Best practices have motivated us to create static Enterprise Architectures (EA) using a variety of standards. Static n-tier architectures have everything you’d expect including sample source code and templates. These are slowly evolving architectures that get updated via committees as technology evolves. EA’s are vigorously defended through a highly structured SDLC process.
Technology changes are forcing rapid changes to EA’s. We’ve gone through multiple iterations recently. Just over the past five years we switched from MVC to MVVM and now PAAS looks very promising. The EA approval process can be slow and cumbersome.
An alternate approach is to provide the team with EA “guidelines”. These are less rigid but still provide approved methods for development including defined language, database, frameworks and tool standards; but, it could allow variances in implementation approaches. Keep your strong SDLC approach but not fixed and rigid.
This will bring great benefits to the organization.
- Flexibility to take advantage of new tools and expedite the development process.
- Creativity is encouraged and facilitates innovation.
- Increased employee satisfaction and retention.
Now is a great time to change the approach to EA. We can increase innovation, foster productivity and still keep control of standards.