Assurance : a positive declaration intended to give confidence

Who needs assurance?  All stakeholders

What is assurance need for?  Outcomes desired by stakeholders will be realised

When is assurance needed?  Through the entire process, particularly at any point of uncertainty where confidence might start to diminish.

Integrity

As each element is refined, other elements may need to be adjusted in light of the change of one “part” and its implications for the whole”.  Hence, assurance is an ongoing process that occurs with each and any change, ensuring that the “realised enterprise” holds integrity with the “conceptualised enterprise”

Of course, the “integrity” of the enterprise is partly achieved through “integration”, for which “architecture” is a key tool.  Hence, these elements form the means by which next generation leaders envision and realise their next generation enterprises.

 

Our experience

It has been our experience that the approach we are outlining often receives the following commentary.

This is not new – we do this already – but the “structure” gives us greater confidence and assurance that the end result will realise our intended goals and aspirations

This approach provides greater assurance that:

• early investment will realise desired outcomes
• sufficient attention will be given to all necessary elements

In this regard, adoption of such an approach by management provides a valuable means of providing assurance to governing bodies that management are attending to the long-term sustainability of the enterprise.

This approach is a valuable governance and assurance tool.

 

Bringing it all together

… and hence the theme for this alternate articulation of the enterprise transformation lifecycle …

In bringing a systems savvy approach, one based on applying architectural thinking to enterprises-as-animate-systems, we have provided an “integrated approach to integration” through the use of a powerful integrating tool – “architectural thinking”.