Please read this scenario prior to answering the question
You are working as the Chief Enterprise Architect within a law firm specializing in personal injury cases. Many of the firm's competitors have improved their litigation strategies, and efficiency by streamlining their processes using Artificial Intelligence {Al).
The CIO has approved a Request for Architecture Work to examine the use of Machine Learning in defining a new Al-driven litigation and finance process for the firm. This process would instruct the lawyers and analysts as to what tasks and portfolio they should work on. The key objectives are to increase task profitability, maximize staff utilization, and increase individual profitability.
The CIO has emphasized that the architecture should enable the fast implementation of continuous Machine Learning. The solution will need to be constantly measured for delivered value and be quickly iterated to success.
Some of the partners have expressed concerns about letting the Al make the decisions, others about the risks associated with use of it for the type of service they deliver. The CIO wants to know if these concerns can be addressed, and how risks will be covered by a new architecture enabling Al and Machine Learning.
Refer to the scenario
You have been asked to respond to the CIO recommending an approach that would enable the development of an architecture that addresses the concerns of the CIO and the concerns of the partners.
Based on the TOGAF standard which of the following is the best answer?
The steps for creating a Stakeholder Map are:
Identify the stakeholders of the architecture work, using various sources and methods, such as interviews, surveys, workshops, or existing documents.
Classify the stakeholders according to their roles, responsibilities, and relationships, using various criteria and dimensions, such as power, influence, interest, attitude, or impact.
Define the concerns and relevant views for each stakeholder group, using various techniques, such as business scenarios, use cases, or value propositions. A concern is a key interest or issue that is relevant to the stakeholder, such as a goal, a problem, a need, or a risk. A view is a representation of the system of interest from the perspective of one or more stakeholders and their concerns.
Record the stakeholders and their concerns in a Stakeholder Map, which shows the mapping between the stakeholder groups, the concerns, and the views. The Stakeholder Map also shows the dependencies, assumptions, and issues related to each stakeholder and concern.
Therefore, the best answer is B, because it recommends the approach that would enable the development of an architecture that addresses the concerns of the CIO and the partners, using the Stakeholder Map technique. The answer covers the following aspects:
An analysis of the stakeholders is undertaken, which involves identifying, classifying, and defining the stakeholders and their concerns.
The stakeholders and their concerns are documented in a Stakeholder Map, which provides a clear and comprehensive picture of the stakeholder landscape and their interests.
This approach also allows a supervised agile implementation of the continuous Machine Learning, which involves applying agile principles and practices to the architecture development and implementation, such as iterative and incremental delivery, frequent feedback, collaboration, and adaptation. A supervised agile implementation can help to ensure the quality, value, and alignment of the architecture, and to respond to the changing needs and expectations of the stakeholders.
Please read this scenario prior to answering the question
Your role is that of a consultant to the Lead Enterprise Architect to an international supplier of
engineering services and automated manufacturing systems. It has three manufacturing plants
where it assembles both standard and customized products for industrial production
automation. Each of these plants has been operating its own planning and production
scheduling systems, as well as applications and control systems that drive the automated
production line.
The Enterprise Architecture department has been operating for several years and has mature,
well-developed architecture governance and development processes that are based on the
TOGAF Standard. The CIO sponsors the Enterprise Architecture.
During a recent management meeting, a senior Vice-President highlighted an interview where
a competitor company's CIO is reported as saying that their production efficiency had been
improved by replacing multiple planning and scheduling systems with a common Enterprise
Resource Planning (ERP) system located in a central data center. Some discussion followed,
with the CIO responding that the situations are not comparable, and the current architecture is
already optimized.
In response, the Architecture Board approved a Request for Architecture Work covering the
investigations to determine if such an architecture transformation would lead to improvements
in efficiency. You have been assigned to support the architecture team working on this project.
A well-known concern of the plant managers is about the security and reliability of driving their
planning and production scheduling from a remote centralized system. Any chosen system
would also need to support the current supply chain network consisting of local partners at
each of the plants.
Refer to the scenario
You have been asked to explain how you will initiate the architecture project.
Based on the TOGAF Standard, which of the following is the best answer?
The best answer is C. You would hold a series of interviews at each of the manufacturing plants using the business scenarios technique. This will allow you to understand the systems and integrations with local partners. You would use stakeholder analysis to identify key players in the engagement, and to understand their concerns. You will then identify and document the key high-level stakeholder requirements for the architecture. You will then generate high level definitions of the baseline and target architectures.
Establish the architecture project
Identify stakeholders, concerns, and business requirements
Confirm and elaborate business goals, business drivers, and constraints
Evaluate business capabilities
Assess readiness for business transformation
Define scope
Confirm and elaborate Architecture Principles, including business principles
Develop Architecture Vision
Define the Target Architecture value propositions and KPIs
Identify the business transformation risks and mitigation activities
Secure stakeholder and sponsor approval
The other answers are not the best approach for architecture development, because:
Answer A focuses on researching vendor literature and conducting briefings with vendors, which is not the best way to understand the business needs and the current situation of the enterprise. Answer A also defines a preliminary Architecture Vision without involving the stakeholders or validating the requirements, which may lead to misalignment and lack of consensus.
Answer B conducts a pilot project that will enable vendors to demonstrate potential solutions, which is premature and costly at this stage of the architecture project. Answer B also does not address the stakeholder concerns or the current systems and integrations, which may result in gaps and risks. Answer B also develops the requirements after the pilot project, which may not reflect the actual business needs and goals.
Answer D develops baseline and target architectures for each of the manufacturing plants, which may not consider the enterprise-wide perspective and the potential benefits of a common ERP system. Answer D also does not involve the stakeholders or address their concerns, which may result in resistance and conflict. Answer D also does not define the business case or the performance metrics, which are essential for demonstrating the value and feasibility of the architecture.
Please read this scenario prior to answering the question
You are the Lead Enterprise Architect at a major agribusiness company. The company's main harvest is lentils, a highly valued food grown worldwide. The lentil parasite, broomrape, has been an increasing concern for many years and is now becoming resistant to chemical controls. In addition, changes in climate favor the propagation and growth of the parasite. As a result, the parasite cannot realistically be exterminated, and it has become pandemic, with lentil yields falling globally.
In response to the situation, the CEO has decided that the lentil fields will be used for another harvest. The company will also cease to process third-party lentils and will repurpose its processing plants. Thus, the target market will change, and the end-products will be different and more varied.
The company has recently established an Enterprise Architecture practice based on the TOGAF standard as method and guiding framework. The CIO is the sponsor of the activity. A formal request for architecture change has been approved. At this stage there is no fixed scope, shared vision, or objectives.
Refer to the scenario
You have been asked to propose the best approach for architecture development to realize the CEO's change in direction for the company.
Based on the TOGAF standard which of the following is the best answer?
A trade-off analysis is a technique that can be used to evaluate and compare different architecture alternatives and select the most suitable one. A trade-off analysis involves identifying the criteria and factors that are relevant to the decision, such as costs, benefits, risks, and opportunities, and assessing the strengths and weaknesses of each alternative. A trade-off analysis also involves balancing and reconciling the multiple, often conflicting, requirements and concerns of the stakeholders, and ensuring alignment with the Architecture Vision and the Architecture Principles.
Therefore, the best answer is D, because it proposes the best approach for architecture development to realize the CEO's change in direction for the company. The answer covers the Request for Architecture Work, the Architecture Vision, and the trade-off analysis techniques that are relevant to the scenario.
You are working as an Enterprise Architect at a large company. The company runs many retail stores as well as an online marketplace that allows hundreds of brands to partner with the company. The company has a mature Enterprise Architecture (EA) practice and uses the TOGAF standard for its architecture development method. The EA practice is involved in all aspects of the business, with oversight provided by an Architecture Board with representatives from different parts of the business. The EA program is sponsored by the Chief Information Officer (CIO).
Many of the stores remain open all day and night. Each store uses a standard method to track sales and inventory, which involves sending accurate, timely sales data to a central AI-based inventory management system that can predict demand, adjust stock levels, and automate reordering. The central inventory management system is housed at the company's central data center.
The company has acquired a major rival. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) believes that the merger will enable growth through combined offerings and cost savings. The decision has been made to fully integrate the two organizations, including merging retail operations and systems. Duplicated systems will be replaced with one standard retail management system. The CIO expects significant savings from these changes across the newly merged company.
The rival company has successfully implemented the use of hand-held devices within stores for both customers and staff, which has increased satisfaction due to time savings. The CIO has approved the rollout of these devices to all stores but has stated that training should be brief, as there are many part-time employees.
You have been asked to confirm the most relevant architecture principles for this transformation. Based on the TOGAF Standard, which of the following is the best answer?
In this scenario, the enterprise is undergoing significant transformation due to a merger and the adoption of new technology (hand-held devices). Several key principles from TOGAF's ADM Techniques---particularly those focused on promoting enterprise-wide standardization, adaptability, and data utilization---are pertinent here:
Maximize Benefit to the Enterprise: This principle emphasizes that all architectural decisions should deliver maximum business value. Given that the company is integrating systems to cut costs and improve offerings, maximizing the benefit is crucial. Ensuring that the EA efforts align with enterprise-wide benefits supports the goal of optimizing costs and enhancing offerings, which aligns with the CEO's vision for the merger.
Common Use Applications: Standardizing applications across the merged entity will be essential to achieve cost savings and to simplify operations. The goal of reducing the number of applications fits with this principle, ensuring that reusable and widely adopted applications support business functions across the organization. Adopting this principle will also aid in harmonizing the systems from both organizations and avoiding unnecessary diversity.
Data is an Asset: Data plays a central role in the company's operations, especially with the use of AI-driven inventory management and the integration of systems. Treating data as an asset is essential for reliable and accurate decision-making. This principle ensures that data is viewed as a critical enterprise resource and is managed with care, maintaining integrity, accuracy, and value.
Responsive Change Management: The organization's ability to adapt quickly and effectively to changes, such as integrating new handheld devices and merging systems, is essential. This principle will facilitate the smooth transition required for integrating the new handheld devices and the merger-related system updates while minimizing disruption to store operations.
Technology Independence: Since the enterprise will likely encounter varied technologies from the merger, it is crucial to maintain flexibility. This principle advocates for using technology solutions that are adaptable and not bound to a single vendor or specific technology. This ensures that the enterprise can integrate various technological components from both organizations and evolve with minimal constraints.
These principles align well with TOGAF's broader recommendations for guiding architectural changes, as found in Section 2.6 of the TOGAF ADM Techniques. They ensure that the EA practice is aligned with business objectives while maintaining flexibility, data integrity, and a focus on enterprise-wide benefits. These guiding principles are critical for the successful execution of the integration and adoption of new technologies while achieving cost efficiencies and improving service delivery.
For reference, TOGAF's ADM Techniques highlight the importance of architectural principles in guiding transformational initiatives, ensuring that decisions are made consistently across the enterprise. Each principle supports organizational agility, system integration, and the efficient use of technology resources, all of which are vital for the enterprise's stated objectives.
Please read this scenario prior to answering the question
You are the Chief Enterprise Architect at a large food service company specializing in sales to trade and
wholesale, for example, restaurants and other food retailers.
One of your company's competitors has launched a revolutionary product range and is running a very
aggressive marketing campaign. Your company's resellers are successively announcing that they are not
interested in your company's products and will sell your competitor's.
The CEO has stated there must be significant change to address the situation. He has made it clear that
new markets must be found for the company's products, and that the business needs to pivot, and address the retail market as well as the existing wholesale market.
A consideration is the company's ability and willingness to change its business model, and if it is a temporary or permanent change. An additional risk factor is one of culture. The company has been used to a stable business with a reasonably well known and settled client base - all with its own local understandings and practices.
The CEO is the sponsor of the EA program within the company. You have been engaged with the sales,
logistics, production, and marketing teams, enabling the architecture activity to start. An Architecture Vision, Architecture Principles, and Requirements have all been agreed. As you move forward to develop a possible Target Architecture you have identified that some of the key stakeholders' preferences are incompatible. The incompatibilities are focused primarily on time-to-market, cost savings, and the need to bring out a fully featured product range, but there are additional factors.
Refer to the scenario
You have been asked how you will address the incompatibilities between key stakeholder preferences.
Based on the TOGAF standard which of the following is the best answer?
According to the TOGAF standard, the Target Architecture is the description of a future state of the architecture being developed for an organization. It should be aligned with the Architecture Vision, Principles, and Requirements that have been agreed with the stakeholders. To address the incompatibilities between key stakeholder preferences, the TOGAF standard recommends creating and evaluating multiple alternative Target Architectures that meet different sets of criteria. These criteria should reflect the value preferences and priorities of the stakeholders, as well as the business drivers and objectives. The alternative Target Architectures should be illustrated using a set of architecture views that show the impact of each alternative on the business, data, application, and technology domains. The impact on planned projects should also be identified and analyzed. The strengths and weaknesses of each alternative should be understood and documented. A formal stakeholder review should then be conducted to decide which alternative is the most fit for purpose and should be moved forward with. The funding required for implementing the chosen alternative should also be determined and secured.Reference:
The TOGAF Standard, Version 9.2 - Phase B: Business Architecture - The Open Group
The TOGAF Standard, Version 9.2 - Phase C: Information Systems Architectures - The Open Group
[The TOGAF Standard, Version 9.2 - Phase D: Technology Architecture - The Open Group]
[The TOGAF Standard, Version 9.2 - Phase E: Opportunities and Solutions - The Open Group]
[The TOGAF Standard, Version 9.2 - Phase F: Migration Planning - The Open Group]
