Gathering information is the first step of stage one of the Enterprise Architecture Implementation Wheel. In order to gain intel about the organization, its layout, the hierarchical relationships and any influencers, it is important to talk to people in the organization. Conducting one-on-one interviews often provides more intel than what can be gleaned from the various documents that have been created to depict the organization. The same approach can be used to gather knowledge about the processes and information used in the organization, as well as the applications and IT systems.
Gathering information
When gathering information, it helps a tremendous amount to talk to people in the organization. They are the ones who worked for the organization before the decision was made to get started with architecture. The employees are the ones who have the best view of how the organization works. What processes are performed, and what applications and technologies are used to support those processes.
Organizational language
In this inventory stage, go with the organizational language and try to speak the language of the organization. The conversation about definitions can always come later. Are people talking about a process when, in the world of architecture, it should be a business function? If so, just call it a process in the conversations. Defining whether something is a business function or a process will follow eventually. At this point, it would only cause confusion. It may even make people less inclined to share the information you are seeking.
Architecture deliverables
The following architecture deliverables should be created during the first step of the first stage of the Implementation Wheel. Use these architecture deliverables to capture the information you find and store it in the Architecture Repository. Creating these deliverables provides a solid foundation for the Enterprise Architecture. This foundation can be built upon over time and supplemented with all sorts of catalogs, matrices, diagrams, and maps.