The game-changing discipline that is making a rapport for itself in the business world and helps business address the issues faced by them in ways that are simply unique. It is being embraced by business leaders across the globe thanks to the success rates and stories that follow its implications. As we all understand that running a small business is a tough task in itself while wrapping our heads around the business that take on multiple projects one after the other are clearly out of the league of the average Joe. There are however tools that can make running a business easy and this is where the various technological developments come in the picture.

Business architecture is changing the game very fast and people who are still hesitant to try it out are getting left behind on the platform as they see the train to success and growth left with increasing speed. Beginning its life as a core element of EA models, with the early patrons being enterprise architect, but today it is rapidly gaining popularity amongst business focused and business managed initiatives.

The actual difference between the closely related enterprise architecture and business architecture?

The former of the two provides a framework for strategic planning which aligns the IT to the business functions that it supports, along with other viewpoints including solution architecture as suggested by Value Blue. While the latter is a sub-part of the former. We can understand this better by taking a look at the responsibilities of both to be able to properly visualize the difference between the two.

Enterprise Architecture- the purpose of enterprise architecture is to create a roadmap for the IT assets and processes and the principles that govern how the business strategies can be expressed using IT. It defines the key business processes and the governing principles of the standards and the main business strategies. It provides a strategic framework that aligns the IT to the business functions supported by it.

Business Architecture – it serves to align the organization revealing how an organization is structured demonstrating just how the various elements like the capability, the different process and the organization fit together. It interprets the strategies for operational needs and helps streamline the IT enablement process. It serves as a blueprint of the enterprise providing a common understanding of the organization and is also used in aligning the objectives to the demands.

The key role and responsibilities of a Business Architect

1. The first one is analyzing and evaluating ideas and opportunities for the development of new projects.
2. The execution after the planning of innovations.
3. Generate new ideas while the project is in the ideation phase and moves ahead to the research and development phase.
4. Creating BA models showcasing the functioning of systems and products within the organization.
5. Analyzing and extrapolating the best path to overcome business hurdles while procuring new technology such as software for the growth of the business.
6. Ensuring that financial targets are met pertaining to the various solutions implemented across the organization.
7. Give the business a direction-setting the pathway for the business with strategies and solutions utilizing the business modelling methods.
8. Partnering with the IT team that develops the IT framework for the business.
9. Prioritizing business needs, and helping to translate the various strategies into actions that can be executed with least resistance and impediments.
10. It increases the operational efficiency and room for growth while making the business agile translating to tough competition for the closest contenders.

Why does a business need it now?

Business architecture is becoming more relevant by the day now more than ever, and this has lead sceptics to ask questions such as why do we need it now as organizations have operated without it for a long period. this is like asking why do we have faster cars or better road infrastructure when people have commuted from one place to another using slower medium of transport and pathways that were nowhere near as good as the ones we have today. For the same reason as the answer to the latter question, business architecture is needed by in the changing world to be able to keep up with the pace so that one doesn’t get left behind in the race. It comes down to the survival of companies as the ones that are not agile enough cannot survive in the tough competing market today. Business Architect allows organizations to adapt quickly to various scenarios that allowing them to morph into a better and improved version of themselves. Thus, business architecture has become a vital part of the survival of modern businesses without which they either struggle to stay in the market or are completely out of business within a short span.

The benefits of business architecture

• A degree of transparency across the different units of business facilitating collaboration with stakeholders and problem resolution at an unprecedented rate. This transparency continues to the product lines and outsourced teams assisting in easy cross-functioning.
• Offering a holistic view of the business and various projects to the management teams which is extended even to the outsourced team.
• Clear communication owing to the establishment of conceptual frameworks that make it easy to grasp the current business challenges.
• Providing roadmaps that allow a business to strategize effectively.

Conclusion

The business architecture fits right between the strategy and the execution in an organization serving as a bridge between the two. It brings agility to a business by leveraging reusable assets created by BA, it also helps business to see the impacts as a result of change and helps them make the right decisions without costing them much. It also increases the efficiency of operations by evaluating the various contributing factors to problems in an organization or an enterprise. Business Architecture also helps in defining business directions helping the leaders to visualize the direction and implement it. It also accelerates the organization’s ability to identify and implement the necessary changes.