Summary
Before assessing criteria for long-term commitments, initial selection of a method or framework for systems engineering should consider four basic principles: continuity, duality, parsimony, and artifacts precedence.
Continuity
Modus operandi are built on people understandings, practices, and skills that cannot be changed as easily as tools. In other words “big bang” solutions should be avoided when considering changes in systems governance and software engineering processes.
Duality
While any solution will necessarily entail collaboration between business and systems analysts, they belong to realms with inbuilt differences of concerns and culture. Assuming that the divide can be sewed up by canny procedures is tantamount to ignore the very purpose of the framework.
Parsimony
According to Occam’s Razor, when faced with competing options, the one with the fewest assumptions should be selected. That principle is especially critical when dealing with organizational options that cannot be easily reversed or even adjusted. Hence, when alternative engineering processes are considered, a simple and robust solution should be selected as a default option, and extensions added for specific projects if and when needed.
Artifacts Precedence
Assuming that enterprise architecture entails the continuity, perennity and reuse of shared descriptions and understandings, symbolic artifacts can be seen as the corner-stone of the whole undertaking. As a corollary, and whatever the framework or methodology, the core of managed artifacts should be clearly defined before considering the processus that will use them.