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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

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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

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