Excerpt from Enterprise Architecture Fundamentals:
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To be of any use, enterprise architecture must be actionable, which means that static (EA blueprints) and dynamic (EA processes) descriptions must be conceptually integrated.
That requirement is often either overlooked, because processes are defined in terms of one-size-fits-all activities (e.g., requirements, functional analysis, design), or misunderstood, because engineering processes mirror architecture layers.
The idea of a parallel between systems architectures and engineering processes is arguably a critical flaw for EA, for principled as well as practical reasons.
With regard to principle, if architectures are meant to support processes through shared assets and mechanisms, one may assume that they are set along orthogonal dimensions; otherwise architectures would be turned into silos dedicated to subsets of specific processes.
With regard to practice, enterprise architects are supposed to balance the specificity and volatility of business opportunities with the consistency and perennity of shared assets and mechanisms. Overlooking the inherent opposition between business opportunities and asset sustainability would erase a key aspect from the job description of enterprise architects.
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