About Author: Chris

Description
Chris Lockhart has more than nine years of experience in architecting, implementing, and testing technical solutions for large multi-line corporations representing several different industries. Chris has provided technical advice and thorough implementation strategies for highly complex integrated systems comprising security, middle-tier Web application components, messaging, collaborative middleware, and back-end data sources. He has focused on providing solutions that take advantage of portal technologies and service-oriented architectures (SOAs) to solve real-world problems for clients.

Posts by Chris

  • Despite the fact that the things we measure are often not related to the impact of our efforts on the business, this hasn't stopped the relentless quest for metrics to feed legions of ravenous dashboard apps and Excel spreadsheets. In fact, they seem to have slowly become an end unto themselves.

    The Quest for Mostly Meaningless Metrics

    Despite the fact that the things we measure are often not related to the impact of our efforts on the business, this hasn't stopped the relentless quest for metrics to feed legions of ravenous dashboard apps and Excel spreadsheets. In fact, they seem to have slowly become an end unto themselves.

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  • You might be wondering what social media has to do with enterprise architecture. Apart from my argument that EA must include social as a functional area as well as a technical layer (as it is indisputably part of the business of business), the two areas share a common culture of obfuscation and jazz hands.

    Social Media is Just Jazz Hands (and other heretical thoughts)

    You might be wondering what social media has to do with enterprise architecture. Apart from my argument that EA must include social as a functional area as well as a technical layer (as it is indisputably part of the business of business), the two areas share a common culture of obfuscation and jazz hands.

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  • How can a business be effective and compete in the market if the leaders don't have a clue what they're spending? Is it because they don't want to know, can't know or just haven't taken the time to know? I'm not sure which option is worse, to be honest.

    Boost Your IQ

    How can a business be effective and compete in the market if the leaders don't have a clue what they're spending? Is it because they don't want to know, can't know or just haven't taken the time to know? I'm not sure which option is worse, to be honest.

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  • A model is useful if it describes something in a context that renders a complex topic easier to digest for specific audience. Its purpose is to describe, to communicate. It is an expression of a viewpoint. It isn't a detailed map or a blueprint. It is representative of a system, it doesn't depict the system. It is an abstraction. I'm afraid we model too frequently as a cover for not actually producing things of value.

    The Power of Carefully Worded Nonsense

    A model is useful if it describes something in a context that renders a complex topic easier to digest for specific audience. Its purpose is to describe, to communicate. It is an expression of a viewpoint. It isn't a detailed map or a blueprint. It is representative of a system, it doesn't depict the system. It is an abstraction. I'm afraid we model too frequently as a cover for not actually producing things of value.

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  • Suggesting architecture in general, or enterprise architecture in particular, doesn't add value or is otherwise a fiscal black hole is akin to declaring that badly executed means discredits the ends. The objective of enhancing Business-IT alignment is a worthy one. Just because a bunch of charlatans over time have discredited one method of achieving that alignment doesn't mean we shouldn't bother.

    Bad Marksmanship

    Suggesting architecture in general, or enterprise architecture in particular, doesn't add value or is otherwise a fiscal black hole is akin to declaring that badly executed means discredits the ends. The objective of enhancing Business-IT alignment is a worthy one. Just because a bunch of charlatans over time have discredited one method of achieving that alignment doesn't mean we shouldn't bother.

    Continue Reading...