🛠️ Mapping the Business Architect skills taxonomy

As a Business Architect working in the 21st century, you are called upon to keep up with the latest technology trends and compliance requirements that impact your business partners and the practice of business architecture.

From the flurry of AI releases such as OpenAI's ChatGPT, Google's Astra, Microsoft's Co-Pilot, Perplexity's PI to tracking the latest sustainability measures in the EU and beyond, it's crucial to stay informed about these trends.

AI with your Business Partners

In this article from McKinsey we can see three use cases for how generative AI can be deployed within a business:

1. Taker use cases: Companies use off-the-shelf, generative AI-powered software from third-party vendors such as GitHub Copilot or Salesforce Einstein to achieve their goals.

2. Shaper use cases: Companies integrate bespoke generative AI capabilities by engineering prompts, data sets, and connections to internal systems to achieve their goals.

3. Maker use cases: Companies create their own large language models (LLMs) by building large data sets to pre-train models from scratch. Examples include OpenAI, Anthropic, Cohere, and Mistral AI.

It's clear that given their unique skills Business Architects can help shape how and where the AI capabilities can be applied to achieve the best return on investment.

Before we look at those skills let's take a brief look at how the Business Architect of today can use AI to accelerate their work output.

AI and the Business Architect skillset

I asked ChatGPT in what ways it could help me as a Business Architect, here's its response:

Knowledge Enhancement: It can provide quick access to information on the latest trends, technologies, and methodologies in business architecture, keeping architects up-to-date.

TZR: well given it has a bit of lag in only having data up to 2021 you might find more relevant information using Google search and other sources - maybe this change will help - where ChatGPT is taking on Google search...

Problem-Solving and Ideation: ChatGPT can assist in brainstorming and generating ideas for complex business challenges, offering new perspectives and potential solutions.

TZR: I'm not sure I trust it entirely with complex business challenges given the nuances involved but certainly I have used it to generate low level solutions i.e. job descriptions

Communication and Documentation: It can help in drafting reports, presentations, and communications, ensuring clarity and professionalism in conveying complex concepts.

TZR: probably the number 1 use case for me to date has been help me in cleaning up documentation and reports

Training and Development: ChatGPT can serve as a training tool, offering explanations and examples to help Business Architects understand new concepts and frameworks.

TZR: this would be the 2nd use case I have where I ask for clarity and explanations for concepts and technologies.

I asked a bit more about about process and capability mapping and got this reponse:

Generating Process Diagrams: By providing descriptions and steps, ChatGPT can assist in outlining processes, which can then be visualized in diagrams.

TZR: the diagramming was just too clunky but I would anticipate an existing process mapping software company will improve on this

Identifying Capabilities: ChatGPT can help list and define business capabilities by analyzing organizational goals and existing functions, providing a structured view of what the business can do.

TZR: Garbage in, garbage out is the principle here so unless you're prepared to train your AI agent to learn all about your goals and functions it will start to make assumptions that cost you more time to correct.

Scenario Analysis: It can simulate different scenarios and their impacts on processes and capabilities, helping architects plan and prioritize changes.

TZR: It certainly can help with the theory around scenarios but it needs context so it doesn't wander off, I also worry about hallucinations here.

Business Architects: A unique skillset

Now its fair to say AI can't do everything, yet.... and Business Architects need to continue to support the business in working out how best apply AI technologies as well as continue to develop their skills and understanding in this ever changing landscape.

I recently completed the BCS, Chartered Institute for IT Professional Certification in Business Architecture. According to the syllabus, candidates for the certification are required to have knowledge covering the following areas:

• Business Architecture Domain

• Business Architecture Frameworks

• Business Motivation/Organisation View

• Capability View

• Value/Process View

• Competency/People View

• Information and Technology Views

• Business Architecture and Business Change

Note, that AI hasn't made it into the syllabus yet. I asked ChatGPT what skills are required by a Business Architect and here's what it identified:

Business Architect - Skills Taxononmy

Reflecting on the skills I have developed over my career I saw that the skill of Abstraction was missing from the outline above.

I asked ChatGPT why Abstraction wasn't included and where it would place it. It agreed with me and updated the taxonomy, placing Abstraction underneath Soft Skills: Analytical Thinking with the following sub skills:

• Simplifying complex systems to create high-level models and frameworks.

• Focusing on essential aspects while ignoring irrelevant details to facilitate understanding and communication.

Abstraction helps in focusing on the essential aspects of a system or process while omitting unnecessary details. It enables clearer communication, better problem-solving, and more effective decision-making.

Here’s how it applies to a business architect's role:

1. Simplifies Complexity: Breaks down complex business processes and systems into manageable components.

2. Enhances Communication: Facilitates clear and concise communication with stakeholders, especially those who may not have technical expertise.

3. Improves Design: Helps in creating scalable, flexible, and adaptable business architectures.

4. Aids in Analysis: Allows for better identification of core issues and opportunities for improvement.

Conclusion

Staying current with technological advancements and compliance requirements is imperative for modern Business Architects. By understanding and applying various AI use cases, professionals can drive significant value within their organizations.

Additionally, continuous professional development, such as obtaining certifications and creating comprehensive skill taxonomies, ensures we as Business Architects remain adept and versatile in our roles. This proactive approach not only enhances personal expertise but also contributes to the overall success and sustainability of the business.