This chapter presents our view of the problems with “Enterprise
Architecture” as it is commonly understood and conducted today. We sow the seeds of
our perspective of Enterprise Architecture, planting its roots in the business of the
enterprise. We argue that EA conducted as an IT exercise focusing mainly on technical
aspects is often the reason for the lack of success of EA engagements, and that in order
to succeed, the EA team needs to deliver value to the business at the speed that the
business needs.
Keywords: Aligning business and IT, EA and business outcomes, engineering the
enterprise, the problems of EA, the Zachman framework.