Application of a lightweight enterprise architecture elicitation technique using a case study approach

Enterprise architecture (EA) has demonstrated utility for improving overall Information System (IS)/Information Technology (IT) outcomes for institutions, particularly those with large-scale or integration-related needs. To achieve the core goal of an EA — integration, alignment and governance between enterprise goals and the enterprise IS/IT portfolio — institutional vision, mission and objectives must be elicited, analysed, understood and documented by the enterprise architects. This paper proposes and evaluates a lightweight EA elicitation technique to gather the required information about enterprise mission and objectives as a lightweight entry point to developing an EA. Specifically, we investigate the evaluation results of our proposed technique in EA data elicitation and analysis stemming from a case study that was conducted on an institution with a significant IS/IT asset portfolio. Our proposed EA elicitation technique utilizes the VMOST elicitation question, a structured elicitation vehicle, and Grounded Theory Method as the qualitative analysis technique to analyse elicited responses. Application of this approach in a real case study garnered sufficient understanding the vision, mission and objectives of an enterprise to articulate objectives in a way suitable to use as institutional goal as a part of the Zachman EA framework.