The GEAO Journal of Enterprise Architecture is an international peer reviewed journal publishing original work on the latest research developments and practical aspects of Enterprise Architecture. It also provides a forum for Enterprise Architects to raise more controversial topics for discussion. The Journal is distributed twice a year to all members of GEAO.

One of the components of certification is the knowledge component. As part of this component you need to submit an article for the journal. When this article is accepted and published then you can proceed with your application for certification. Our editorial board will be able to assist you in reviewing your article to reach publication standards.

This high quality printed publication is the ideal medium for your Enterprise Architecture white papers and articles. If you are interested and want to contribute to the journal then please read the "Instructions for Contributors" and contact our Editor in Chief at publications@geao.org

Jan L.G. Dietz (Delft University of Technology, NL) and Jan A.P. Hoogervorst (Sogeti, NL)

Originating from quite different fields of theory and practice, the terms “Enterprise Ontology” and “Enterprise Architecture” currently belong to the standard vocabulary of those professionals who are concerned with (re) designing and (re) engineering enterprises, thereby exploiting modern information and communication technologies for innovating products and services as well as for optimizing operational performance. Because of the many stakeholders’ interests that have to be balanced, and the pressure on the manageability of change projects, the task of these professionals can rightly be characterized as having to master unprecedented high complexity. The statement, put forward in the paper, that the current notions of Enterprise Ontology and Enterprise Architecture do not offer satisfactory help and thus need to evolve into effective conceptual tools, is clarified in a historical context. Regarding Enterprise Ontology, a standard is recently set by DEMO (Design and Engineering Methodology for Organizations). In this methodology, Enterprise Ontology is defined as the implementation independent essence of an enterprise, understood from a holistic systemic point of view. It encompasses not only the implementation independent data model (the core of the current notion of Enterprise Ontology) but also e.g., the process model and the organization model, together constituting a complete, consistent and coherent set of ontological aspect models. In order to let Enterprise Architecture become a sensible, effective, and complementary notion, it is proposed to define it conceptually as normative restriction of design freedom, and operationally as a coherent and consistent set of design principles. The new, evolved notions of Enterprise Ontology and Enterprise Architecture are clarified and illustrated using a case example.

Mike Herrmann and Al Baharmast (Business Consultants, Process Informatics Inc., USA)

Political philosophers would agree that federalism is, arguably, the most complex concept of governance to institutionalize. Minimally, it requires that authority be constitutionally divided between a central body and its components. Those who contemplate federating their enterprise organizational design, in terms of strategies, processes, hierarchies, systems, data and services, would do well to understand the requisite demands of federated governance. This paper presents a case study of the pitfalls of federated enterprise architectures as the concept has been adapted by the U.S. Department of Defense. It does so by reviewing theories of architecture federation, tracing the history of architectures within the department, identifying their shortcomings and presenting potential pathways for reform.

Clive Finkelstein (Managing Director, Information Engineering Services Pty Ltd, AUS)

This article describes a practical approach for rapid enterprise compliance with Sarbanes-Oxley driven IT and business governance requirements. It shows how internal controls can be established by senior management using a Governance Analysis Framework (GAF). This is used to document the relationships within an enterprise that support financial and other reporting requirements. It is based on a comprehensive organizing framework using the Zachman Framework for Enterprise Architecture, as well as proven Enterprise Architecture methods and tools for the documentation and management of the GAF. It ensures that senior management is able to comply with the internal control reporting requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

Vijay Seetharaman (Electronic Data Systems, New Zealand)

In today’s industrial world, organizations rise and fall at a brisk pace. Market changes have far-reaching implications for the fortunes of many organizations. While some organizations weather the effects of such changes, others simply wither away. Why do some organizations survive such changes for years, decades and even centuries, while others are swept away? Is it the genealogy and the formation of some organizations that make them naturally immune to the effects of changes? Or, are they exhibiting the natural evolutionary characteristics attributable to living organisms? In this paper, we study the fundamental traits that constitute long-lived organizations and introduce a maturity scale to classify such organizations on their road to becoming a ‘timeless’ enterprise.