ENTERPRISE DATA AGILITY AND STRUCTURATION BETWEEN CHIEF DATA OFFICERS AND ENTERPRISE ARCHITECTS

This article researches the relationship between data, enterprise architecture (EA) and agility in corporate information technology services. The data responsibilities are represented by the Chief Data Office(r). The articles’ assumption is a disrelatedness between CDO and EA as enterprise functions. Where CDO is tasked to monitor and exploit data but might lack connectedness to other relevant business and technology functions to release the potential of the data-driven enterprise. The study is based on grounded research, especially use of the Gioia method, to guide and code semi-structured interviews with ten CDO professionals worldwide. Findings indicate business benefits of connecting or aligning CDO and EA functions and responsibilities in ideas of co-ownership and enterprise-wide collaboration on data resources. The over-arching rationale is velocity of change as represented by agile thinking. Agility can be considered broader and in a more committed form connecting enterprise and data in a proposed Enterprise Data Agility. A key practical implication is that the CDO function has been established to exploit data but are more tasked with data stewardship in form of reporting, integrity assurance, privacy, access policies and similar. The proposed agile thinking suggests more proactive and change-oriented actionability and measurability with a model ranging from isolated EA and CDO function and up to the holistic enterprise with an intense fabric of data and decision within and around the enterprise. Changes in data semantics are used as best indicators for risks and potentials of the enterprise. This article proposes a measurement scheme for assuring agility in the EA and CDO relationship aiming that changes can be accommodated faster and with more timely impact and risk mitigation.