Everything in K4 was about one system: the Kladde. A company has many systems, though, and at some point someone asks how they fit together, which of them overlap and which ones you still want to have in three years. That is the question of enterprise architecture. This lesson is an overview: enough to place the terms when an enterprise architect sits across from you, and to know where to read further.
Two viewpoints
| Solution architecture | Enterprise architecture | |
|---|---|---|
| View | one system or one solution | all systems, capabilities and processes of a company |
| Question | How do we build this system well? | Which systems do we need, and how do they fit together? |
| Time horizon | the next release up to a few years | several years, often with a target picture |
| Results | ADRs, C4 diagrams, quality goals | maps of capabilities and systems, standards, roadmaps |
| Counterparts | team, business side, operations | management, purchasing, the architects of many systems |
The two need each other. An enterprise architecture without solution architects stays on slides. A solution architecture without the view above it builds the third customer directory in the house, because nobody knew there were already two.