Introduction

Abstract

Enterprise Architecture Management (EAM) emerged as a way to deal with organisational complexity and change in an increasingly turbulent business environment. EAM’s history dates back to the 1980s when information systems engineers strove to take a holistic, organisation-wide perspective on IS design. At this stage, IS engineers realised that they could only design suitable software components if they understood how the organisation works as defined by its processes, organisational structure and goals. Over time, the concept matured and has become a discipline that provides a philosophy, methodologies and tools to develop, realise and operate competitive enterprise architectures. EAM assists organisations in maintaining the flexibility, cost-efficiency and transparency of their technical infrastructure, information systems, business processes and organisational structures in line with their business goals. EAM therefore ensures that corporate change can be implemented swiftly and easily.