Thinking Space

Before using enterprise architecture for developing your enterprise strategy, you need to understand the operating model of your enterprise.

Jean W et. al in their book ‘Enterprise Architecture As Strategy’ defines the key dimensions for an operating model as

Standardization – How a business processes will be executed regardless of who executes that.

Integration – Linking the organizational units through shared data or platform.

Based on these dimensions there can four types of operating models.

1. Diversification (low standardization, low integration)
2. Coordination (low standardization, high integration)
3. Replication (high standardization, low integration)
4. Unification (high standardization, high integration)

An enterprise would largely identify itself in one the quadrants.