Developing Business Architecture and an Effective Operating Model: Steps, Processes, and Core Elements

Develop Business Architecture

The EA process model consists of seven iterative steps that can be followed for any architecture viewpoint, allowing continuous development as business context changes; steps may overlap and are not strictly waterfall.

1] Definition and Scope

To start an EBA, the EA team should establish a clear definition, create a scope statement (including out‑of‑scope), document assumptions (e.g., SME availability), identify business sponsors, map relationships with other viewpoint activities, state the link to the overall EA process, and note key constraints such as compliance, ecosystem, culture, politics, industry and regional requirements.

2] Organization

Identify and organize the team, specifying leadership and member roles, and gather necessary supporting information, models, and artifacts. The team should have a clear charter based on goals and explicit roles and responsibilities.

3] Future State

Define the EA vision for the future state by specifying requirements, principles, and models that describe long‑term goals and how to achieve them, and understand the business context for the EBA iteration.

4] Current State

Establish a baseline of the current state to understand the existing business dimensions within the EA/EBA scope, preparing for gap analysis.

5] Gap Analysis

Document the gaps between the current and future states clearly.

6] Migration Plan

Use an EA roadmap to propose change projects that move the enterprise from the current to the future state. The EBA team should suggest changes to EBA dimensions (people, processes, organization, finance), identify related architecture changes (ETA, EIA, ESA), decide on organizational adjustments, investment decisions, and scenario planning for factors such as compliance, culture, politics, industry, and region.

7] Iteration and Optimization

As the organization evolves, conduct deeper iterations, especially strengthening dependencies on other architecture viewpoints, to improve relevance and impact analysis and increase agility.

Operating Model

An operating model is an abstract representation of how, where, and with whom an organization operates, making daily decisions to achieve its mission, strategic goals, and deliver value to target customers.

The alignment of operating and business models tightens execution, enabling lower‑cost, higher‑value delivery; business architects have significant opportunities to define operating models that create substantial value.

Five Core Elements for Creating an Effective Operating Model

The five elements essential for defining an operating model are:

Leadership

Governance

Organizational Model

Capabilities

Services

Focusing on clarity and consistency of these elements enables business architects to support successful company strategy.