Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Architects need professional tools of trade.

Why is it that people are quite happy to have architects, strategists, etc. who will typically cost them in-excess of $500k over 3 years. Get them doing "architecture" and arm with with substandard tooling.

Any cursory analysis would show only a small improvement in productivity and efficiency (5%) would produce a substantially better return of this $500k investment.

No one would suggest an accountant should be expected to do without an accounting system (server based solution) and a spreadsheet (numeric modelling and design tool). No one would surely suggest a project manager - should have a project planning tool. Why then do people arm architects and strategists with tools manifested unsuited to the needs of the enterprise and then marvel at their failure.

When one suggests that a suitable class of tools is used one is often tarred with the brush of promoting a particular product. Yet if an accounting professional suggested a suitable class of tools (e.g. spreadsheet and accounting systems are required for this work) the statement would be taken at face value.

Of course what does not help is "professionals" in this area asserting that EA can be effective when the right class of tooling is not used (despite decades of evidence to the contrary).

See also:
http://ea-in-anz.blogspot.com/2008/05/ea-knowledge-bases-need-to-be-active.html
http://ea-in-anz.blogspot.com/2008/04/what-we-learned-about-ea.html
http://ea-in-anz.blogspot.com/2008/04/what-we-sought-in-tool-for.html
http://ea-in-anz.blogspot.com/2007/09/why-dont-most-it-processes-work-well.html
http://ea-in-anz.blogspot.com/2007/09/ea-cant-be-done-with-document-or-case.html
http://ea-in-anz.blogspot.com/2007/08/myth-of-heavy-weight-ea.html

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