Enterprise Architecture Fails When Frameworks Take Priority Over Practice Design, Says Info-Tech Research Group

Growing technology complexity and accelerating change are exposing why many enterprise architecture practices struggle to influence decision-making. A new blueprint from Info-Tech Research Group, Build Your EA Practice Strategy, highlights these gaps and introduces a four-phase approach to help CIOs and IT leaders formalize and scale EA practices aligned with business strategy and long-term objectives.

ARLINGTON, Va., Jan. 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ - As organizations accelerate digital initiatives, scale AI adoption, and modernize core platforms, many continue to face fragmented systems, misaligned investments, and unclear technology roadmaps. New insights from Info-Tech Research Group find that these challenges often result from the absence of a clearly defined enterprise architecture (EA) practice that connects business strategy with technology execution.

To address this gap, the global IT research and advisory firm has recently published Build Your EA Practice Strategy, a blueprint that provides CIOs, chief architects, and IT leaders with a clear approach to establishing or maturing an EA practice that delivers measurable business value. The resource is designed to help organizations move EA beyond theory and position it as a strategic advisory function that informs enterprise planning and technology decisions.

"Enterprise architecture is a strategic discipline that bridges strategic vision with enterprise technologies, ensuring that all structures, decisions, and designs are specifically designed to deliver the right value at the right time," says Andrew Kum-Seun, a research director at Info-Tech Research Group. "EA practices succeed when they proactively engage organizational leaders, define consenting business priorities, and anchor architectural decisions in outcomes that matter to the enterprise."

Key Challenges When Building EA Practices

Despite growing recognition of EA's importance, many organizations encounter systemic barriers that limit its effectiveness. Info-Tech's blueprint identifies several recurring challenges, including:

• Stakeholders and decision-makers often perceive EA as abstract or bureaucratic, making it difficult for EA teams to clearly articulate value and secure sustained buy-in.
  
  
• Dynamically shifting organizational priorities and maturing technologies complicate efforts to align EA activities with long-term strategic objectives.
  
  
• Overly rigid EA frameworks implemented too early can limit flexibility and reduce engagement, weakening EA's ability to support innovation and change.

Info-Tech's Four-Phase Framework for an Effective EA Practice

To help organizations overcome these challenges, Info-Tech recommends a structured, incremental approach to building an EA practice that scales with organizational maturity and strategic needs:

• Phase 1: Create the Value Proposition – EA and technology leaders define the organization's strategic priorities and articulate EA's role and contributions.
  
  
• Phase 2: Set EA Practice Fundamentals – EA and technology teams establish objectives and metrics, clarify scope, and define guiding principles to ensure focus and consistency.
  
  
• Phase 3: Envision the EA Practice Future State – EA leaders collaborate with IT and business stakeholders to prioritize services and draw up engagement, governance, and deployment models.
  
  
• Phase 4: Plan the EA Practice Rollout – EA and technology leaders develop an EA roadmap and communication plan to support adoption and long-term organizational engagement.

Info-Tech's Build Your EA Practice Strategy blueprint includes frameworks, templates, and communication tools, including an EA Practice Strategy Template, an EA Services Assessment and Planning Tool, and an EA Strategy Workshop Sanitized Report. Together, these resources help organizations establish high-value EA practices that enable collaboration, guide transformation initiatives, and align technology decisions with business priorities. By applying the firm's approach, organizations can shift EA from a supporting function to a trusted partner in enterprise planning, investment decisions, and organizational change.

For exclusive and timely commentary from Andrew Kum-Seun, an expert in application delivery and application management, and access to the complete Build Your EA Practice Strategy blueprint, please contact [email protected].

About Info-Tech Research Group
Info-Tech Research Group is one of the world's leading research and advisory firms, serving over 30,000 IT and HR professionals. The company produces unbiased, highly relevant research and provides advisory services to help leaders make strategic, timely, and well-informed decisions. For nearly 30 years, Info-Tech has partnered closely with teams to provide them with everything they need, from actionable tools to analyst guidance, ensuring they deliver measurable results for their organizations.

To learn more about Info-Tech's divisions, visit McLean & Company for HR research and advisory services and SoftwareReviews for software buying insights.

Media professionals can register for unrestricted access to research across IT, HR, and software, and hundreds of industry analysts through the firm's Media Insiders program. To gain access, contact [email protected].

For information about Info-Tech Research Group or to access the latest research, visit infotech.com and connect via LinkedIn and X.

SOURCE Info-Tech Research Group