TOGAF® Standard, 10th Edition · OGEA-101 Foundation · Quick revision
Enterprise Architecture (EA)
No Chapter 4 definition — closest official wording
“The purpose of Enterprise Architecture is to optimize across the enterprise the often fragmented legacy of processes (both manual and automated) into an integrated environment that is responsive to change and supportive of the delivery of the business strategy.”
Enterprise (CC §4.42): “The highest level (typically) of description of an organization and typically covers all missions and functions. An enterprise will often span multiple organizations.”
EA is “not just another name for IT Architecture” (CC §1.1).
Source: CC §1.1 (purpose statement) · CC §4.42 — Chapter 4 has no separate “Enterprise Architecture” entry
Memory aid
Fragmented → Integrated → Responsive → Strategy. EA joins the pieces so the business strategy can be delivered.
Memory aid — not TOGAF wording.
In plain words
EA applies architecture to the whole organization (or a chosen part of it) — business, data, applications and technology together — so that change serves the strategy instead of adding more silos.
Plain-English summary — not TOGAF wording.
Worked example
DUK had separate admission, fee and exam systems built by different teams, each with its own student database. An EA effort maps them together, exposes the duplication, and plans a joined-up target that supports the digital-campus strategy.
Illustrative example (Digital University Kerala) — not from the Standard.
01Mind map — related concepts
Enterprise Architecture
ENTERPRISE
Any collection of orgs with common goals
SCOPE
Whole enterprise, or specific areas of interest
FOUR DOMAINS
Business · Data · Application · Technology
PROMPTED BY
Business, technology, M&A, technical debt initiatives
ARCHITECT'S ROLE
Address stakeholder concerns & requirements
NOT TO CONFUSE WITH
IT Architecture only
Source: CC §1.1 · CC §3.3
02What prompts an Enterprise Architecture? (CC §1.1)
| Initiative | Example given in the Standard |
|---|---|
| Business-driven | Enable business transformation — e.g. leverage digital services and products as revenue-generating assets |
| Technology-driven | Efficiency and cost reduction — e.g. technology consolidation (physical, virtual, or both) |
| Merger or acquisition | Return on investment is only realized after technology efficiencies are realized |
| Technical debt | Management of technical debt accrued by agile development initiatives |
In all of these, EA is needed to manage complexity when change involves multiple systems with multiple inter-dependencies.
Source: CC §1.1
03The architect's role with stakeholders
Identify and refinethe requirements of the stakeholders
Develop viewsshowing how concerns and requirements are addressed
Show the trade-offsreconciling potentially conflicting concerns
“Without the Enterprise Architecture, it is highly unlikely that all the concerns and requirements will be considered and met.”
Source: CC §1.1
04Where it appears in the ADM
Phase A · Step 3.3.1
Establish the Architecture Project — EA is a business capability; each ADM cycle should normally be handled as a project using the enterprise's project management framework.
ADM §3.3.1
Whole ADM
The ADM is used iteratively to develop a comprehensive Enterprise Architecture landscape; it does not mandate a fixed sequence or a waterfall method.
CC §3.4
05Exam traps
“Enterprise Architecture is just another name for IT Architecture” → The Standard says explicitly it is not
“An enterprise is always a single company” → Any collection of organizations that have common goals; it often spans multiple organizations
“EA must always cover the entire enterprise” → It can cover the entire enterprise or one or more specific areas of interest
“Partners, suppliers and customers are outside the enterprise” → An enterprise may include partners, suppliers and customers
“Chapter 4 gives a formal definition of “Enterprise Architecture”” → It defines “Enterprise”; EA's purpose is stated in §1.1
06Self-test — tap to reveal
Q1What is the purpose of EA?
To optimize the often fragmented legacy of processes into an integrated environment that is responsive to change and supports delivery of the business strategy.
Q2How does TOGAF define an enterprise (§1.1)?
Any collection of organizations that have common goals.
Q3Can an enterprise span multiple organizations?
Yes — it often does (§4.42).
Q4Give two examples of an enterprise from §1.1.
E.g. a whole corporation or division; a government agency; a supply chain or consortium.
Q5Name the four initiatives that prompt EA.
Business-driven, technology-driven, merger or acquisition, management of technical debt.
Q6What are the three parts of the architect's role with stakeholders?
Refine requirements, develop views, show trade-offs.
Q7In Phase A, how should each ADM cycle normally be handled?
As a project, using the enterprise's project management framework.
Q8Is EA the same as IT Architecture?
No.