Point of View: Evolving IT roles

Reflecting on my quarter-century journey in the ever-evolving field of Information Technology, from programming Motorola's Z80 microprocessor to designing enterprise applications, it has been an enriching and rewarding experience. The diverse roles I've played, ranging from developer, business architect, enterprise architect and the establishment of enterprise practice, have shaped my growth and evolution.

Among these roles, the position of Enterprise Architect holds a special place in my heart. The Enterprise Architecture Framework was initially popularized by John Zachman in the late 1980s and later advanced by The Open Group's TOGAF framework. These frameworks introduced distinct layers of IT abstraction along with roles such as technical architect, solution architect, and Enterprise Architect.

The landscape of IT has undergone a profound transformation since the 1980s, following an exponential curve in the last couple of decades. The paradigm shift from waterfall to agile methodologies, coupled with the adoption of modern technologies like MicroService Architecture and DevOps, has ushered in compartmentalization and specialization in every domain of the IT delivery process. This evolution has given rise to a plethora of roles, such as Product Owner, application architect, DevOps engineer, Cloud engineer, and Data Science engineer, reflecting the need to keep pace with the expanding IT terrain. While the siloed approach brings efficiency through observable repetition, it has also sparked inquiries into the continued relevance of the Enterprise Architect role.

I strongly recommend Chris Potts' book, 'recrEAtion: Realizing the extraordinary contribution of your Enterprise Architects,' which provides a compelling exploration of the Enterprise Architect's role in an organization. It is a book for every aspiring Enterprise Architect and business leader who truly wants to understand an EA's role, which goes beyond the domain of IT.

Despite emphasising Business Architecture as a pillar of Enterprise Architecture in various frameworks, the Enterprise Architect role remains tethered to its technological roots. There exists a strong prevailing assumption that Enterprise Architects have limited involvement in the business aspects, perpetuating a misconception even among those with EA title holders. We need to break this dogma. However, uprooting a decade-old conception is incredibly difficult.

To address this, I propose establishing a new role – the 'Enterprise Consultant.' The Enterprise Consultant would place business strategy at the core of their responsibilities, viewing IT as a means to achieve organizational objectives. While some may argue that this role duplicates efforts already undertaken by business professionals, the reality is that in many large organizations, there are still gaps between business strategy and the understanding of what IT can bring to the table.

The Enterprise Consultant would bridge this gap, possessing a blend of strong IT knowledge, an understanding of the business, and its environment, marketing and sales acumen, and financial understanding. While not necessarily an expert in each domain, the individual would possess sufficient knowledge to connect the dots and engage in meaningful conversations with various stakeholders.

 In essence, the proposed role of an Enterprise Consultant seeks to harmonize IT capabilities with overarching business strategies, fostering a holistic approach that transcends the traditional boundaries of technology-centric roles.

However, for this transformative role of an 'Enterprise Consultant to thrive and garner the requisite attention from business leaders, its proposition must originate from a source external to the IT domain. An ideal approach would involve presenting this innovative concept through influential business bodies or reputable consulting organizations such as McKinsey or BCG.

As change is the only constant, I wish that the next evolution of the Enterprise Architect role evolves into that of the Enterprise Consultant role.