This is the inaugural year for the BusinessArchitectureInstitute.org with its recent launch this past spring. The growth of interest and the demands for information surrounding Business Architecture (BA) have increased significantly over the past few years. BrainStorm BA conference attendees and BA training class students have benefited from seeing a new approach emerge for the enterprise. Hopefully, the reader has participated in one of this year’s BrainStorm events and learned of the many opportunities associated with the Business Architecture.

I am often asked to describe the role of the Business Architect; the role is new enough that most Resource Managers do not have a job description on file. Of course, the answer depends on the context within which the question is asked. Sometime I describe what the Business Architect “does.” Other times I describe what the Business Architect “accomplishes.” Yet other times the inquirer really wants to know what “skills” the Business Architect should possess.

Many organizations are in the process of starting or considering whether they should be starting a Business Architecture practice. But most are still working to decide what they practice really looks like. Starting a new practice area is never easy and the risks that a new practice might not succeed are high. To make sure that your organization’s Business Architecture practice doesn’t fall victim to this risk it is important to have a plan for how to grow your practice.