
• You cant architect what you cant see.
• The enterprise as represented in the mind can
  become very different when put to paper.
• An enterprise map allows everyone insight into
  the enterprise -- no longer a privilege for the
  chosen few.

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Seeing the true big picture

• Knowing in part may make a fine tale, but wisdom
  comes from seeing the whole.  
• What is the true big picture?
• The Blind Man and The Elephant
• People tend to believe the part the touched is
  the whole.
• It takes a collaborative effort to truly see the
  big picture.

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Cultivating a collaborative culture

• The creation of an Enterprise map is a
  collaborative effort!
• The challenge EA practitioners face is how to.
• Facilitate collaboration by knowing human
  psychology via the concept of stone soup.
• EA professionals are the glue to facilitate
  collaboration rather a guru to command and
  control.

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A portal to enterprise knowledge

• The visible enterprise map also serves as a
  portal to navigate the body of enterprise
  knowledge it can link to detailed information
  within the EA repository.
• One of EAs main benefits is its ability to
  preserve enterprise knowledge.
• Collaborative software (like Sharepoint) allows
  for
• Preservation of enterprise knowledge.
• Accessibility of shared information.
• Maintenance of EA information as a result of
  collaborative efforts.

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The Enterprise Map Approach
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Architecture Drawings

• The Enterprise map adopts the same concepts as
  traditional architecture drawings.
• Proven form of communication for many years
• Utilizes the standard drawing templates that
  architects and engineers use
• The high tech EA community can greatly benefited
  on the old technology to communicate architecture
  knowledge.

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A visible business architecture

• The enterprise map is essentially the visible
  business architecture
• The Value Chain
• The Organization Chart
• The Location
• Drivers
• Customers
• Function
• Processes
• Support organization

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Step by step - Business Architecture
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Aligning Technology to Business Needs

• The Enterprise Map not only consists of business
  processes (as most of the other EA drawings do)
  it also illustrates how businesses can take
  advantage of technology.
• The EA map consists of the following technology
  layers
• Application layer
• Data Layer
• Technology Layer

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Step by step to align technologies
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Simple Drawing Tools

• The Enterprise Map only requires basic drawing
  tools to start with.
• It is not necessary to make significant
  investment on EA tools to initiate EA efforts!
• Drawing software (Visio)
• A large plotter
• EA repository comes after EA maping.

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Why a large plotter?

• Why do we need hard copy in a paperless age?
• Used to facilitate collaboration -- technologies
  may have evolved rapidly, but humans are still
  humans.
• Tangible paper copies are tools to facilitate
  participation.
• They can be laid on the table or posted on the
  wall to enable discussion and contribution.
• Enterprise map on the wall eventually become
  portals to the treasures of enterprise knowledge.
  

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Hard Work Leads to Total Participation

• The not so good news is that Enterprise Map is
  the result of hard work.
• The Enterprise Map is the ground work of EA.
• It is manually put together piece by piece, like
  a big puzzle.
• It is all about people.
• To facilitate collaboration, the EA professional
  has to conduct significant research to publish a
  straw man version.
• The straw man version serves as a platform to
  raise peoples curiosity and participation
  levels.
• Facilitating collaboration requires significant
  time and effort.

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The Enterprise Map - A Big Puzzle

• On the other hand, the enterprise map is not all
  about work -- it is fun, too!
• The Enterprise Map is a big puzzle without a
  picture for guidance.
• All jigsaw puzzle technique still apply.
• Building a jigsaw puzzle is a wonderful way to
  help your mind focus on a structured method of
  using problem solving skills.

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The Enterprise drawing set

• The end products of the Enterprise Map approach
  is a set of enterprise maps similar to
  traditional architecture practice.
• It start with the over all Enterprise maps and
  subject to break down for more detail.
• However, it should not exceed 10 pages to become
  overwhelming.
• It is a matter of macro cosmos and micro cosmos.
  

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Dissemination

• Deliver the Enterprise Map both in electronic
  form and by hard copy
• Use PDF for electronic delivery.
• Hard copy is useful but difficult to deliver.
• Print the hard copy on
• Desktop version (24 X 18)
• Wallpaper version (36 x 24)

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The EA 101

• Enterprise map to see the unseen enterprise is a
  unique EA capability.
• It is fundamental EA training considered as the
  EA 101.
• All engineering students take engineering drawing
  classes.
• Al Enterprise Architecture also learn Enterprise
  Map.