This Executive Update digs into the working rhythm of an instituted business architecture function. It utilizes PEST (political, economic, social, and technological) analysis and introduces a “5E methodology” to formulate, qualify, and deliver sustainable solutions for change.

As I explain in this Executive Update, service leadership is about doing the right thing for the right reasons and making principled, fact-based decisions.

I have to admit, I’m not a particular fan of metrics. Many managers still seem to believe that you can manage an organization by setting numerical objectives and tie them to financial bonuses. This approach has utterly failed; most prominently as one of the root causes of the ethical and economic breakdown of major parts of the financial industries in 2008.

Growing up, many of us remember walking to school alone, hanging out with friends in the park, and then, eventually, finding our way home for supper. Today, for children of the same age, such activities are considered dangerous or even illegal. It’s staggering. But norms change. The challenge for most of us is keeping up with the pace of change.

Enterprise architecture is a discipline that centers around information and knowledge. EA practice relies heavily on the quality of the information available in regards to the building blocks that comprise the architecture as well as how those blocks are configured and deployed. The discipline also depends on the personal knowledge of the people that create or use these components to understand how well architectures meet the needs of stakeholders and users. Not surprisingly, the EA practice can learn a great deal from knowledge management (KM). However, many KM techniques are either unknown or underutilized within the EA community. In this Executive Report, we examine which KM techniques hold the most value and how architects can apply them.

As we move into the next era of computing, the Internet of Things (IoT) is likely to continue to develop as a serious security challenge. The IoT has been characterized as simply the attachment of diverse devices to the Internet, but it is also the entry point for a much more complex and nuanced issue, as we discuss in this Executive Update.

As we move into the next era of computing, the Internet of Things (IoT) is likely to continue to develop as a serious security challenge. The IoT has been characterized as simply the attachment of diverse devices to the Internet, but it is also the entry point for a much more complex and nuanced issue, as we discuss in this Executive Update.

Knowledge management (KM) and enterprise architecture (EA) are both children of the late 20th century. The fact that they both emerged as distinct disciplines around the same time might suggest that they have a lot to share.

We are seeing a serious push by vendors and organizations to incorporate machine learning (ML) techniques into both consumer and enterprise applications, where the technology is being applied to automate the analysis of large amounts of data, identify patterns, and learn preferences and behaviors.

The special properties of nanotechnologies are opening up new possibilities in medicine, electronics, photonics, biotechnology, and a host of other industrial applications.

Central to psychological contracts is the inherently perceptual nature of contracts and the need to manage relationships, not just compliance with the written contract. In this Update we’ll be exploring the legal aspects of these contracts. When individuals begin to act as collectives (or clans, as they are known) with shared values and behaviors, patterns of behavior can override what the written document might say — not just in practice, but legally as well.

The recently announced VW emissions debacle is something that I take personally.

Clarity, conditions, and constraints must work together to create the right balance of freedom and responsibility for teams. Without appropriate freedom, companies waste the experience, intelligence, and creativity of their employees. Without appropriate responsibility, teams may miss the mark or do foolish things. Conditions make it possible for teams to do work. Clarity and constraints bound autonomy and maintain the balance between freedom and responsibility.

The timing of bringing innovations to market affects the long-term viability of the enterprise. This Advisor calls out this timing issue specifically in order to focus more on opportunity cost, or potential revenue and profit. Creating new sources of revenue is not a mechanical or technical issue. It is a people issue. EA can support or create barriers, or it can help transcend them.

There has been considerable talk among industry proponents and analysts about the need for standard frameworks and practices for building applications and products for the Internet of Things (IoT). But how do mainstream organizations actually view the importance of industry standards when it comes to supporting connectivity and interoperability between various IoT devices, machines, and applications? A recent Cutter Consortium survey that asked 80 organizations (worldwide) about their plans for the IoT helps answer this question.

The unfolding Volkswagen emissions control cheating scandal has all the ingredients and drama of a great Shakespearean play.

Why does the word "commodity" raise the hackles of business technologists? It could just be a matter of semantics, according to Cutter Senior Consultant James Mitchell.

At the heart of the Agile movement is the concept that collaborative problem solving is a better way to work than having people sit in their cubicles working by themselves.

This Executive Summary highlights the various psychological and social aspects of transitioning to (and rendering) an Agile organization.

Maybe, just maybe, if we had thought of architects as archists, we would have been in a different future today. But maybe it is not too late? Maybe there are techniques and ways of thinking about the future that can be part of the future of the discipline we happen to call “architecture.”

Adopting Agile as an organizational culture is a different ball game than that of practicing Agile as an individual on the project level. Yes, it’s the same ball, but a different game. This Executive Report focuses on how to best render an entire organization Agile. Practical, logistical challenges involve nonproject (business-as-usual) situations, part-time or telecommuting work, outsourced vendor relationships, ROI, and regulations. Despite the challenges, as argued in this report, it is precisely at this organizational culture level that Agile provides its maximum value.

What is the status of IoT efforts within organizations? In addition, how do companies view the IoT, and connected products in general, in terms of importance? Moreover, what are the main factors influencing organizations to develop connected products and services, and what are their plans for developing such applications in the near future? Just as important, what are the issues and roadblocks organizations perceive as standing in their way?

What is the status of IoT efforts within organizations? In addition, how do companies view the IoT, and connected products in general, in terms of importance? Moreover, what are the main factors influencing organizations to develop connected products and services, and what are their plans for developing such applications in the near future? Just as important, what are the issues and roadblocks organizations perceive as standing in their way?

Location data provides a rich store of accessible data that can be used in a growing range of applications. It is now about to become even more significant as we move into the era of the Internet of Things (IoT) and embedded analytics.

As we explore in this Executive Update, the most important contract isn’t the written one. Another contract — a more crucial one — comes into play. This is the psychological contract — the deal that you perceive has been agreed to or, if you will, the “spirit of the agreement” in your eyes.