NOVEMBER - 2019CIOAPPLICATIONS.COM8In My OpinionDo technology standards still matter in a world of ever-changing, cloud-native architecture?istorically, one critical function of enterprise architecture (EA) has been to identify and manage standards for the corporate technology ecosystem. However, in the digital age with increasing corporate complexity, how can an EA team keep up with the fast-moving changes in the technology landscape? Do standards even matter in a cloud-native world?Yes, they still matter! However, perhaps the way we manage these standards needs a fresh look.One of EA's most critical responsibilities is to manage the long-term technical direction of the company to ensure the complexity remains in check. However, the traditional governance approach may no longer be effective. In many companies, there is a perception that EA's technology governance is "prohibitive." EA controls 100 percent of what technology teams can and cannot use. Invariably, the business often feels like they are being forced to use something that doesn't quite fit their needs.Moving toward a more "prescriptive," federated model is likely to provide a win-win environment for all parties. A prescriptive model focuses more on what teams should do vs. what they cannot do. A federated model creates a hierarchy of architectural realms--think federal, state and local--where different levels of governance and control are applied.At the federal, or enterprise level, EA will focus on core, foundational elements of the architecture, including security, information management and systems or record (to borrow from the Pace Layering view). These almost JEFF GREER, VICE PRESIDENT OF ENTERPRISE ARCHITECTURE & IT STRATEGY, CARDINAL HEALTHH
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