Business vs IT Archive

  • A model is useful if it describes something in a context that renders a complex topic easier to digest for specific audience. Its purpose is to describe, to communicate. It is an expression of a viewpoint. It isn't a detailed map or a blueprint. It is representative of a system, it doesn't depict the system. It is an abstraction. I'm afraid we model too frequently as a cover for not actually producing things of value.

    The Power of Carefully Worded Nonsense

    A model is useful if it describes something in a context that renders a complex topic easier to digest for specific audience. Its purpose is to describe, to communicate. It is an expression of a viewpoint. It isn't a detailed map or a blueprint. It is representative of a system, it doesn't depict the system. It is an abstraction. I'm afraid we model too frequently as a cover for not actually producing things of value.

    Continue Reading...

  • Suggesting architecture in general, or enterprise architecture in particular, doesn't add value or is otherwise a fiscal black hole is akin to declaring that badly executed means discredits the ends. The objective of enhancing Business-IT alignment is a worthy one. Just because a bunch of charlatans over time have discredited one method of achieving that alignment doesn't mean we shouldn't bother.

    Bad Marksmanship

    Suggesting architecture in general, or enterprise architecture in particular, doesn't add value or is otherwise a fiscal black hole is akin to declaring that badly executed means discredits the ends. The objective of enhancing Business-IT alignment is a worthy one. Just because a bunch of charlatans over time have discredited one method of achieving that alignment doesn't mean we shouldn't bother.

    Continue Reading...

  • We seem to measuring a lot of things lately. The sheer volume of status reports and dashboards and timelines and updates would seem to indicate we have lots of metrics being captured and reported. But I've seen firsthand how numbers are shoddily derived, over reported, incorrectly reused and re-reported and it doesn't inspire confidence. What does it mean that leadership is basing decisions on these values?

    Death By Metrics

    We seem to measuring a lot of things lately. The sheer volume of status reports and dashboards and timelines and updates would seem to indicate we have lots of metrics being captured and reported. But I've seen firsthand how numbers are shoddily derived, over reported, incorrectly reused and re-reported and it doesn't inspire confidence. What does it mean that leadership is basing decisions on these values?

    Continue Reading...

  • There's been quite a lot of recent discussion around the rise and fall and rise again of SOA as a means for constructing a services-based view of an enterprise or a solution. I totally support that idea. But to take it one step beyond mere technical views and introduce the common lexicon bridge, we need to be having discussion centered around the capabilities associated with those services.

    Capable EA

    There's been quite a lot of recent discussion around the rise and fall and rise again of SOA as a means for constructing a services-based view of an enterprise or a solution. I totally support that idea. But to take it one step beyond mere technical views and introduce the common lexicon bridge, we need to be having discussion centered around the capabilities associated with those services.

    Continue Reading...

  • The social experience, whether it is Facebook or Twitter or Foursquare or Flickr or the latest release of <insert meaningless gibberish company name here>, it is all about connecting with one another in meaningful ways. A mega, super, hyperactive version of painting details of the mastodon hunt on the walls of a fire lit cave. How do we, as IT practitioners, connect with our peers throughout the enterprise and communicate knowledge that has intrinsic (or divine) value?

    How We Give Fire

    The social experience, whether it is Facebook or Twitter or Foursquare or Flickr or the latest release of , it is all about connecting with one another in meaningful ways. A mega, super, hyperactive version of painting details of the mastodon hunt on the walls of a fire lit cave. How do we, as IT practitioners, connect with our peers throughout the enterprise and communicate knowledge that has intrinsic (or divine) value?

    Continue Reading...