Enablers and challenges in using enterprise architecture concepts to drive transformation: Perspectives from private organizations and government agencies

Federal Agencies and Private companies have many strategic initiatives they pursue in order to realize their visions. Due to the complexity of the strategic initiatives, there is a growing need for research on how enterprise architects and leaders should go about leading modernization and transformational programs while executing strategic initiatives. This typically entails the ability to collectively combine intellectual and social dimensions of people, processes and technologies to improve and transform business performance alignment that may also include the integration of technology into organizations. Enterprise Architecture (EA) provides a foundation for high-performing organizations in driving transformation. Little is said in the literature about how to drive transformation using enterprise architecture. This research primarily examined the use of enterprise architecture concepts in transformational initiatives and captured key enablers, and challenges identified by transformational teams in both the private and government sectors by conducting a combination of interviews, surveys and review of documentation. Based on the outcome, the researcher provides a list of suggestions to consider before undertaking transformational initiatives using enterprise architecture. The research findings were traced to three categories: communications, process, management support and structure. Collectively the research identifies the key factors that contribute to success or failure of transformational initiatives supporting organizational change. The primary stakeholders are transformational teams, primarily enterprise architects, business and technical experts and C-level executives who are tasked with leading major modernization. The findings give the transformation teams things to consider before they go on the journey of enterprise architecture and recommend a transformation/EA sense and respond framework to allow transformation teams to think through the key factors. It also warns transformational teams to outline responses based on their environment context to gain maximum value from enterprise architecture. Even though it is not the main focus of this study, the results reveal some similarities and differences in the enablers and challenges between for-profit and not-for-profit sectors which provide additional insight for transformational teams.