Reflection for Module 2

Prior to this class, I knew that technology is an integral part of almost any enterprise and organization. I know that there needs to be a strategy and planning with regards to technology implementation and that adopting new technologies without a strategy can become a huge problem later for stakeholders and users who are forced to learn and log in to various different tools.   I also know that technology changes quickly and today’s tools often become obsolete, causing problems in organizations that have invested a lot of time in a technological solution that seemed the best fit at the time, but which becomes an inferior choice over time. I also know that there is a digital divide that is important to always consider when any tools are public facing, especially if serving historically marginalized groups. 

I would like to know a bit more about how I can oversee the implementation of a plan/framework to help an enterprise use and implement technology effectively and for the achievement of goals and vision. I am not too interested in becoming the IT director of a school, but as the principal or director, how can I best supervise this process?  What kind of talent do I need on my team? Is there a technological solution that helps organize, plan, supervise, and execute an EA and all of its stages, artifacts, etc.?  I also got a really good basis of the theory of EA and its frameworks, but could use more information on the practical and logistical application of the frameworks or how to choose which framework is best for what kind of project.  

To date, I learned about the concept of Enterprise Architecture, and how important it is to help enterprises achieve their goals more efficiently and avoid future pitfalls due to an unstructured growth and ad-hoc adoption of technology.  I also learned about the five industry standard Enterprise Architecture frameworks that are currently used to help businesses and government organizations achieve their missions and/or vision - I was introduced to the Zachman framework, the TOGAF/Open Group framework, the DoDAF framework, the Gartner framework, and the FEAF framework.   I also learned more details about the TOGAF/Open Group framework and the theoretical foundation of how to apply it to an enterprise.