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Software Architecture Guide

Enterprise Architecture Maturity Level

Explanation

Section titled “Explanation”

Enterprise architecture (EA) is the practice of designing how a whole organization’s business and IT fit together. See the article Enterprise Architecture. A maturity level describes how developed the EA department is.

Levels and labels. Info-Tech’s scale uses labels such as Firefighter and Unstable. These are the two low levels. Info-Tech reports that over 80% of CEOs and CFOs place their IT functions in one of them.

Value is the measure. Info-Tech treats the value the organization actually gains as the true sign of maturity. A level is therefore not a score on its own. It reflects business outcomes.

The target should fit the organization. Info-Tech says the target should be right-sized to the organization’s size and complexity. The top level is not necessarily right for every EA department. This also argues against comparing maturity across different organizations.

Assess, set a target, plan. The Info-Tech maturity blueprint works in three parts:

  1. Assess the current maturity of the EA department.
  2. Define the optimal target for the organization.
  3. Produce a roadmap of EA initiatives.

Info-Tech’s assessment brief says its auto-generated goals and roadmap turn improvement into a step-by-step process.

Other models exist. TOGAF (see the article TOGAF) includes the Architecture Capability Maturity Model (ACMM). The US Department of Commerce developed it. It nominally has six levels, numbered 0 to 5. The NASCIO model is another option. It was designed for state governments.

Example

Section titled “Example”

A small company has a three-person EA team. Leadership first assesses where the team stands today. It then picks a target that matches the company’s size and complexity, instead of copying a larger company’s level. Finally, it lists the initiatives that would move the team toward that target, and it checks progress by the value the business gains.

Trade-offs

Section titled “Trade-offs”

Aiming for the top level is not always sensible. It may cost more than the organization needs, because the right target depends on size and complexity.

Choosing a model also has limits. The ACMM is described as best suited to organizations that already have EA experience. The NASCIO model is not suitable for non-governmental organizations.

Assess, set a target, plan, and check value.

Diagram source 
flowchart LR
  A[Assess current maturity] --> B[Define right-sized target]
  B --> C[Build roadmap of EA initiatives]
  C --> D[Check value realized]

Checks

Section titled “Checks”
  • The document states the target maturity level and explains why it fits the organization’s size and complexity.
  • Maturity is tied to value realized by the organization, not only to a level label.
  • The current maturity is assessed and a roadmap of EA initiatives leads toward the target.
  • If a maturity model such as NASCIO or ACMM is used, the document confirms it suits the organization type and its EA experience.
Section titled “Related”

Sources

Section titled “Sources”