Business architecture team structure, composition and advancement is top of mind as organizations establish their own internal business architecture practices. In a previous article , we explored the structure of an effective business architecture team, with a focus on where business architects are positioned, how they are organized, and how they collaborate. In this article, we will explore some of the most frequently asked questions related to team composition, including who to hire, how to find and create great business architects, and how many to hire.

Who Do We Hire?

Once business architecture gains enough traction within an organization, it is important to formalize the practice. Having clarity of purpose, structure and intention for business architecture activities ensures that the team functions efficiently, is appropriately recognized, and can scale to meet the needs of the organization.

As a business architecture practice matures, the value it can deliver increases in strategic nature, scope and complexity. Establishing a successful, sustainable business architecture practice is a journey which takes time, particularly for large organizations. This article provides a practical perspective on how to establish and mature a practice over time considering the realities which many organizations face.

A Common Reality

As organizations set out to establish their own internal business architecture practices, some of the most frequently asked questions are about how to structure the business architecture team and role. These are indeed important considerations because the structure significantly contributes to both the effectiveness and success of a business architecture practice. How the team is structured and positioned, and how the business architect role is defined directly and indirectly speak volumes about strategic importance, scope of responsibility and key relationships. Certain choices made up front will make it easier to obtain organizational buy-in and perform the role at a strategic level.

Key Structural Decisions
While there are certainly other considerations, a few key decisions need to be made once an organization has decided to formalize a business architecture practice.

Whether driven by top-down mandate or won through demonstrated bottom-up success, there is a point when business architecture achieves “enough” acceptance within an organization to formalize an internal practice. While there are many steps to take throughout the journey of establishing and maturing a business architecture practice, there are four cornerstones that when put into place, can accelerate the process and create significant clarity. 

The Need for Formalization 
As business architecture’s footprint expands within an organization and as the team grows, there is an increasing need for:

Articulating the value of business architecture within our organizations is one of the most important things that we need to do and do well—the results of which can ultimately determine if business architecture is embraced and how it is positioned. However, this can be a real challenge and barrier to growth for many business architecture practices. 

The Struggle for Understanding

While the need for and potential value of business architecture can be very obvious to practitioners, it is not always clear to others. This can be extremely frustrating for practitioners, but if we understand the context we can not only interpret peoples’ reactions, but better address the challenge. To effectively communicate the value of business architecture, we need to put ourselves in the minds of our business architecture “customers” and adapt our approach to what they might be thinking.