As organisations adopt agile operating models that put customer services at the centre, the role of Enterprise Architecture changes from master planners, gate keepers, and model-making to supporters of service design, delivery, and operations capabilities. The Dept. Health & Human Services (Victoria) has built a digital service delivery capability based on modern platforms and agile development methods. An essential part of the operation is the Enterprise Architecture Unit that acts as a strategic planning and enterprise design partner to the business. This session will detail practical elements of how Enterprise Architecture can set up as a driver of sustainable change and executive strategy, including:

• How architects are engaging with business units to frame discussions about service delivery options and technology investments
• Using business capability models to assist with IT portfolio management and prioritisation
• How Enterprise Architects can most effectively work with Business Policy and Planners, Service Designers and Agilest.
• How Enterprise Architecture can re-orient from delivering compliance to focusing on business outcomes, service quality, and overall customer satisfaction

The formal position of EA within the business is not well understood across all organisations, and variance in the control and guidance disparate teams direct clearly shows there is now a divergence in how EAs are viewing their role alongside agile business practices. This panel will move towards a consensus on the future of EA governance:

·        Developing strategic alignment: what role do EAs need to play in informing, shaping, and executing strategy?

·        Govern or guide; influence or control? What is the most effective path for EA enabling business action in line with its goals?

·        Competing disciplines and agreement over the role and purpose of EA within the business

·        Assigning ownership & accountability

Do Enterprise Architects need to become design thinkers? Is this an essential skill in the arsenal, or is this best left to other business units? This panel discussion will provide attendees an opportunity to hear from EA’s about how they attempt to identify how design thinking can be leveraged within EA to direct customer-led business outcomes:

• The strengths of Design Thinking to excel customer understanding and HCD principles within EA practices
• How EAs can practically apply Design Thinking to steer business strategy and translate customer needs into a relevant component of a digital strategy
• Benefits for the business of aligning architecture ‘outside-in’ to customer needs to remain relevant, respond and predict external changes in consumer behaviour