Infocomm TechnologyISCO 2511
Enterprise architect
An enterprise architect is a person who reconciles what technology can do with what the business requires.
Check yourself in a minute: enterprise architect
Rate 5 of the 22 essential skills of this occupation (European ESCO data). No account needed.
use an application-specific interface
implement ICT security policies
perform risk analysis
keep up with the latest information systems solutions
provide ICT consulting advice
About enterprise architect
The enterprise architect defines the whole picture: the organisation's strategy, its processes, its information assets and its ICT assets, described so that the connections between them are visible. The architect establishes how mission, strategy and business processes relate to the ICT strategy, showing which systems serve which objective and which serve none. The architect manages ICT data architecture and matches software to the system architecture, so that the next purchase does not repeat a capability the organisation already runs.
The architect also reviews the organisational development process, performs risk analysis on planned changes, and implements ICT security policy. They know the ICT market well enough to judge what can be bought and what has to be built. The architect also gathers customer feedback on applications and uses application-specific interfaces, which shows how the systems are actually worked with.
Enterprise architect skills combine an understanding of technology with an understanding of organisations. Formal requirements are set by the employer.
Key Work Functions
Core areas of responsibility for a enterprise architect.
1
Strategic Technology Planning
- Align ICT strategy with business mission and organisational objectives
- Evaluate emerging technologies and ICT market trends for competitive advantage
- Conduct feasibility studies for major technology initiatives
- Develop long-term ICT roadmaps supporting business growth
2
System Architecture Design
- Design comprehensive information system architectures using established frameworks
- Manage and optimise ICT data architecture across the enterprise
- Apply object-oriented modelling principles to system design
- Align software solutions with defined system architectures
3
Risk and Security Management
- Perform comprehensive risk analysis on proposed technology solutions
- Implement and enforce ICT security policies across all systems
- Ensure compliance with legal requirements and regulations for ICT products
- Apply ICT system usage policies to protect organisational assets
4
Process Improvement and Optimisation
- Identify processes suitable for re-engineering and digital transformation
- Review and assess organisation's development processes and methodologies
- Collect and analyse customer feedback on applications and systems
- Recommend efficiency improvements based on architectural analysis
5
Stakeholder Engagement and Consulting
- Provide ICT consulting advice to business leaders and project teams
- Present complex technical concepts in business-friendly language
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams on technology initiatives
- Manage ICT project planning using appropriate methodologies
Do You Have the Skills for This Role?
Core competency requirements inferred from the occupation's skill profile. Take the free assessment to see how you match.
Must-Have Skills (Advanced)
Decision MakingAdvanced
CollaborationAdvanced
Developing PeopleAdvanced
Problem SolvingAdvanced
Self ManagementAdvanced
European Skills Framework
Skills and knowledge areas required for this occupation based on European classification.
Essential (22)
object-oriented modellingobject-oriented modellingThe object-oriented paradigm, which is based on classes, objects, methods and interfaces and their application in software design and analysis, programming organisation and techniques.legal requirements of ICT productslegal requirements of ICT productsThe international regulations related to the development and use of ICT products.business strategy conceptsbusiness strategy conceptsThe terminology related to the design and implementation of major trends and aims which are taken by an organisation's executives, while keeping in mind its resources, competition and environments.ICT project management methodologiesICT project management methodologiesThe methodologies or models for planning, managing and overseeing of ICT resources in order to meet specific goals, such methodologies are Waterfall, Incremental, V-Model, Scrum or Agile and using pro...ICT architectural frameworksICT architectural frameworksThe set of requirements that describe an information system's architecture.ICT marketICT marketThe processes, stakeholders and the dynamics of the chain of goods and services in the ICT market sector.use an application-specific interfaceuse an application-specific interfaceUnderstand and use interfaces particular to an application or use case.implement ICT security policiesimplement ICT security policiesImplement statements, assertions or rules that specify the appropriate use and protection of the ICT assets and systems from an organisation. These ICT security policies cover topics such as data clas...perform risk analysisperform risk analysisIdentify and assess factors that may jeopardise the success of a project or threaten the organisation's functioning. Implement procedures to avoid or minimise their impact.keep up with the latest information systems solutionskeep up with the latest information systems solutionsGather the latest information on existing information systems solutions which integrate software and hardware, as well as network components.provide ICT consulting adviceprovide ICT consulting adviceAdvise on appropriate solutions in the field of ICT by selecting alternatives and optimising decisions while taking into account potential risks, benefits and overall impact to professional customers.align software with system architecturesalign software with system architecturesPut system design and technical specifications in line with software architecture in order to ensure the integration and interoperability between components of the system.manage ICT data architecturemanage ICT data architectureOversee regulations and use ICT techniques to define the information systems architecture and to control data gathering, storing, consolidation, arrangement and usage in an organisation.collect customer feedback on applicationscollect customer feedback on applicationsGather a response and analyse data from customers to identify requests or problems in order to improve applications and overall customer satisfaction.apply ICT system usage policiesapply ICT system usage policiesFollow written and ethical laws and policies regarding proper ICT system usage and administration.design information systemdesign information systemDefine the architecture, composition, components, modules, interfaces and data for integrated information systems (hardware, software and network), based on system requirements and specifications.review development process of an organisationreview development process of an organisationJudge, review and decide on directions of innovation and development processes in an organisation in order to improve efficiency and reduce costs.perform project managementperform project managementManage and plan various resources, such as human resources, budget, deadline, results, and quality necessary for a specific project, and monitor the project's progress in order to achieve a specific g...execute feasibility studyexecute feasibility studyPerform the evaluation and assessment of the potential of a project, plan, proposition or new idea. Realise a standardised study which is based on extensive investigation and research to support the p...design enterprise architecturedesign enterprise architectureAnalyse the business structure and provide a logical organisation of business processes and information infrastructure. Apply principles and practices which help organisations to realise their strateg...define software architecturedefine software architectureCreate and document the structure of software products including components, coupling and interfaces. Ensure feasibility, functionality and compatibility with existing platforms.identify processes for re-engineeringidentify processes for re-engineeringIdentify potential to restructure a company or part of its operations, e.g. by exploiting information technology.
Optional (68) — show
HaskellHaskellThe techniques and principles of software development, such as analysis, algorithms, coding, testing and compiling of programming paradigms in Haskell.incremental developmentincremental developmentThe incremental development model is a methodology to design software systems and applications.ErlangErlangThe techniques and principles of software development, such as analysis, algorithms, coding, testing and compiling of programming paradigms in Erlang.SAS languageSAS languageThe techniques and principles of software development, such as analysis, algorithms, coding, testing and compiling of programming paradigms in SAS language.Agile project managementAgile project managementThe agile project management approach is a methodology for planning, managing and overseeing of ICT resources in order to meet specific goals and using project management ICT tools.Ruby (computer programming)Ruby (computer programming)The techniques and principles of software development, such as analysis, algorithms, coding, testing and compiling of programming paradigms in Ruby.Common LispCommon LispThe techniques and principles of software development, such as analysis, algorithms, coding, testing and compiling of programming paradigms in Common Lisp.business requirements techniquesbusiness requirements techniquesThe procedures required to identify and analyse business and organisational needs.Visual BasicVisual BasicThe techniques and principles of software development, such as analysis, algorithms, coding, testing and compiling of programming paradigms in Visual Basic.Java (computer programming)Java (computer programming)The techniques and principles of software development, such as analysis, algorithms, coding, testing and compiling of programming paradigms in Java.computer programmingcomputer programmingThe techniques and principles of software development, such as analysis, algorithms, coding, testing and compiling of programming paradigms (e.g. object oriented programming, functional programming) a...software architecture modelssoftware architecture modelsThe set of structures and models needed to understand or describe the software system, including the software elements, the relations between them and the properties of both elements and relations.Prolog (computer programming)Prolog (computer programming)The techniques and principles of software development, such as analysis, algorithms, coding, testing and compiling of programming paradigms in Prolog.OpenEdge Advanced Business LanguageOpenEdge Advanced Business LanguageThe techniques and principles of software development, such as analysis, algorithms, coding, testing and compiling of programming paradigms in OpenEdge Advanced Business Language.iterative developmentiterative developmentThe iterative development model is a methodology to design software systems and applications.JavaScriptJavaScriptThe techniques and principles of software development, such as analysis, algorithms, coding, testing and compiling of programming paradigms in JavaScript.PerlPerlThe techniques and principles of software development, such as analysis, algorithms, coding, testing and compiling of programming paradigms in Perl.emergent technologiesemergent technologiesThe recent trends, developments and innovations in modern technologies such as biotechnology, artificial intelligence and robotics.Smalltalk (computer programming)Smalltalk (computer programming)The techniques and principles of software development, such as analysis, algorithms, coding, testing and compiling of programming paradigms in Smalltalk.PHPPHPThe techniques and principles of software development, such as analysis, algorithms, coding, testing and compiling of programming paradigms in PHP.Assembly (computer programming)Assembly (computer programming)The techniques and principles of software development, such as analysis, algorithms, coding, testing and compiling of programming paradigms in Assembly.Spiral developmentSpiral developmentThe spiral development model is a methodology to design software systems and applications.C#C#The techniques and principles of software development, such as analysis, algorithms, coding, testing and compiling of programming paradigms in C#.RRThe techniques and principles of software development, such as analysis, algorithms, coding, testing and compiling of programming paradigms in R.GroovyGroovyThe techniques and principles of software development, such as analysis, algorithms, coding, testing and compiling of programming paradigms in Groovy.APLAPLThe techniques and principles of software development, such as analysis, algorithms, coding, testing and compiling of programming paradigms in APL.Waterfall developmentWaterfall developmentThe waterfall development model is a methodology to design software systems and applications.unified modelling languageunified modelling languageThe general-purpose modelling language used in software development to offer a standard visualisation of system designs.Microsoft Visual C++Microsoft Visual C++The computer program Visual C++ is a suite of software development tools for writing programs, such as compiler, debugger, code editor, code highlights, packaged in a unified user interface. It is dev...TypeScriptTypeScriptThe techniques and principles of software development, such as analysis, algorithms, coding, testing and compiling of programming paradigms in TypeScript.software design methodologiessoftware design methodologiesThe methodologies such as Scrum, V-model and Waterfall to design software systems and applications.Rapid application developmentRapid application developmentThe rapid application development model is a methodology to design software systems and applications.business process modellingbusiness process modellingThe tools, methods and notations such as Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) and Business Process Execution Language (BPEL), used to describe and analyse the characteristics of a business proce...CoffeeScriptCoffeeScriptThe techniques and principles of software development, such as analysis, algorithms, coding, testing and compiling of programming paradigms in CoffeeScript.Objective-CObjective-CThe techniques and principles of software development, such as analysis, algorithms, coding, testing and compiling of programming paradigms in Objective-C.ML (computer programming)ML (computer programming)The techniques and principles of software development, such as analysis, algorithms, coding, testing and compiling of programming paradigms in ML.AJAXAJAXThe techniques and principles of software development, such as analysis, algorithms, coding, testing and compiling of programming paradigms in AJAX.C++C++The techniques and principles of software development, such as analysis, algorithms, coding, testing and compiling of programming paradigms in C++.SAP R3SAP R3The techniques and principles of software development, such as analysis, algorithms, coding, testing and compiling of programming paradigms in SAP R3.Swift (computer programming)Swift (computer programming)The techniques and principles of software development, such as analysis, algorithms, coding, testing and compiling of programming paradigms in Swift.MATLABMATLABThe techniques and principles of software development, such as analysis, algorithms, coding, testing and compiling of programming paradigms in MATLAB.Python (computer programming)Python (computer programming)The techniques and principles of software development, such as analysis, algorithms, coding, testing and compiling of programming paradigms in Python.Scratch (computer programming)Scratch (computer programming)The techniques and principles of software development, such as analysis, algorithms, coding, testing and compiling of programming paradigms in Scratch.Process-based managementProcess-based managementThe process-based management approach is a methodology for planning, managing and overseeing of ICT resources in order to meet specific goals and using project management ICT tools.lean project managementlean project managementThe lean project management approach is a methodology for planning, managing and overseeing of ICT resources in order to meet specific goals and using project management ICT tools.Agile developmentAgile developmentThe agile development model is a methodology to design software systems and applications.VBScriptVBScriptThe techniques and principles of software development, such as analysis, algorithms, coding, testing and compiling of programming paradigms in VBScript.Pascal (computer programming)Pascal (computer programming)The techniques and principles of software development, such as analysis, algorithms, coding, testing and compiling of programming paradigms in Pascal.ABAPABAPThe techniques and principles of software development, such as analysis, algorithms, coding, testing and compiling of programming paradigms in ABAP.Prototyping developmentPrototyping developmentThe prototyping development model is a methodology to design software systems and applications.DevOpsDevOpsThe DevOps development approach is a methodology to design software systems and applications focused on the collaboration and between software programmers and other ICT professionals and automation.system designsystem designThe process of defining the architecture for different components and modules of a system, as well as the relevant data, for satisfying specific requirements.ScalaScalaThe techniques and principles of software development, such as analysis, algorithms, coding, testing and compiling of programming paradigms in Scala.apply conflict managementapply conflict managementTake ownership of the handling of all complaints and disputes showing empathy and understanding to achieve resolution. Be fully aware of all Social Responsibility protocols and procedures, and be able...manage staffmanage staffManage employees and subordinates, working in a team or individually, to maximise their performance and contribution. Schedule their work and activities, give instructions, motivate and direct the wor...optimise choice of ICT solutionoptimise choice of ICT solutionSelect the appropriate solutions in the field of ICT while taking into account potential risks, benefits and overall impact.use different communication channelsuse different communication channelsMake use of various types of communication channels such as verbal, handwritten, digital and telephonic communication with the purpose of constructing and sharing ideas or information.provide cost benefit analysis reportsprovide cost benefit analysis reportsPrepare, compile and communicate reports with broken down cost analysis on the proposal and budget plans of the company. Analyse the financial or social costs and benefits of a project or investment i...apply systemic design thinkingapply systemic design thinkingApply the process of combining systems thinking methodologies with human-centred design in order to solve complex societal challenges in an innovative and sustainable way. This is most often applied i...monitor technology trendsmonitor technology trendsSurvey and investigate recent trends and developments in technology. Observe and anticipate their evolution, according to current or future market and business conditions.apply information security policiesapply information security policiesImplement policies, methods and regulations for data and information security in order to respect confidentiality, integrity and availability principles.coordinate technological activitiescoordinate technological activitiesGive instructions to colleagues and other cooperating parties in order to reach the desired outcome of a technological project or achieve set goals within an organisation dealing with technology.analyse business requirementsanalyse business requirementsStudy clients' needs and expectations for a product or service in order to identify and resolve inconsistencies and possible disagreements of involved stakeholders.manage cloud data and storagemanage cloud data and storageCreate and manage cloud data retention. Identify and implement data protection, encryption, and capacity planning needs.build business relationshipsbuild business relationshipsEstablish a positive, long-term relationship between organisations and interested third parties such as suppliers, distributors, shareholders and other stakeholders in order to inform them of the orga...LispLispThe techniques and principles of software development, such as analysis, algorithms, coding, testing and compiling of programming paradigms in Lisp.COBOLCOBOLThe techniques and principles of software development, such as analysis, algorithms, coding, testing and compiling of programming paradigms in COBOL.ASP.NETASP.NETThe techniques and principles of software development, such as analysis, algorithms, coding, testing and compiling of programming paradigms in ASP.NET.
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Frequently asked questions
What does an enterprise architect do?
Enterprise architects balance technological opportunities with business requirements. They also maintain a holistic view of the organisation's strategy, processes, information and ICT assets and link the business mission, strategy and processes to the ICT strategy.
What skills does an enterprise architect need?
An enterprise architect needs 22 essential skills, including object-oriented modelling, legal requirements of ICT products, business strategy concepts, ICT project management methodologies, ICT architectural frameworks.
Will AI replace enterprise architect jobs?
The AI disruption score for enterprise architect is 81/100 (very high risk). Skills most exposed to automation: provide cost benefit analysis reports, collect customer feedback on applications, apply ICT system usage policies. Most resilient: emergent technologies, apply conflict management, build business relationships.
AI Replacement Risk
81/ 100
Very High Risk
Low riskHigh risk
Skills most at risk from AI
Skills resilient to automation
This is the average for the whole occupation. The AI Career Shield test (about 10 minutes) shows the risk in your own work and what you can do about it.
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SectorInfocomm Technology
ISCO GroupInformation and communications technology professionals
Essential Skills22
Core Skills5
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