Building blocks of an IT architecture roadmap

After describing How to build an IT architecture roadmap I focus on the building blocks of an IT architecture roadmap in this blog and a series of subsequent blogs.

Below you find an overview of the building blocks of an IT architecture roadmap

The colouring indicates that there are four types of building blocks

• Readiness
• Preparation
• Core
• Execution

IT architecture readiness

There is only one building block in the IT architecture readiness area. It is an assessment on how mature your organization is in regards of IT architecture in comparison to where you would like it to be. For each assessed perspective of IT architecture the result looks similar to the one below

The perspectives usually assessed are

• Business
• IT-Skills
• IT-Technology
• IT-Processes

IT architecture preparation

There are two building blocks in the IT architecture preparation area

• IT architecture vision
• IT architecture strategy

They are separated from the core IT architecture building blocks because they are on a higher level in the The business case for IT architecture and often a given to the IT architecture roadmap project. If not provided they are derived from the respective business vision and strategy.

IT architecture core

The core building blocks of any IT architecture roadmap are

• IT architecture principles
• IT architecture patterns
• Logical IT architecture
• Physical IT architecture
• IT architecture timeline

Logical IT architecture

The logical IT architecture is about business and technology solutions in comparison to the physical IT architecture that is about systems. To start with this building block the logical as-is IT architecture is assessed and gap-fit analysed. Building on the IT architecture principles and IT architecture patterns the to-be logical IT architecture is then designed.

Physical IT architecture

The physical IT architecture building block turns the logical architecture into a system landscape. Typically evaluations help decisions on instance distribution, EIM hierarchies and physical integration.

IT architecture timeline

This last core building block combines the physical to-be IT architecture with on-going projects and other constraints, defines IT initiatives and places them on a timeline.

IT architecture execution

This IT architecture area with only one building block is separated from the core building blocks because IT architecture plays only a supporting role within it. IT architecture execution happens within the projects that implement the IT initiatives defined in the IT architecture timeline building block. There IT architects ensure that the IT architecture principles are understood and applied as well as the IT architecture patterns. Most important however is the IT architecture exception process that allows for deviations from the IT architecture principles and IT architecture patterns and thereby indicates necessary improvements of the IT architecture roadmap.