Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
perspective is different. As one goes down the table, topics become more
concrete and less conceptual, as do the associated perspectives.
The framework clearly understands and preaches that any enterprise
IT setup goes beyond the realm of the architect, designer, developer, and
QA group. There are more stakeholders, such as planners, business
owners, and keeper, who may play a key role in the enterprise, and are
often ignored in other framework models. Although most developers have
probably never heard of Zachman, the latter has become the
de facto
standard for enterprise architecture within the data organizer and IT
community.
However, the framework can be misinterpreted as a sequential
approach to modeling the enterprise starting with the first row or column,
and moving down. This is far from reality. The framework allows users
to start from any cell and navigate through, keeping the basic modeling
principles of stakeholders and perspectives in mind. It can also disintegrate
into a process-oriented, documentation-heavy bureaucratic approach given
the focus on organizing knowledge and data. Given its freedom from any
particular toolsets or methodologies, it should be used primarily for
identifying issues and gaps.
What It Takes to Be a Good Architect and Designer
Architects and designers are like coaches of a team. They are not the
supreme commanders or the heads of the project; yet they are the “know-
all” for the entire system being built. It is their vision that becomes the
blueprint for the development team. In this capacity, both architects and
designers should be able to visualize and see the “bigger picture.” While
keeping an eye on the user needs, they should be able to craft something
that can take care of evolving business and technology requirements.
While an architect should be more business and technology savvy, a
designer should be properly grounded in technical details (horizontal
versus vertical expertise). Simultaneously, both must be good communi-
cators — to document their vision and gain acceptance for their work.
Mitch Kapor, the creator of Lotus 1-2-3, wrote a very good description
on the roles of (architects and) software designers. He mentions that in
both architecture and software design, it is necessary that the professional
practitioner be able to use “a way to model the final result with far less
effort than is required to build the final product.” Kapor takes it a step
further to explain that:
“A design is realized only in a particular medium. What are the
characteristic properties of the medium in which we create
