Enterprise Architects Leaders Of The Digital Transformation Movement?

In today's digital transformation era, Enterprise Architects are in a unique position to expand their skillset. They must be able to understand and use data science, machine learning, AI and predictive analytics to help companies navigate through the challenges of digital transformation.

Enterprise Architects need to be able to use technology tools that support the decision making process for executives. This may include chatbots that provide timely information at the right time in a conversation format. Chatbots can deliver data updates on demand without requiring an additional visit by IT staff or a manual refresh/update process by users who are not familiar with certain technologies.

The enterprise architect must be able to think in terms of the entire application life cycle, from development through to deployment and operations. This is not just about IT infrastructure but also about business, legal and operational issues.

To lead digital transformation effectively, enterprise architects must consider all aspects of each customer interaction: from initial contact with customers through delivery systems that provide services on demand or at scale depending on the needs of individual customers.

Artificial Intelligence Front and Center

Data science is a broad discipline that encompasses all aspects of data collection, storage, retrieval, analysis and visualization. It's the combination of computer science and statistics. This skill set is one that enterprise architects should be able to gain by learning about the technology stack used by their company or organization. If a company uses SAS analytics for data science then it would make sense for an enterprise architect to learn this technology as well.

As enterprise digital initiatives become more complex, EA will require more leadership and communication.

As enterprise digital initiatives become more complex, EA will require more leadership and communication. You need to communicate with project managers, developers, vendors and end users. You also need to understand the business goals of the organization and how they are related to your projects.

EA’s have been able to do this by being at the center of many conversations within an organization due to their position in IT. However as organizations continue down their digital transformation journey they will need greater leadership from EAs on what is required in order for them (the business) to achieve success with their digital strategy or initiative:

New data sources help EAs set company-wide rules for use and security.

As the saying goes, "data is the new oil." Businesses are becoming increasingly aware that their data is a valuable asset and must be managed appropriately. Like gold or oil, it can be sold or traded to generate revenue; like currency, it can be used as a medium of exchange within your organization; and like a commodity (such as copper), it is an essential component in many products and services.

In other words: if you're not protecting your company's data today, you're missing out on one of its biggest sources of value.

Enterprise Architects - Position For Success

To be successful in this new era of digital transformation, enterprise architects must be able to communicate with all levels of the organization. This means that EA's need to understand how their organizations work, how technology can help them achieve their goals and objectives, and more importantly the trust with a budget and autonomy to bring forward-thinking big ideas to the forefront.

EA's are often viewed as “the glue that holds digital transformation together” because they have the ability to communicate across silos within the organization while staying focused on what matters most: getting things done through technology.

Executive Leadership Support?

The bigger question is whether executive leadership and especially those in the IT organization have the courage to push for big ideas and not have a fear of failure or be beholden to their bosses who can't see beyond the startup costs associated with digital transformation.

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