Customer journeys, value streams, and day-to-day processes are where value is created, or lost. Yet most EA teams still optimize IT systems in isolation, invisible to the business outcomes they’re supposed to enable. GenAI is now automating decisions at unprecedented speed. Architecture must pivot: from system-centric to process-centric.

Why this pivot is urgent

Most EA teams struggle for sponsorship because their impact is hard to see outside IT. Focusing on end‑to‑end processes changes the conversation. Architecture suddenly ties to cycle time, straight-through processing (STP), and experience metrics business leaders already track. It also puts architects into the flow of work—where fragmented optimization, resistance to change, and underleveraged process tools slow execution.

At the same time, the operating context is shifting fast: genAI is raising expectations for autonomous, graph‑aware IT operations (The Graphic Future Of IT Management); agentic AI is coming to service management (Let The Service Management Agentic AI Race Begin); and high‑performance IT depends on three principles: alignment, trust, and adaptivity all of which benefit when EA’s unit of analysis is the process, not the platform (Technology Leaders Deliver Stronger Outcomes With High‑Performance IT).

Six moves to build a process‑centric EA practice

Through our research with EA leaders, we identified six structural levers that separate process-centric practices. They address the measurement, funding, capability, and culture gaps that keep architecture invisible to the business.

  1. Tie architects’ goals to process outcomes, not deliverables. Shift performance discussions from “Did we publish the reference architecture?” to “Did we reduce lead time and rework in this value stream?” Use a small set of shared KPIs (e.g., cycle time, straight‑through processing %, NPS where appropriate) and make them visible in quarterly reviews. For a measurement refresh that resonates outside IT, borrow from Measure Digital Success And Drive Profitable Growth.
  2. Bake process‑centricity into governance and portfolio decisions. Fund work where value flows. Channel demand, sequencing, and risk decisions through the lens of value streams and processes, not just applications. For a macro view of where to integrate tooling and data, use Forrester’s IT Management Systems Architecture to align portfolio, AIOps, FinOps, and risk with a common core of process‑relevant data. Pair that with CIOs: Get Tech Sprawl Under Control to collapse redundant platforms that confuse ownership and dilute incentives.
  3. Build the capabilities: process mining, modeling, simulation. Don’t stop at mapping. Equip architects to mine current state, simulate “what‑ifs,” and instrument change with telemetry that closes the loop.
  4. Democratize process improvement by making architects facilitators. Create shared ownership with business ops, CX, and product teams via value‑stream mapping, Kaizen‑style events, and evidence‑based prioritization. To scale participation and keep knowledge fresh, combine knowledge management with genAI. The goal: faster learning cycles, better change stories, and less resistance.
  5. Use genAI to accelerate discovery, design, and optimization safely. GenAI can translate text into BPMN drafts, propose controls, and summarize telemetry; agents can surface bottlenecks or trigger runbooks (i.e. foster process automation). Govern this with clear guardrails (e.g., prompt libraries, RAG over curated process knowledge; see Generative AI And Knowledge Graphs: A Match Made In Heaven).
  6. Celebrate outcomes: recognition, showcases, awards. Recognize architecture teams that improve process KPIs and reduce friction. Advertise the achievements that will translate into business growth during Quarterly Business Reviews or during town halls.

You will find a wealth of information with decisive quotes from users and vendors to begin your journey towards the future of the enterprise architect’s job. Please read Architects Must Embrace a Process-Centric Approach and find out how to make your EA practice a more business transformational one.

If you have more questions and would like to book a guidance session, please submit a request or reach out to your account team.