This is the third in a series of Market Guides looking at technologies and services that sit adjacent to ITAM in large enterprises. The purpose of this series is to provide an introduction for ITAM professionals to the tools used by their key stakeholders. By doing so, we will identify areas of overlap in tooling and further opportunities for collaboration. ITAM starts with Trustworthy Data, so it makes sense to look at the market for tools which may provide data and services of use to ITAM teams.

What are Enterprise Architecture Suites (EAS)?

Enterprise Architecture Suites enable stakeholders to create and maintain comprehensive models of an organisation’s IT estate. These models are used for a wide range of deliverables ranging from simple record keeping to facilitating the planning and execution of complex change programmes. Historically, these have been IT tools used by a small number of IT users working somewhat independently of both the wider IT organisation and the business the technology serves.

This model is undergoing rapid change, partly driven by the increasing relevance of cloud and the move to “as-a-service” business models. The role of the architect is changing to reflect the modular approach to providing technology services enabled by cloud computing. Rather than mapping and planning internally developed bespoke systems modern IT architectures increasingly stitch together services and products running on cloud computing resources. This increased complexity requires architects to include a wider number of stakeholders in their work and typically to give up some degree of control over the technology operating model they’re tasked with maintaining.

Architecture Models and Domains

Broadly speaking, architecture is split into four domains – Business, Data, Applications, and Technology.

Figure 1: Layers of Enterprise Architecture. Adapted from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Layers_of_the_Enterprise_Architecture.jpg Niles E Hewlett, PMP CEA, Enterprise Architecture Team, USDA-OCIO

Put simply, business processes and activities use data which is stored and processed by applications running on technology.

Optionally, some models split out Security Architecture as a domain which spans all domains. This recognises increased threats, regulations, and solution diversity.

Key deliverables and functions of an EAS

The following functions are critical for a modern EAS. As IT estates become more complex EAS rely more heavily on modelling and scenario mapping, integration, and automation. As can be seen from the below list, the functions of an EAS are broadly similar to the capabilities we expect from our ITAM tools:

• Architectural Repository
• Analysis
• Reporting & Presentation
• Modelling & Scenario Mapping
• Integration
• Automation

Why are EAS of interest to ITAM?

The architecture model & functional requirements above highlight the usefulness of ITAM processes and data to Enterprise Architects. Whilst ITAM programmes are rarely tasked with managing data assets, they are undoubtedly focused on managing applications and technology. ITAM supports architects working at those layers of the architecture model in the following ways:

Managing Technical Debt

Architects help businesses move from “as-is” to “to-be” operating models by highlighting what needs changing, why it should be changed, and how it should be changed. For example, they may identify that the incumbent ERP system is unable to support digital transformation and improvements to the customer journey. ITAM’s role here is to provide architects with an accurate inventory of asset data, enriched with data such as support status, warranty status, length of support agreement, usage, and costs. ITAM teams will also know if technologies needed to implement change are already in use in the environment. This is a key output from strategic ITAM programmes which have become trusted advisers to decision-makers.

Accurate cost models and ROI calculations

An ITAM team’s expertise in managing costs and understanding license terms means that they can contribute detailed cost forecasts to aid solution selection decision making. For example, ITAM teams will know what software or hardware is already owned and can provide a rigorous estimate of the cost of expanding a datacentre. Accurate costs are vital to the success of an architecture-driven change programme and these accurate forecasts are made possible through detailed understanding of license agreements

Adoption & Usage tracking

A key risk caused by changing technology and application architecture is whether the new applications and processes have embedded fully. ITAM tools are one of the few data sources for this information and most will have detailed usage trends which are invaluable in detecting whether action needs to be taken to drive value from technology change.

Enriching architecture models

Enterprise Architecture isn’t just about managing change. It’s impossible to implement change without first knowing the “as-is” – what’s currently deployed at the application and technology layer. Not all architecture tools have their own discovery and inventory technology and so an ITAM team can help build a richly detailed picture of the current architecture. By combining asset data with contextual data from, for example, the CMBD or Application Portfolio Management (APM) architects can understand relationships between technology assets and the services they provide. As IT estates become more complex it becomes harder for EAs to keep track of all the moving parts and the often real-time data acquired by ITAM tools is invaluable.

Enterprise Architecture Market Overview

Enterprise Architecture as a concept has been a fixture of IT Management for many decades. For much of that time tools tended to focus heavily on IT deliverables, mapping information, processes, and outcomes from a technology perspective. These tools modelled IT systems without much regard for the purpose and value of those systems. The objective was to produce and keep up to date a richly detailed model of the technology estate. In recent years, the market has been disrupted by tools that truly deliver an Enterprise or Business Architecture rather than a model of the IT estate. A wide variety of stakeholders across the business contribute to mapping the current technology estate and value chains with a view to enabling change and ensuring the estate is serviced.

As a result of this trend EA tools are opening up, providing connectivity to and from systems such as ITOM, ITSM, and ITAM.

Inclusion Criteria

In compiling this guide, we sought to include a wide variety of solutions in terms of cost, target organisation size, and geographies. If you are a vendor with an Enterprise Architecture solution that integrates with ITAM tools and processes and are not included, please contact us for possible inclusion in a later revision. Similarly, if you are an end user of a solution not listed, please submit a review on The ITAM Review Market Place.

Vendors