A Systematic Literature Review of Enterprise Architecture Evaluation Methods

Abstract

Enterprise Architecture (EA) is a systematic and holistic approach to designing and managing an organization's information systems components, aiding in optimizing resources, managing risk, and facilitating change. It weighs different architectural quality attributes against each other to achieve the most advantageous architecture. However, the evaluation of EA lacks a systematic approach. This study employs a Systematic Literature Review, analyzing, in detail, 109 articles carefully selected from 3644 papers published since 2005. The key outcome of the research reveals that a crucial factor for the extensive worldwide adoption of EA evaluation methods lies in the automation of the assessment and architecture modeling processes, particularly emphasizing the facet of data collection. The automation of EA evaluation will empower organizations to streamline their processes, make data-driven decisions, and respond more effectively to change, ultimately contributing to their competitiveness and long-term success in the global market. The study identifies diverse evaluation methods, determines evaluation criteria, examines the extent to which these methods have been verified in practice, and provides directions for further research and advancement.