Structure of the enterprise architecture

The description methods presented in this guide represent good practices. Their usage and the harmonisation of description methods

• promote interoperability
• improve cooperation between organisations.

It is essential to select description methods that best suit your organisation that clarify the planning entity and improve understanding between stakeholders.

Digital security, just as security as a whole, is part of an organisation’s enterprise architecture. The security environment and security-related policies in the organisation may impose significant constraints and requirements on both enterprise architecture and the architecture of individual solutions.

The operation architecture is the part of an enterprise architecture that includes functional structures and their relationships.

The operation architecture describes the organisation’s operations and services, the related processes, and connections to other perspectives of the enterprise architecture in support of operational interoperability, among other things. The operation architecture often also guides the other perspectives, including in terms of information security measures.

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The information architecture is a component of enterprise architecture that includes the information processed by the organisation, including data assets, data models and information pools, and their interrelationships at different levels of accuracy.

The information architecture supports, for example, semantic interoperability. 

The information architecture should also take the classification of information into account from the perspective of information security and data protection, which also strongly determines how information should be protected in the other architectural perspectives. For example, the identification of data flows and related risks is important for the implementation of personal data protection.

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The application architecture describes the organisation’s key information systems (e.g. applications) and their interrelationships and features, while supporting structural interoperability. The connections between the application architecture and the other perspectives describe, among other things, to which activities, information pools and technology the information systems are related.

In addition, the application architecture should consider the information security and data protection requirements set for the systems and the data processed in them as well as continuity plans based on the critical nature of the normal and emergency conditions of the systems.

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The technology architecture is the part of enterprise architecture that includes technologies and their operation. 

The technology architecture describes the organisation’s technological infrastructure and technology choices. The technology architecture describes the organisation’s ICT infrastructure and structures so that it provides the best support for the organisation’s goals and other architecture perspectives. 

Information security and data protection also strongly guide technology choices from the perspective of risks and opportunities. For example, a technology chosen by the organisation may include features that promote information security or set marginal conditions for the processing of certain data.

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The architectural vision is a description of the organisation’s target state. It determines what the organisation is expected to develop into.

It serves as a strategic guideline for steering the development of the organisation’s operations and architecture towards long-term goals. The architectural division combines the organisation’s goals and solutions in the operating environment, providing an overview of how different areas, such as operations, information systems, information pools and technologies, will efficiently work together.

The strategy map summarises the key perspectives of the organisation’s strategy implementation in one picture.

It helps to understand how different strategic objectives, measures and resources are connected to promote the implementation of the overall strategy. The strategy map often presents different perspectives, such as financial performance, customer satisfaction, internal processes and learning, all of which support the achievement of strategic objectives.

The strategy map helps the organisation combine the operating strategy and enterprise architecture, helping to identify and visualise how different areas, such as operating processes, information systems, and technologies support strategic goals. Additionally, the strategy map serves as a communication tool for stakeholders to help communicate the connection between the strategy and the enterprise architecture.

Capabilities often refer to an organisation’s ability to perform certain functions or achieve certain goals.

Capabilities may include competence, processes, technology, intellectual capital, decision-making skills and resources that are needed to perform a task efficiently.

Capabilities are an essential part of enterprise architecture planning and analysis. The enterprise architecture can be used to map out the organisation’s capabilities and how they support the goals of the operation, as well as and which capabilities need to be developed or acquired to support the activities.

Architecture policies refer to the principles, regulations and guidelines that guide the development and maintenance of the organisation’s enterprise architecture.

They define how the organisation’s operations, data, information pools, applications, and technologies should be designed and implemented so that they support the organisation’s strategic goals and enable efficient operation.

Architecture policies help ensure that the architecture is developed in line with the organisation’s strategy. These policies also ensure that the organisation develops and uses its resources consistently and efficiently. They help to reduce risks, boost interoperability and consistency between different parts of the organisation and stakeholders, and support the organisation’s ability to adapt to changes.

Keep in mind that the creation of an extensive and complex policy collection is not something the organisation should do. It is preferable to focus on just defining the few critical policies that have the greatest impact on the implementation of the strategy and the appropriate administration of the enterprise architecture.

Critical policies may, for example, be related to

• interoperability
• principles of technological choice
• support for critical services and operations
• digital security.

They are important, and their usefulness depends on how well they are designed and implemented. By sticking to the most important policies, keeping them clear and flexible, and ensuring regular reviews and updates, the organisation’s policies remain practical and guide the organisation’s operations.