Relationship and difference between enterprise architecture and project management

When dealing with multiple projects , Enterprises will go through many processes . therefore , When creating a smooth workflow , Understanding enterprise architecture and project management to face minimal overlap becomes critical .

This article will first understand enterprise architecture and project management , And will explore how they are related and different .

What is enterprise architecture ？

Enterprise architecture can be defined as “ Organizational structure and strategic blueprint for achieving overall business objectives .”

With the emergence of business technology , The concept of enterprise architecture in the last century 80 The age has become common . With the emergence of new technology , Enterprises need to find ways to manage these technologies . therefore , Created the concept of enterprise architecture .

therefore , In Enterprise Architecture , Instilled key processes and models , It helps to describe the future state of the enterprise and its evolution over time .

According to the MIT Information Systems Research Center ,“ Enterprise architecture is organizing the logic of business processes .”

It's more like a plan 、 modeling 、 A team approach to developing and implementing business strategies . Teams work together with a common understanding , To determine future needs . Besides , It can also be used as a way to establish dependencies between different departments , At the same time, ensure the smooth workflow .

The following is an example to better understand the difference between enterprise architecture and project management .

The benefits of enterprise architecture

Enterprise architecture has many benefits . Some of them include ：

• Provide a roadmap for the effective use of Technology .
• Share knowledge between different departments 、 Innovation and solutions .
• Strengthen collaboration .
• Identify various interdepartmental dependencies .
• Encourage more innovation .
• Reduce the risk of unknown cancellations and delays .
• Eliminate unnecessary processes , This helps to save costs .
• Reduce wasted time .
• Help standardize processes and Applications .
• Provide higher agility for the organization .
• Provide effective network security .
• Reduce the complexity of various programs .

Enterprise architecture process

The enterprise architecture consists of 4 It consists of three main points , It includes ：

（1） Business perspective

It involves processes and standards used to describe daily business processes .

（2） Application perspective

The application perspective is the interaction between the standards and processes used by the organization .

（3） Information perspective

The information perspective is based on document files 、 Images 、 database 、 Presentation 、 Define and classify the raw data needed for the effective operation of the organization in the form of spreadsheets .

（4） Technical perspective

The technical perspective defines the operating system used by the organization 、 Hardware 、 Network tools and operating systems .

Enterprise architecture framework

There are four common frameworks for effective enterprise architecture . These include ：

（1） Unified architecture framework （UAF）—— This software is most suitable for military 、 Business and government software development . It is complex and flexible .

（2） Enterprise architecture Zachman frame —— The framework involves six architecture points and six major stakeholders , To standardize IT Architecture components .

（3） Enterprise architecture framework (FEAF)—— This model is most suitable for improving IT efficiency . Originally designed for the U.S. government ; however , It can also be used by private companies .

（4） Agile enterprise architecture —— Best suited for Agile Software Delivery . It includes a variety of flexible structures and processes to ease growth .

What is project management ？

Compared with enterprise architecture , Project management is a narrower concept . It is a plan for a specific project within the organization 、 organization 、 Handle 、 Management and execution .

therefore , Project management is widely defined as ：“ plan 、 modeling 、 Handle 、 Implement and control the work of the team , To achieve a specific set of goals and achieve specific criteria commonly known as business goals .”

Not surprisingly , The field of project management is closely related to the implementation of a project . The project can be the development of products or services , It usually has a set start and end date , All user requirements are predefined .

The project is usually to achieve a certain goal or goal , So as to bring valuable changes to the business . One or more project managers are responsible for supervising the project .

Project management requires various processes to   Simplify workflow and ensure timely implementation . Besides , The project manager is responsible for collecting a sufficiently skilled resource team to complete the project .

Usually , There is also higher authority to ensure that the project is carried out as planned , Resources are effective , And achieve the established business objectives , Including project related goals and higher business goals .

The benefits of project management

The benefits of project management are quite long . Some of them are ：

• Improve or enhance teamwork .
• Keep all goals and work in order .
• Simplify the workflow .
• Better meet the needs of stakeholders .
• Deadlines are easier to achieve .
• Improve team efficiency .
• Help coordinate communication .
• Better identify bottlenecks .
• Eliminate confusion .
• Improve team attention .
• Assign tasks more effectively .
• Single and clear authority .

Project management process

The process of project management is also called the stage of project management . These include ：

• Project start .
• Project planning .
• Project implementation .
• Project monitoring .
• End of project .

The following is an introduction ：

（1） Project start

This is the first stage of project management . At this stage , Project objectives are defined along with other important aspects required to start the project . This includes creating a business case 、 Complete the Charter and define stakeholders .

（2） Project planning

This is the second and most important stage of project management . At this stage , The project scope is defined . Besides , The project plan has also been formulated , And determined the provisional budget . Project planning also includes defining the roles and responsibilities of project implementation .

（3） Project implementation

Now everything has been set , The next stage is to implement the project . At this stage , Resources are allocated and managed , The product is built , And there are risks or problems   Be handled when it appears .

（4） Project monitoring

Once the project is implemented , It is always beneficial to monitor it . So at this stage , Costs will be tracked 、 Progress and schedule , To ensure that the project is carried out as planned . Besides , It also helps prevent any opportunities for destruction and invisible risks .

（5） project conclusion

The final stage of the project is the final stage of project management . It includes handing over deliverables 、 Review them 、 Obtain approval of project results and record the project for future use . People will know something about enterprise architecture and project management .

Now look at an example to better understand their relevance and their differences .

How enterprise architecture relates to project management ？

Enterprise architecture and project management may need an obstacle to fully understand . however , Here is a scene that can make things clearer .

Although both have their own set of professional skills , But they are still interrelated in some areas . Sometimes , Different teams are studying various plans or parts of the landscape . Halfway through the project , They found that every team needs to work on the same software or service . Maybe they want to add a feature or update it .

however , Do this without any accidents , Some coordination and a good system are needed to foresee these dependencies . Because it's hard to track all dependencies , Some may have problems in the future . This is where enterprise architecture is needed .

Enterprise architects are usually well aware of these relationships , And with their expertise in architectural models , They can better discover these dependencies . Project or project group managers are often unaware of this dependency .

therefore , This is where enterprise architects relate to project management . Enterprise architecture is about managing business consistency , Project management is responsible for planning and management , Usually from the perspective of Finance and resources .

In Enterprise Architecture , Various dependencies can be modeled , To see which plans will affect which parts of the project . This helps to understand whether such dependencies will cause delays or cancellations of other projects .

Usually , The project manager focuses on a specific project , So it helps to get a bigger picture , And simplify the workflow .

therefore , In order to maintain a stable process and organize all steps , The correlation between enterprise architecture and project management is dominant .

The terms enterprise architecture and project management are very important to ensure the smooth delivery and uninterrupted workflow of the project . The difference between the two seems small . However , Each plays a vital role in coordinating business activities and creating value driven products or services .