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AndreasPoth
Product and Topic Expert
Product and Topic Expert

In April 2022, The Open Group used the Enterprise Architecture Practitioners Summit in London to launch the long-awaited TOGAF® Standard 10th Edition.

As you have already heard from Paul Kurchina, I was dedicated to opening up day two of the event by presenting the SAP Enterprise Architecture Framework and our use of the TOGAF® standard.

In this post, I’ll give a short summary of the SAP Enterprise Architecture Framework, and particularly a first introduction to the SAP Enterprise Architecture Methodology, as presented in the historic London County Hall during the event. At the end of the post, I’ll look at what we plan to share next in the SAP Community Enterprise Architecture Group.

 

The SAP Enterprise Architecture Framework

The SAP Enterprise Architecture (EA) Framework consists of four central pillars.

  • The SAP EA Methodology
    The industry-standards based EA methodology has been widely adopted throughout SAP
  • SAP Reference Business and Solution Architecture
    Business Architecture artifacts mapped to SAP solutions and SAP Reference Solution Architecture
  • EA Tooling
    A set of SAP-internal and customer-facing architecture tools
  • EA Services
    Standardized SAP EA Services to support customer transformation

AndreasPoth_0-1651410133130.jpeg

 

The SAP EA Methodology

The SAP EA Methodology bundles cross-domain EA practices, the definition of proven inter-related EA artifacts, and architecture principles applied to define, establish, and master the EA methodology.

I want to highlight some SAP EA Methodology related aspects that could arouse the most significant interest among the Open Group summit participants and SAP’s customer base.

  • Usages of industry standards
    The SAP EA methodology leverages existing industry standards such as the TOGAF® standard, BPMN™, and APQC cross-industry Process Classification Framework®. The usage of industry standards supports the ease of use for a broad community without further education.
    Thoughtful extensions and adjustments lead the way forward from strategic EA planning to IT implementation and getting in control of integration challenges.

  • 3D-Architecture Development Method(ADM) @ SAP
    TOGAF®-based ADMs are today used in three key domains (3D) at SAP: to leverage EA principles in product engineering, in customer engagements delivering SAP Customer Success services, and to define SAP’s enterprise architecture and IT.
    The Cross-Product Architecture (CPA) and cross-board area working group “Reference Architecture and EA Methodology” brings together colleagues from SAP Product Engineering, Customer Advisory Technology & Architecture, Customer Success IT Planning, Technology & Innovation, and many more.
    The alignment and application of a common EA methodology and a joint Reference Business Architecture and Solution Architecture reveal significant synergies, streamline collaborations and support closed-loop feedback cycles.

  • Application of Domain-Driven-Design principles to align different architectural contexts
    With more than 105,000 employees and 22,000 partner companies, SAP has access to extraordinary architectural expertise in various domains and contexts.
    We apply Domain-Driven-Design concepts to bring experts, viewpoints, and models together without creating a single overcomplex and monolithic metamodel.

  • Required skillset to successfully deliver EA Architecture
    On top of business and technical architecture knowledge, we require various soft or so-called power skills. For example, communication, collaboration, problem-solving, strategic thinking, resilience, and ownership skills are essential for all kinds of architecture work, but especially for EA work! We discussed how to attract, develop and retain the right talent.

The topics led to exciting conversations about the issues themselves, possible mutual synergies, and collaboration between the SAP Community Enterprise Architecture Group, the SAP EA Methodology working group, and The Open Group.

 

What’s next

Today’s post shall be the starting point for a series of posts in the SAP Community Enterprise Architecture Group to deep dive into the principles, practices, and artifacts of the SAP EA Methodology over the coming months.
Please feel free to let us know the topics of highest interest to you, and feel invited to join the discussions!

Beyond the EA Methodology related topics, we would like to share concrete SAP Reference Business Architecture and SAP Reference Solution Architecture to get your feedback.
Of course, colleagues also plan to touch on the other SAP EAF pillars: EA Tooling and EA Services.

Let me quote Paul Kurchina to end this post:
“There has never been a more exciting time to be an Enterprise Architect”

Please stay tuned, Andreas

13 Comments
MartinMysyk
Product and Topic Expert
Product and Topic Expert

Thanks for posting Andreas, Many people are not aware of SAP's EA methodology and how mature and extensive it is, not to mention evolving. I am interested in people's thoughts on this topic.

TNegash
Advisor
Advisor

Andreas, thank you for holding the SAP EA flag high and for bringing SAP AE to higher degree of maturity by applying international standards such as the TOGAF standard.

I remember a certification for Architecture, but it was SAP internal only. Are we able to find more information and mateiral on SAP EA Methodology, or is this SAP internal as well? 

AndreasPoth
Product and Topic Expert
Product and Topic Expert

Hi,
we will share much more information about the SAP EA Methodology via various channels.
Everything shall be announced in this community.

Training for SAP folks, partners, customers, and other interested parties is currently under construction.
Please stay tuned.

Bernd_Reichel
Explorer
0 Kudos

Hello to all,
is it possible to have access to the SAP EA presentation  in Enterprise Architecture Practitioners Summit
?
I got the error message "not authorized".

Or is the connect/access only possible for participants?
Best regards 
Bernd

PS: sorry for my poor english, I'am nativ german speaker 😁
 

AndreasPoth
Product and Topic Expert
Product and Topic Expert

Dear Bernd,

please see also my post:
https://groups.community.sap.com/t5/enterprise-architecture-blog/presentations-from-open-group-pract...

You can access all TOGAF(R) summit presentations, in case you are Open Group Member or have attended the summit.
We will also share all public SAP presentations, e.g. the one giving an overview on the SAP EA Framework,, here in the community the next days.

Kind regards,

Andreas

 

 

0 Kudos

@AndreasPoth Thanks for your guidance above. Can you kindly inform where to seek publicly available docs from SAP on this topic


Thanks !

AndreasPoth
Product and Topic Expert
Product and Topic Expert

@former_member138415 
Thanks for your interest in our SAP EA Framework.

We will continue to share information in this community group.

In addtion, we offer trainings as
SAP Enterprise Architecture Training - SAP Community Groups
It is planned to announce further trainings and possibilities go engage on Sapphire.
So please, stay tuned.

Best regards,

Andreas

 

Jayshree_Ravi
Explorer
0 Kudos

@AndreasPoth Thank you for your post.

I am looking forward to seeing more in this space.

More specifically I am keen to see more information regarding the use of APQC process models and how it is used. Typically in almost every project I work on, I try to use the APQC model to model where the SAP footprint fits in with the overarching processes. However it does take a lot of effort and time to match it with the organizations processes and with the SAP modules. Moreover the terminology is different and can be subject to a lot of interpretations. 

In this EA space, is SAP thinking of developing the standard associations between APQC levels and SAP modules? Would be keen to know more and can help with with contribution.

Jayshree 

AndreasPoth
Product and Topic Expert
Product and Topic Expert

@HJRavi Hi Jayshree thanks for the feedback.
SAP team has created a comprehensive Process Classfication Framework within the Reference Business Architecture. 
The RBA covers a set of E2E Process Variants leveraging mainly level 3&4 of the APQC cross-industry Process Classification Framework.

Best regards, Andreas

Please note:
“The APQC Process Classification Framework® (“PCF”) is an open standard developed by APQC, a nonprofit that promotes benchmarking and best practices worldwide. The PCF is intended to facilitate organizational improvement through process management and benchmarking, regardless of industry, size, or geography. To download the full PCF or industry-specific versions of the PCF, as well as associated measures and benchmarking, please visit www.apqc.org/pcf.”

 

0 Kudos

@AndreasPoth I'm joining our community more than a year later from your original post, and I can attest to Paul Kurchina's quote; it is indeed a very exciting time to be an Enterprise Architect!

I am anxiously waiting for news regarding our SAP Enterprise Architecture Framework, hopefully with a privately trained LLM for Generative AI use cases, all while protecting SAP's intellectual property.

 

former_member44209
Discoverer
0 Kudos

Hi Andreas,

Thanks for the great post.

Also, I would like to know if there's any plan to embed the sustainability strategy in the architecture as well ? 

Kind Regards,

Hanish Shan

AndreasPoth
Product and Topic Expert
Product and Topic Expert
0 Kudos

Hi Hanish,

absolutely.
The business model canvas, we train, does include social and environmental aspects already.
We see us as ambassadors for sustainability and will drive that forward.

Please share your ideas or relevant sources we should consider.

Kind regards, Andreas