Enterprise Intelligence Corps

An Enterprise Architect will certainly spend time creating models of the current state and the future state and the transition roadmap between them. This modelling is done in order to provide a full an coherent overview of the whole enterprise and a knowledge base, which in turn is used to support the strategy and planning activities for the enterprise. The Enterprise Architect function uses these models to support the strategic decision making for business changes, especially for IT enabled business changes. The Enterprise Architecture function also governs the implementation of the change via implementation programmes, and ensures their continual compliance and provides design assurance. 

I often compare this Enterprise Architecture function to the Intelligence corp in the military.

• The C level executives who make the decisions about the enterprise are like the generals and politicians who make strategic statements
• The Programmes and Projects in an organisation are like the divisions and battalions who do the actual fighting
• The Enterprise Architecture function is like the Intelligence Corps helping the C-level executives to understand the strategic and tactical environment, their capabilities, information about possible actions to take, and to make the best informed decisions about going forward and winning. 

Just as the military needs its intelligence officers, so does an organisation need its Enterprise Architects.