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Enterprise Architecture for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises: A Starting Point for Bringing EA to SMEs, Based on Adoption Models

In: Information Systems for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises

Author

Listed:
  • Maxime Bernaert

    (Ghent University)

  • Geert Poels

    (Ghent University)

  • Monique Snoeck

    (K.U. Leuven)

  • Manu Backer

    (University of Antwerp)

Abstract

On the one hand, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are important drivers of economy. SMEs face a number of problems due to a lack of structure and overview of the company. On the other hand, enterprise architecture (EA) can be used as a holistic approach to keep things aligned in a company. Some emphasize the use of EA to align IT with the business, others see it broader and use it to also keep the processes aligned with the strategy. This article refers to solutions that EA can bring to the problems regarding a lack of structure and overview in companies. While EA has gained importance in larger companies and EA can also provide similar benefits to SMEs, hardly any article discusses EA for SMEs. An exploratory research in Flemish SMEs confirms that in practice none of the SMEs knows or uses EA. It is clear that there still exists a gap between EA and SMEs. The main goal of this article is first investigating why EA is not yet adopted by SMEs, despite the benefits EA can offer. Adoption models offer insight in the adoption process. Second, this article offers a starting point for EA technique developers to really adapt EA techniques to an SME context. Research steps are given to start developing EA techniques, as well as a starting point for a metamodel based on only four concepts, because the characteristics of SMEs emphasize the need of simple EA techniques. These concepts refer to four dimensions that are present in a broad spectrum of EA techniques.

Suggested Citation

  • Maxime Bernaert & Geert Poels & Monique Snoeck & Manu Backer, 2014. "Enterprise Architecture for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises: A Starting Point for Bringing EA to SMEs, Based on Adoption Models," Progress in IS, in: Jan Devos & Hendrik Landeghem & Dirk Deschoolmeester (ed.), Information Systems for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, edition 127, pages 67-96, Springer.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:prochp:978-3-642-38244-4_4
    DOI: 10.1007/978-3-642-38244-4_4
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Grafelmann, Michaela & Zlotos, Constatin & Lange, Ann-Kathrin & Jahn, Carlos, 2020. "Modelling the IT and business process landscapes at inland intermodal terminals," Chapters from the Proceedings of the Hamburg International Conference of Logistics (HICL), in: Jahn, Carlos & Kersten, Wolfgang & Ringle, Christian M. (ed.), Data Science in Maritime and City Logistics: Data-driven Solutions for Logistics and Sustainability. Proceedings of the Hamburg International Conferen, volume 30, pages 159-179, Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH), Institute of Business Logistics and General Management.
    2. Bokolo Anthony Jnr & Sobah Abbas Petersen, 2023. "Validation of a Developed Enterprise Architecture Framework for Digitalisation of Smart Cities: a Mixed-Mode Approach," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 14(2), pages 1702-1733, June.
    3. Bokolo Anthony Jnr & Sobah Abbas Petersen, 2023. "Using an extended technology acceptance model to predict enterprise architecture adoption in making cities smarter," Environment Systems and Decisions, Springer, vol. 43(1), pages 36-53, March.
    4. Aurona Gerber & Pierre le Roux & Alta van der Merwe, 2020. "Enterprise Architecture as Explanatory Information Systems Theory for Understanding Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprise Growth," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(20), pages 1-31, October.

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