Towards a Conceptualization of Architectural Support for Enterprise Transformation

Enterprise architecture management (EAM) is supposed to be a helpful means to support the management of enterprise transformations, i.e., fundamental changes. However, in current corporate practice, there seems to be no regular application of EAM as leading authority or support service for enterprise transformation. Thus, we examine, which activities need to be conducted in order to manage enterprise transformation. We further identify the needed information inputs for these activities. Based on this foundation, we analyze, which of the information inputs can be provided by EAM. We identify eight major activity areas of enterprise transformation management (ETM). We further identify information inputs that these ETM activities need. Additionally, we identify content elements that EAM can provide by analyzing EAM meta models. Comparing the demand by ETM and the supply by EAM shows that EAM in general provides valuable inputs to the ETM activities but shows weaknesses when it comes to information about individual actors or environmental information. ETM information needs that are strongly supported are e.g. organizational goals, roles and actors. ETM information needs that are weakly supported are e.g. organizational culture, resistances or organizational rituals.