Workshop: Digital Transformation
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Architects in Enterprise Transformation

Many large enterprises are feeling pressure from the rapid digitalization of the world: digital disruptors attack unexpectedly with brand-new business models; the "FaceBook generation" has dramatically different user expectations; and a whole slew of new technologies has become available to everyone with a credit card. This is tough stuff for enterprises that have been, and still are, very successful, but are built around traditional technology and organizational structures. "Turning the tanker", as the need to transform is often described, has become a board room-level topic in many traditional enterprises. Not as easily done as said.

Chief IT Architects and CTOs play a key role in such a digital transformation endeavor. They combine the technical, communication, and organizational skill to understand how a tech stack refresh can actually benefit the business, what "being agile" and "DevOps" really mean, and what technology infrastructure is needed to assure quality while moving faster. Their job is not an easy one, though: they must maneuver in an organization where IT is often still seen as a cost center, where operations means "run" as opposed to "change", and where middle-aged middle-management has become cozy neither understanding the business strategy nor the underlying technology. It's no surprise then that IT architects have become some of the most sought-after IT professionals around the globe.

Thinking like an Architect

Digital transformation presents architects with fantastic opportunities but also formidable challenges: they need to ride the Architect Elevator to engage at multiple levels of the organization without omitting relevant detail. At the same time, the ever-increasing pace of technical innovation challenges architects to keep pace and to demystify technical details.

This workshop teaches architects how to tackle complexity and communicate effectively by using patterns, decision models, and systems thinking. Models increase decision quality and discipline by highlighting relevant properties while omitting unnecessary noise. Systems thinking allows architects to better predict systemic behavior, both in technical and organizational systems. It also helps detect and counter-act common system effects.

Style and Substance

Many training seminars focus on either presentation style or technical content. This workshop combines both in highly interactive exercises that combine speaking and visual moderation. Architects learn how to make engaging presentations and articulate key benefits to senior stakeholders, including CIOs and CFOs. Examples are based on modern architectures and methods, such as microservices, containers technology, cloud computing, and lean and agile methods.

The workshop completes with a visit into corporate IT's Engine Room to discuss Internet-ready architectures, software-defined infrastructure, and lean software delivery.

Workshops are conducted on site for up to 12 participants. Enterprise or IT architects as well as technical IT managers benefit from this 2-day workshop. Contact me for more details.

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