The results are in from the APAC region’s submissions for Forrester’s Enterprise Architecture Awards, and they’re awesome. APAC-based organizations are setting a new bar for enterprise architecture excellence.

The question now is: Can the EMEA region and the Americas rise to meet the challenge?

The APAC Advantage: Six Patterns Of Excellence

As Forrester analysts and Open Group architects analyzed submissions from leading organizations across financial services, insurance, telecommunications, healthcare, manufacturing, and retail, they noticed six distinct patterns that separate the exceptional from the merely good.

One: Quantified Business Outcomes Are Table Stakes

Gone are the days of vague architecture benefits. The analysis of the APAC-based organizations’ winning submissions reveals a consistent pattern of concrete, measurable results:

  • Cost reductions of 15% to 25% reported across multiple organizations through process optimization, system rationalization, and technology adoption
  • Operational efficiency gains of 40% to 90% in specific processes through automation and standardization
  • Time-to-market improvements of 30% to 50% through streamlined architecture patterns, innovations, and delivery
  • Annual savings ranging from millions to billions in local currency through legacy decommissioning

Multiple submissions demonstrated architectural initiatives backed by hard numbers and clear attribution to business value.

Two: Cloud Transformation With Measured Impact

APAC organizations aren’t just moving to the cloud — they’re measuring every aspect of the journey:

  • Reports from multiple organizations of 5% to 20% reductions in cloud costs through optimization
  • Near-perfect uptime (99.9%+) achieved through cloud-native architectures
  • Significant unit cost reductions through elastic scaling and resource optimization
  • Infrastructure-as-code implementations eliminating overprovisioning

These aren’t pilot projects — submissions showed production systems at scale delivering daily value.

Three: AI And Intelligent Automation In Production

The integration of AI and automation emerged as a clear differentiator in high-scoring submissions:

  • Implementing AI-powered tools for training, activity management, and decision support — as multiple organizations reported
  • Adoption rates of 40% to 50% for intelligent tools across user bases
  • GenAI being used for documentation, productivity improvement, and delivery acceleration
  • Real-time analytics platforms reducing decision-making time from weeks or months to days or hours

Four: Deep Business-IT Alignment

The artificial wall between business and IT has crumbled in APAC’s leading organizations. Winning submissions consistently demonstrated:

  • EA metrics directly tied to revenue growth and customer metrics
  • Architecture artifacts used in business cases and investment decisions
  • Regular board-level architecture reviews and governance
  • Capability maps and roadmaps guiding portfolio decisions

Several submissions showed architecture teams embedded in strategic planning committees and C-suite decision-making processes.

Five: Mature Governance And Reuse Practices

APAC’s top performers have moved beyond ad hoc processes:

  • Millions saved through systematic artifact reuse, as reported by multiple organizations
  • Standardized templates and patterns reducing design time and rework
  • Architecture repositories actively used across business and IT teams
  • Governance embedded in procurement and project approval processes

Multiple submissions highlighted how architecture standards are enforced through automated reviews and gates.

Six: Transformation At Scale

Perhaps most impressive is the scale of transformation. Submissions showed:

  • Enterprisewide implementations across dozens or even hundreds of group companies
  • Thousands of business processes optimized
  • Millions of users served by architecturally sound platforms
  • Multiyear transformation programs with sustained benefits

What Makes A Winning Submission?

As the judges evaluated these submissions, clear patterns emerged in what separated scores of 5 from scores of 4:

  • Specificity wins. Winners provided exact metrics, timeframes, and attribution. They didn’t just say that they “improved efficiency” — they quantified by how much, over what period, and how it was measured.
  • Show the journey. The best submissions included transformation narratives — where they started, what they changed, and how they measured success at each stage.
  • Connect everything. Every architectural decision tied back to a business outcome. Every technology choice linked to strategic objectives. Every metric connected to value delivery.
  • Demonstrate scale. Perfect scores went to organizations showing enterprisewide impact, not isolated departmental wins.

The Challenge To EMEA And The Americas

APAC-based companies have thrown down the gauntlet, demonstrating that enterprise architecture can be a powerful force for business transformation at scale. They’re showing that with the right approach, enterprise architecture can directly drive cost reduction, revenue growth, and competitive advantage — all with quantifiable results.

The data speaks for itself: When architecture is elevated to a strategic discipline with executive support, embedded governance, and rigorous measurement, the results are transformational.

So for companies in EMEA and North America: Are you ready to compete at this level?

Your Time To Shine

The Enterprise Architecture Awards for EMEA and North America are still accepting submissions. After seeing what APAC has accomplished, here’s how to ensure that your submission stands out:

  1. Lead with numbers. Quantify every benefit. Include baselines, targets, and actuals.
  2. Show enterprise impact. Demonstrate how architecture drives organizationwide transformation.
  3. Connect to business value. Link every technical decision to business outcomes.
  4. Provide evidence. Include dashboards, metrics, and governance artifacts.
  5. Tell your transformation story. Show the journey, not just the destination.

Don’t Wait — Submit Now

The deadline is approaching fast. Your enterprise architecture team has likely achieved remarkable things over the past 18 months. This is your opportunity to showcase that work on a global stage, learn from peers, and gain recognition for your efforts.

See also:

The APAC region has set a high bar with quantified outcomes, scaled transformations, and deep business alignment. Now it’s time to show the world what EMEA and North America can do. Will your organization be among the winners?

EMEA submissions

NA submissions

Submit your entry today and join the global leaders in enterprise architecture excellence.

Note: This analysis is based on aggregate patterns across multiple anonymized submissions. Specific metrics have been presented as ranges to protect individual organization identity while demonstrating the caliber of achievement.