What is an enterprise architect? A vital role for IT operations

The enterprise architect role

An enterprise architect is responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of an organization’s IT networks and services. As an enterprise architect, you will be responsible for overseeing, improving and upgrading enterprise services, software and hardware. You will also need to stay on top of the latest trends and technologies and keep an eye out for any software, services or hardware that might improve business processes.

The enterprise architect role requires complex thinking and strategizing to ascertain which legacy systems can be updated, what software or hardware can be replaced and which services or products will support business operations across each department. Enterprise architects work across the organization, determining the needs of a range of business units and processes. It’s a role that requires strong communication and analytical skills to ensure that business units have the right tools to be successful.

Enterprise architect job description and requirements

Enterprise architect jobs typically require an undergraduate degree in computer science or a related field and five to 10 years of IT experience before you can step into the role. Depending on the company, you may also need a master’s degree. To succeed in the role, an enterprise architect must have communication, analytical, leadership, teamwork and problem-solving skills. In a typical enterprise architect job description, you’ll find most companies are looking for someone who has experience with SQL, data sourcing, enterprise data management, modeling, business strategy, auditing and compliance. Other skills and expertise include cloud computing, system architecture, strategy development and enterprise solutions.   

The enterprise architecture framework

As an enterprise architect, you’ll need to understand how to use and implement the Enterprise Architecture (EA) framework. It’s not a formal framework that comes with step-by-step instructions on how to develop an enterprise architecture strategy, instead the framework serves as a guide on how to build a holistic view of all the technology in your enterprise.

The EA framework will help you develop an enterprise architecture plan (EAP) to get a full view of your business technology, analyze where processes can be integrated or eliminated in the organization and help you improve the efficiency and reliability of business information. 

There are several methodologies designed to help you develop an EAP that will help you meet your business goals: