The authors define enterprise architecture as the holistic design of people, processes, and technology to execute digitally inspired strategic goals. They argue that every unpleasant customer interaction via a company app, website or telephone call exposes architectural inadequacies. Left unsolved, these issues will destroy formerly great organizations.

They suggest adopting three principles to tap the benefits of enterprise architecture: break processes and products into components, empower cross-functional teams, and allow business design to influence strategy.

Jeanne Ross and Cynthia Beath are coauthors of Designed for Digital: How to Architect Your Business for Sustained Success (MIT Press, 2019). Ross was principal research scientist for MIT’s Center for Information Systems Research for almost 27 years. Beath is professor emerita of information systems at the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin.

Jeanne Ross and Cynthia Beath, “Why You — Yes, You — Need Enterprise Architecture”
MIT Sloan Management Review, August 2020