Unlocking Business Success with Enterprise Design and Solution Architecture
Ask the CTO of any mature organisation whether they have a robust and future-proof enterprise solution architecture in place, and you’d hope that most of the time the answer is a confident “yes”. An overarching enterprise design is a strategic necessity. It ensures an organisation can implement business solutions efficiently, adapt to change, and meet their goals without unnecessary hurdles.
In this blog, we talk to Phil Yeardley, Principal Consultant & Director at 9Yards. Phil and the 9Yards team have worked with dozens of clients seeking expert solution design and planning, with a focus on digital transformation.
Phil’s insights arise from the 9Yards approach to enterprise systems design.
“For us, the design thinking we bring to clients is really to help organisations understand when to do different levels of design and how to do them correctly. The more decisions you can make earlier in design and get them right will lead to better clarity in the execution.”
Enterprise design vs. solution design: a town planning analogy
An important first step is to understand how enterprise level design supports solution design, and the implications of not investing in a well-thought-out framework.
“One way to think of how enterprise design and solution design relate to each other is to think of the enterprise design as the town plan and the solution architecture as the building within the plan,” says Yeardley. “The architecture of an individual building is solution architecture with more detailed engineering occurring within the building itself.”
In this analogy, enterprise design sets the layout for “streets, utilities, and zoning”, creating a structure that supports various types of “houses”.
Without a town plan, individual houses may conflict with each other or lack critical utilities, creating chaos. In the same way, if an enterprise design is not well thought out and cohesive, solution architects face confusion, leading to inefficiencies and inconsistencies.
Solution design occurs at a program or project level which could be projects like designing an e-commerce platform or a data analytics tool. Where a cohesive enterprise-level design is in place, each solution design may be unique, but must also adhere to the principles and standards set by the enterprise design. This ensures compatibility, scalability, and reliability, simplifying the work of solution architects and ensuring projects meet broader business objectives.
Building confidence with enterprise design principles, guardrails and standards
A successful enterprise design relies on three critical layers of governance: principles, guardrails, and standards.
- Principles are high-level guidelines, similar to zoning laws in our town planning analogy, ensuring consistency and alignment with strategic goals. For instance, “treat data as an asset” might be an enterprise principle.
- Guardrails provide practical boundaries within which solutions operate. These might include guidelines for integrating systems or managing data security. Guardrails help architects navigate complexities without stifling creativity. Think of guardrails as road signs that keep vehicles safe without dictating the car’s speed or model.
- Standards are detailed instructions or templates that ensure consistency across solution designs. These could be predefined patterns for integrating systems or managing specific data types. Standards function like building codes, dictating technical details to ensure safety and reliability.
Together, these elements empower architects to design confidently, knowing their solutions fit within a larger, well-defined structure. They also reduce risks by ensuring solution designs adhere to best practice and avoid unnecessary guesswork.
The benefits of good enterprise design
A well-executed enterprise design offers several significant benefits:
- Improved efficiency: With clear principles and standards in place, teams can focus on designing solutions without wasting time debating fundamental approaches.
- Cost management: Good design enables accurate project estimates, ensuring resources are allocated efficiently.
- Flexibility: Enterprises can adapt to changes more easily when their systems are built on a solid foundation.
- Collaboration: By providing a common framework, enterprise design fosters better communication and alignment across teams. This can also mean that teams are empowered to operate independently as long as they stay within the guardrails and meet the standards.
- Reduced risk: Adherence to principles and guardrails minimises vulnerabilities and ensures compliance with regulations and industry standards.
The Implications of poor enterprise design
Poor enterprise design can seriously hamper your organisation’s ability to execute projects with certainty. This can cause frustration among stakeholders and reduce overall productivity.
“Don’t assume your enterprise design is ready.” Yeardley is clear that while most organisations believe they have an effective enterprise level design in place, the development of a target state and roadmap can identify gaps and inconsistencies that need to be fixed before proceeding with solution-level design.
How 9Yards solution architects can help
At 9Yards, we specialise in helping organisations build strong enterprise solution architectures that drive success. Our approach involves:
- Assessing existing frameworks: We evaluate your current enterprise design to identify gaps and inefficiencies.
- Developing tailored solutions: Based on your industry, goals, and unique challenges, we craft enterprise principles, guardrails, and standards that set you up for success.
- Providing practical guidance: We help you categorise projects by complexity and risk, ensuring appropriate levels of design thinking for each initiative.
- Enabling agile Success: By establishing a solid enterprise framework, we ensure your agile projects can move quickly while maintaining alignment with long-term goals.
At 9Yards, we’re committed to helping businesses build and maintain the frameworks they need to thrive. Whether you’re laying the foundation or refining an existing structure, our expertise ensures you’re always designing for success.
Talk to our consultants today to discover more about how an enterprise framework can help you design, plan and deliver solutions that achieve business goals without compromising on quality or efficiency.
