A sound architecture involves both strong technology and a
professional approach, says Allen Brown
Although many large organisations need to respond
rapidly to changes in the market as well as to competition and
globalisation forces such as the internet, that is hard to achieve
without a well-defined architecture geared towards the needs of the
business.
The flexibility and responsiveness of the business and its
ability to compete are underpinned by the successful implementation
of complex IT projects, for which an overall well-defined IT
architecture is a crucial factor that separates success from
failure.
The importance of an IT architecture cannot be overstated.
Complex distributed systems need to fit into a stable framework,
and their evolution and the deployment of new technologies, as each
emerges, need to be planned strategically with overall business
goals in mind to ensure interoperability within organisations and
with their customers, suppliers and partners.
However, the transition to having the right IT architecture in
place is not easy. Even when the need is clear and management is
behind the plan, it is hard to be sure that staff have the required
ability, experience and skills.
Philip Allega, in a recent Meta Group report, stated that 30% of
Global 2000 organisations will emphasise the role of and need for
enterprise architects in the next two years. As demand for
qualified individuals explodes, organisations are wary as many
high-profile projects have failed to deliver what the business
needs.
IT architects perform a valuable role. They are in the unique
position of being able to view the business need and the solution
implementation sides of a problem. This bigger picture allows them
to ensure that the solutions fit within the organisation’s business
direction, comply with IT standards and support the enterprise
architecture. IT architects are the technical conscience of the
business, responsible for the viability of the solution.
The IT architect defines solutions to business problems through
the reasoned application of IT. Those solutions are manifested as
architectures and can include systems, applications and process
components. They may also involve the application and integration
of a broad variety of products, technologies and services, various
systems and applications architectures, and diverse hardware and
software components.
But how do you identify and select an experienced, skilled IT
architect, or employ one as a consultant? What is needed is a
method of determining the skills, experience and knowledge of a
professional IT architect, with clear standards and measurements
for each of these attributes. Additionally, that method should be
applicable and relevant around the world, so that practitioners in
all areas have equivalent levels of skill, knowledge and
experience.
A common characteristic of the programmes available to certify
IT architects is that they test or validate the existence of
relevant knowledge - but nothing beyond that.
Knowledge is a critical first ingredient to becoming effective
at anything. But the effectiveness, potential and the degree and
value of the contribution rises to a new level as relevant skills
and experience are gained.
It is clearly important to know a subject, but it is much more
valuable to have applied that knowledge and to have gained
real-world experience.
It is for that reason that the Open Group is developing a
programme that certifies IT architect skills and experience. The
programme is based on an assessment of real-world experience - not
just knowledge tests.
It is time to start to think about the IT architect as we would
any other professional. They all have to pass examinations and
demonstrate practical application before qualifying. Having
achieved a professional qualification, they are required to update
their skills and knowledge on a regular basis.
It is time to take a similar approach to the IT profession and,
in particular, those upon whose thinking and skills the entire IT
infrastructure will be based.
This is the first in a series of articles from the Open Group
looking at the challenges in developing an IT architecture
Allen Brown is president and chief executive of the Open
Group