Fundamentals of Enterprise Architecture

Chapter 5. Enable and Enforce

Chapter 2 shared that the third key strategic objective for an effective enterprise architecture strategy is to enable and enforce architecture standards.

What first comes to mind, when you think about standards? Chances are, you think about standards that are rules, such as laws and regulations, that must be followed or else there are consequences. Love them or hate them, speed limits are one such example; drivers who speed past traffic cameras get fined indiscriminately.

Look around and you’ll see evidence of standards all around you. That door nearby? It was built to building code specifications. The stop sign or traffic light on the street that you cross every day? It is part of a standardized system designed to instruct drivers and pedestrians.

So far, I’ve talked about standards that tell you what to do. What about how to do it effectively? That is typically what best practices define. 

Best practices are proven ways to achieve a standard. Violations of best practices still carry consequences, but potentially not as immediate or severe as violating a legal rule does. For example, paying off credit cards monthly is a best practice to manage finances. If a month’s payment is missed, nothing dire may happen immediately, but after a while, credit card debt can affect the ability to make major financial transactions.

Similarly, look at the example of brushing teeth. It’s a standard rule in my household that you have to brush your teeth twice a day. ...