Enterprise architect

Description

Enterprise architects balance technological opportunities with business requirements. They also maintain a holistic view of the organisation’s strategy, processes, information and ICT assets and link the business mission, strategy and processes to the ICT strategy.

Other titles

The following job titles also refer to enterprise architect:

enterprise architects
enterprise architecture manager
enterprise developer
enterprise designer

Minimum qualifications

Bachelor’s degree is generally required to work as enterprise architect. However, this requirement may differ in some countries.

ISCO skill level

ISCO skill level is defined as a function of the complexity and range of tasks and duties to be performed in an occupation. It is measured on a scale from 1 to 4, with 1 the lowest level and 4 the highest, by considering:

  • the nature of the work performed in an occupation in relation to the characteristic tasks and duties
  • the level of formal education required for competent performance of the tasks and duties involved and
  • the amount of informal on-the-job training and/or previous experience in a related occupation required for competent performance of these tasks and duties.

Enterprise architect is a Skill level 4 occupation.

Enterprise architect career path

Similar occupations

These occupations, although different, require a lot of knowledge and skills similar to enterprise architect.

chief information officer
software architect
ICT system architect
3D modeller
chief technology officer

Long term prospects

These occupations require some skills and knowledge of enterprise architect. They also require other skills and knowledge, but at a higher ISCO skill level, meaning these occupations are accessible from a position of enterprise architect with a significant experience and/or extensive training.

Essential knowledge and skills

Essential knowledge

This knowledge should be acquired through learning to fulfill the role of enterprise architect.

Information architecture: The methods through which information is generated, structured, stored, maintained, linked, exchanged and used.
Object-oriented modelling: The object-oriented paradigm, which is based on classes, objects, methods and interfaces and their application in software design and analysis, programming organisation and techniques.
Legal requirements of ict products: The international regulations related to the development and use of ICT products.
Business strategy concepts: The terminology related to the design and implementation of major trends and aims which are taken by an organisation’s executives, while keeping in mind its resources, competition and environments.
Ict project management methodologies: The methodologies or models for planning, managing and overseeing of ICT resources in order to meet specific goals, such methodologies are Waterfall, Incremental, V-Model, Scrum or Agile and using project management ICT tools.
Ict architectural frameworks: The set of requirements that describe an information system’s architecture.
Ict market: The processes, stakeholders and the dynamics of the chain of goods and services in the ICT market sector.

Essential skills and competences

These skills are necessary for the role of enterprise architect.

Perform risk analysis: Identify and assess factors that may jeopardise the success of a project or threaten the organisation’s functioning. Implement procedures to avoid or minimise their impact.
Keep up with the latest information systems solutions: Gather the latest information on existing information systems solutions which integrate software and hardware, as well as network components.
Provide ict consulting advice: Advise on appropriate solutions in the field of ICT by selecting alternatives and optimising decisions while taking into account potential risks, benefits and overall impact to professional customers.
Align software with system architectures: Put system design and technical specifications in line with software architecture in order to ensure the integration and interoperability between components of the system.
Manage ict data architecture: Oversee regulations and use ICT techniques to define the information systems architecture and to control data gathering, storing, consolidation, arrangement and usage in an organisation.
Collect customer feedback on applications: Gather a response and analyse data from customers to identify requests or problems in order to improve applications and overall customer satisfaction.
Apply ict system usage policies: Follow written and ethical laws and policies regarding proper ICT system usage and administration.
Design information system: Define the architecture, composition, components, modules, interfaces and data for integrated information systems (hardware, software and network), based on system requirements and specifications.
Review development process of an organisation: Judge, review and decide on directions of innovation and development processes in an organisation in order to improve efficiency and reduce costs.
Perform project management: Manage and plan various resources, such as human resources, budget, deadline, results, and quality necessary for a specific project, and monitor the project’s progress in order to achieve a specific goal within a set time and budget.
Execute feasibility study: Perform the evaluation and assessment of the potential of a project, plan, proposition or new idea. Realise a standardised study which is based on extensive investigation and research to support the process of decision making.
Design enterprise architecture: Analyse the business structure and provide a logical organisation of business processes and information infrastructure. Apply principles and practices which help organisations to realise their strategies, respond to disruptions and achieve their goals.
Define software architecture: Create and document the structure of software products including components, coupling and interfaces. Ensure feasibility, functionality and compatibility with existing platforms.

Optional knowledge and skills

Optional knowledge

This knowledge is sometimes, but not always, required for the role of enterprise architect. However, mastering this knowledge allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

Haskell: The techniques and principles of software development, such as analysis, algorithms, coding, testing and compiling of programming paradigms in Haskell.
Incremental development: The incremental development model is a methodology to design software systems and applications.
Erlang: The techniques and principles of software development, such as analysis, algorithms, coding, testing and compiling of programming paradigms in Erlang.
Sas language: The techniques and principles of software development, such as analysis, algorithms, coding, testing and compiling of programming paradigms in SAS language.
Agile project management: The agile project management approach is a methodology for planning, managing and overseeing of ICT resources in order to meet specific goals and using project management ICT tools.
Ruby (computer programming): The techniques and principles of software development, such as analysis, algorithms, coding, testing and compiling of programming paradigms in Ruby.
Common lisp: The techniques and principles of software development, such as analysis, algorithms, coding, testing and compiling of programming paradigms in Common Lisp.
Lisp: The techniques and principles of software development, such as analysis, algorithms, coding, testing and compiling of programming paradigms in Lisp.
Business requirements techniques: The procedures required to identify and analyse business and organisational needs.
Visual studio .net: The techniques and principles of software development, such as analysis, algorithms, coding, testing and compiling of programming paradigms in Visual Basic.
Java (computer programming): The techniques and principles of software development, such as analysis, algorithms, coding, testing and compiling of programming paradigms in Java.
Computer programming: The techniques and principles of software development, such as analysis, algorithms, coding, testing and compiling of programming paradigms (e.g. object oriented programming, functional programming) and of programming languages.
Software architecture models: The set of structures and models needed to understand or describe the software system, including the software elements, the relations between them and the properties of both elements and relations.
Prolog (computer programming): The techniques and principles of software development, such as analysis, algorithms, coding, testing and compiling of programming paradigms in Prolog.
Openedge advanced business language: The techniques and principles of software development, such as analysis, algorithms, coding, testing and compiling of programming paradigms in OpenEdge Advanced Business Language.
Iterative development: The iterative development model is a methodology to design software systems and applications.
Javascript: The techniques and principles of software development, such as analysis, algorithms, coding, testing and compiling of programming paradigms in JavaScript.
Perl: The techniques and principles of software development, such as analysis, algorithms, coding, testing and compiling of programming paradigms in Perl.
Emergent technologies: The recent trends, developments and innovations in modern technologies such as biotechnology, artificial intelligence and robotics.
Smalltalk (computer programming): The techniques and principles of software development, such as analysis, algorithms, coding, testing and compiling of programming paradigms in Smalltalk.
Php: The techniques and principles of software development, such as analysis, algorithms, coding, testing and compiling of programming paradigms in PHP.
Assembly (computer programming): The techniques and principles of software development, such as analysis, algorithms, coding, testing and compiling of programming paradigms in Assembly.
Spiral development: The spiral development model is a methodology to design software systems and applications.
C#: The techniques and principles of software development, such as analysis, algorithms, coding, testing and compiling of programming paradigms in C#.
R: The techniques and principles of software development, such as analysis, algorithms, coding, testing and compiling of programming paradigms in R.
Groovy: The techniques and principles of software development, such as analysis, algorithms, coding, testing and compiling of programming paradigms in Groovy.
Asp.net: The techniques and principles of software development, such as analysis, algorithms, coding, testing and compiling of programming paradigms in ASP.NET.
Apl: The techniques and principles of software development, such as analysis, algorithms, coding, testing and compiling of programming paradigms in APL.
Waterfall development: The waterfall development model is a methodology to design software systems and applications.
Unified modelling language: The general-purpose modelling language used in software development to offer a standard visualisation of system designs.
Microsoft visual c++: The computer program Visual C++ is a suite of software development tools for writing programs, such as compiler, debugger, code editor, code highlights, packaged in a unified user interface. It is developed by the software company Microsoft.
Typescript: The techniques and principles of software development, such as analysis, algorithms, coding, testing and compiling of programming paradigms in TypeScript.
Software design methodologies: The methodologies such as Scrum, V-model and Waterfall to design software systems and applications.
Rapid application development: The rapid application development model is a methodology to design software systems and applications.
Business process modelling: The tools, methods and notations such as Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) and Business Process Execution Language (BPEL), used to describe and analyse the characteristics of a business process and model its further development.
Coffeescript: The techniques and principles of software development, such as analysis, algorithms, coding, testing and compiling of programming paradigms in CoffeeScript.
Objective-c: The techniques and principles of software development, such as analysis, algorithms, coding, testing and compiling of programming paradigms in Objective-C.
Ml (computer programming): The techniques and principles of software development, such as analysis, algorithms, coding, testing and compiling of programming paradigms in ML.
Ajax: The techniques and principles of software development, such as analysis, algorithms, coding, testing and compiling of programming paradigms in AJAX.
C++: The techniques and principles of software development, such as analysis, algorithms, coding, testing and compiling of programming paradigms in C++.
Sap r3: The techniques and principles of software development, such as analysis, algorithms, coding, testing and compiling of programming paradigms in SAP R3.
Swift (computer programming): The techniques and principles of software development, such as analysis, algorithms, coding, testing and compiling of programming paradigms in Swift.
Matlab: The techniques and principles of software development, such as analysis, algorithms, coding, testing and compiling of programming paradigms in MATLAB.
Python (computer programming): The techniques and principles of software development, such as analysis, algorithms, coding, testing and compiling of programming paradigms in Python.
Scratch (computer programming): The techniques and principles of software development, such as analysis, algorithms, coding, testing and compiling of programming paradigms in Scratch.
Process-based management: The process-based management approach is a methodology for planning, managing and overseeing of ICT resources in order to meet specific goals and using project management ICT tools.
Lean project management: The lean project management approach is a methodology for planning, managing and overseeing of ICT resources in order to meet specific goals and using project management ICT tools.
Agile development: The agile development model is a methodology to design software systems and applications.
Vbscript: The techniques and principles of software development, such as analysis, algorithms, coding, testing and compiling of programming paradigms in VBScript.
Cobol: The techniques and principles of software development, such as analysis, algorithms, coding, testing and compiling of programming paradigms in COBOL.
Pascal (computer programming): The techniques and principles of software development, such as analysis, algorithms, coding, testing and compiling of programming paradigms in Pascal.
Abap: The techniques and principles of software development, such as analysis, algorithms, coding, testing and compiling of programming paradigms in ABAP.
Prototyping development: The prototyping development model is a methodology to design software systems and applications.
Devops: The DevOps development approach is a methodology to design software systems and applications focused on the collaboration and between software programmers and other ICT professionals and automation.
Scala: The techniques and principles of software development, such as analysis, algorithms, coding, testing and compiling of programming paradigms in Scala.

Optional skills and competences

These skills and competences are sometimes, but not always, required for the role of enterprise architect. However, mastering these skills and competences allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

Apply conflict management: Take ownership of the handling of all complaints and disputes showing empathy and understanding to achieve resolution. To be fully aware of all Social Responsibility protocols and procedures, and to be able to deal with a problem gambling situation in a professional manner with maturity and empathy.
Manage staff: Manage employees and subordinates, working in a team or individually, to maximise their performance and contribution. Schedule their work and activities, give instructions, motivate and direct the workers to meet the company objectives. Monitor and measure how an employee undertakes their responsibilities and how well these activities are executed. Identify areas for improvement and make suggestions to achieve this. Lead a group of people to help them achieve goals and maintain an effective working relationship among staff.
Optimise choice of ict solution: Select the appropriate solutions in the field of ICT while taking into account potential risks, benefits and overall impact.
Use different communication channels: Make use of various types of communication channels such as verbal, handwritten, digital and telephonic communication with the purpose of constructing and sharing ideas or information.
Provide cost benefit analysis reports: Prepare, compile and communicate reports with broken down cost analysis on the proposal and budget plans of the company. Analyse the financial or social costs and benefits of a project or investment in advance over a given period of time.
Monitor technology trends: Survey and investigate recent trends and developments in technology. Observe and anticipate their evolution, according to current or future market and business conditions.
Apply information security policies: Implement policies, methods and regulations for data and information security in order to respect confidentiality, integrity and availability principles.
Coordinate technological activities: Give instructions to colleagues and other cooperating parties in order to reach the desired outcome of a technological project or achieve set goals within an organisation dealing with technology.
Analyse business requirements: Study clients’ needs and expectations for a product or service in order to identify and resolve inconsistencies and possible disagreements of involved stakeholders.
Build business relationships: Establish a positive, long-term relationship between organisations and interested third parties such as suppliers, distributors, shareholders and other stakeholders in order to inform them of the organisation and its objectives.

ISCO group and title

2511 – Systems analysts

 

 


 

 

References
  1. Enterprise architect – ESCO
Last updated on August 8, 2022