Why should we architect digital transformation?
Architecting digital transformation can address the root causes of fundamental issues that we experience in the digital world. The proliferation of digital media in the form of images, sound, and videos created a massive demand for our infrastructure to scale globally. Relentless sharing of these media types can create an unsustainable load over the networks, applications, and other expensive infrastructure components unless well-architected capacity, scalability, security, performance, and usability plans are in place.
Based on my architectural experience on various enterprise architecture initiatives, digital transformation, and enterprise modernisation engagements, I want to share these learnings using a simple 12-step method hoping to add value by contributing to the broader digital transformation community and the progressing digital transformation initiatives globally.
Many large organisations that I work for are substantially challenged with rapid change in technology and increasing demands of consumers in this digital era. Every large organisation, that I worked for, are affected by these changes. As an immediate reaction, they initiated quick digital transformation or modernisation programs, to some extent at the program level, or at the enterprise level.
It became evident that these business organisations needed new architectural approaches to address these issues and substantial organisational risks. The initial modernisation and transformation initiatives helped, to some extent, however, the focus needed to be on the new projects and initiatives to adapt and respond to the growing consumer demands. To this end, these business organisations needed integral, innovative, and modern solutions for the emerging workloads.
Digital technologies span across multiple dimensions and many domains. These domains are tightly interrelated; hence, a minor change in one domain can reflect in many others. Dealing with these interrelated domains and their components require substantial restructuring.
In this article, I attempt to explain these challenges methodically and in a straightforward format refraining from theoretical aspects. My aim is to provide insights based on a practical architectural approach to deal with the challenges of digital transformation effectively.
Dr Mehmet Yildiz 