The Preliminary phase prepares an organization to undertake successful enterprise architecture projects. It is about defining “where, what, why, who, and how we do architecture” in the enterprise concerned. The main aspects are as follows:
- Defining the enterprise
- Identifying key drivers and elements in the organizational context
- Defining the requirements for architecture work
- Defining the Architecture Principles that will inform any architecture work
- Defining the framework to be used
- Defining the relationships between management frameworks
- Evaluating the enterprise architecture maturity
The enterprise architecture provides a strategic, top-down view of an organization to enable executives, planners, architects, and engineers to coherently co-ordinate, integrate, and conduct their activities. The enterprise architecture framework provides the strategic context for this team to operate within.
Therefore, developing the enterprise architecture is not a solitary activity and the enterprise architects need to recognize the interoperability between their frameworks and the rest of the business.
Preliminary Phase Objectives
- Determine the Architecture Capability desired by the organization
- Establish the Architecture Capability
Inputs
- Reference Materials External to the Enterprise
- Non-Architectural Inputs
- Architectural Inputs
Steps
- Scope the Enterprise Organizations Impacted
- Confirm Governance and Support Frameworks
- Define and Establish Enterprise Architecture Team and Organization
- Identify and Establish Architecture Principles
- Tailor the TOGAF Framework and, if any, Other Selected Architecture Framework(s)
- Develop a Strategy and Implementation Plan for Tools and Techniques
Outputs
- Organizational Model for Enterprise Architecture
- Tailored Architecture Framework
- Initial Architecture Repository
- Restatement of, or reference to, business principles, business goals, and business drivers
- Request for Architecture Work (optional)
- Architecture Governance Framework