Building value through enterprise architecture: A global study

Executive summary

The economic crisis has taught organisations a critical lesson: Only by focusing on long-term value can they ensure their survival during difficult times — and be ready to change when the opportunity or the need arises. Among the capabilities required to create value now and in the long term is mastery of enterprise architecture (EA) — the effort to align an enterprise’s operations, including business functions, processes, and information systems, with its business goals and strategic direction.

To determine how much value EA can contribute to the business, Strategy& recently surveyed executives across a mix of financial-services and government organisations. The results are revealing.

• Respondents across the board viewed EA as a key capability for building long-term business value, and are making significant investments in advancing their EA capabilities.
• EA maturity levels vary greatly among the organisations surveyed.
• The amount of value captured through EA was clearly linked to EA maturity level.

Companies looking to improve their EA maturity must work to develop their capabilities in five critical areas: strategic alignment, staff competency, performance measurement, organisational structure, and formal EA processes. That can be difficult for any organisation, but the rewards are clear: better value from investment decisions and improved strategic advantage, now and in the future.