Enterprise Architects Play A Key Role In Uncertain Economic Times

When the economic climate is uncertain and threatening to become less friendly, executives take a closer look at the value of their investments. They will put IT projects — and IT organizational units — under the magnifying glass and only keep those that they see as either high-impact or nondiscretionary. Enterprise architects fear such scrutiny because the strategic focus of enterprise architecture (EA) can make it seem far from a must-have. But careful planning is more important in uncertain times, and architects can guide execs to the best decisions on where to invest and where to cut. Before their CIOs ask, enterprise architects should proactively present them with a prioritized, dollar-quantified list of the low-impact items available for cuts, the most important things not to cut, and the most valuable places to invest any remaining available funds.