A conversation about Hype Cycle for EA Tools
Each year, many eagerly await Gartner Hype Cycle for Enterprise Architecture (EA) Tools. Among these enthusiasts is QualiWare CEO Kuno Brodersen, who sees it as a valuable pulse on current developments in EA. The Hype Cycle provides insights that inspire and illuminate the changes shaping the EA field. The enterprise architect role is evolving, just as the world around it does.
This blog post is based on a conversation with Kuno Brodersen about Gartner’s Hype Cycle for EA Tools, the concepts and technologies featured, and what he believes is most relevant to enterprise architect professionals today.
What is Gartner’s Hype Cycle?
Before we dive in, let's clarify Gartner’s Hype Cycle: The Hype Cycle™ is a visual model that illustrates the typical journey of new technology, from initial excitement to widespread adoption. It includes five stages: Innovation Trigger (early buzz), Peak of Inflated Expectations (hype and unrealistic expectations), Trough of Disillusionment (disappointment when challenges arise), Slope of Enlightenment (real-world use cases develop), and Plateau of Productivity (widespread adoption and value realization). The model underscores that technologies often require time and experience before they deliver true value. Learn more about Gartner’s Hype Cycle
Don’t loose your enthusiasm
Kuno Brodersen believes that the Hype Cycle’s structure, can sometimes be debated. For instance, it can be unclear why Business Capability Modeling and Solution Architecture fall into the "Trough of Disillusionment" phase, suggesting a cycle of initial hype followed by disappointment. Business Capability Modeling, for example, is a vital communication tool between enterprise architect professionals and top management, enabling organizations to clarify objectives and capabilities—a method employed by large consultancies to guide leadership in defining company goals. Thus, labeling it a "disappointing" technology seems counterintuitive.
Similarly, Solution Architecture remains crucial in a time where integration and security are of paramount importance. While the relevance of a technology may not always align with its place on the curve, the concepts are valuable. As Kuno points out, the Hype Cycle carries an essential message: “Don't loose your enthusiasm for a technology, even if it doesn’t meet all expectations right away.”
The Evolving Role of Enterprise Architects
Every concept and technology on the Hype Cycle plays a role in supporting enterprise architects, a role that has changed significantly in recent years.
Where architects once focused on technology choices and applications, today’s enterprise architect role prioritizes security, authentication, and information management. Many products are designed for easy integration and have flexible, web-based interfaces, making technology selection less complex. Security, however, demands increased attention.
The risks of data breaches and cyberattacks are severe. A loss of control over personal information can damage stock prices and brand reputation. Enterprise architects are uniquely positioned to ensure secure data handling and regulatory compliance, making them central to strategic planning.
Furthermore, enterprise architects are pivotal in managing organizational knowledge, a responsibility now challenged by the rise of AI. Enterprise architects must structure this knowledge so that both humans and AI can derive valuable insights, allowing organizations to leverage their data more intelligently than ever.
A key aspect of this task is creating a shared understanding of core business concepts. Effective data management and communication rely on consistent terminology and interpretations across the company, a need where enterprise architects or knowledge managers can ensure everyone “speaks the same language.”
Where is Enterprise Architecture?
One of the concepts Kuno feels is missing from this year’s Hype Cycle is Enterprise Architecture itself. Previously featured, it’s absent this year. Instead, we see Business Architecture—so, does this now represent an overarching concept, or is EA viewed as a subset? According to Kuno, it’s important to avoid the misconception that Business Architecture is purely about business, while EA focuses solely on technology.
EA is particularly valuable because it organizes organizational knowledge in a structured, long-term approach. Without EA, critical knowledge risks remaining siloed within individuals, which is a vulnerable solution. EA’s strength lies in providing a coherent understanding of the organization, making its absence on this year’s Hype Cycle surprising.
New Expectations for EA
EA tools, missing from last year’s Hype Cycle, have returned this year and reached “the Plateau of Productivity”. This stage signifies maturity and proven practical value. However, Gartner notes that market penetration remains at only 50%, raising the question: Why has adoption not increased when EA tools have been available for so long? One possible answer is that organizations now entering the EA market have more specialized needs than before, with a focus on technical, innovative, and compliance-oriented solutions.
New elements, like Digital Twin, are becoming significant as organizations aim to connect their data to measure both architectural and organizational performance. This marks an expansion from traditional EA practices of data modeling, process optimization, and application management. Although KPIs have always been important, they’ve rarely been central to architectural choices.
There remains a lack of well-documented methods for dynamically integrating this data. Traditional data warehouses are often too rigid for this purpose, while new technologies like knowledge graphs offer more flexible alternatives, structuring data in a way that supports both the business model and architecture, thus opening Enterprise Architecture to a wider audience beyond IT specialists and process experts, Kuno explains.
Business Ecosystem Modeling
Another concept climbing the Hype Cycle’s “Innovation Trigger” phase is Business Ecosystem Modeling. Rarely does a business operate entirely in isolation. Most are part of a broader flow. In manufacturing, this is often referred to as the supply chain flow, but a business ecosystem surrounds virtually every company, a digital ecosystem included, critical for organizational success.
“We’ve been discussing ecosystems for some time, so it’s surprising to see it just now emerging on the Innovation Trigger,” Kuno notes. “However, we can recognize that new technologies, such as blockchain, might enable digital ecosystems to become a reality. Used correctly, this democratizes the digital ecosystem. For instance, when you receive an order, you can trust it’s from a legitimate customer.”
Product Architecture and Digital Twin
At QualiWare, we’ve invested significantly in Product Architecture, which sits at “the Peak of Inflated Expectations” on the Hype Cycle. Our journey began with an initiative called Digital Construction, aimed at standardizing building components and processes. Collaborating with DTU, we described building products and their structures for standardized use in buildings and CAD tool integration, leading to the establishment of the BIM standard (Building Information Management).
QualiWare also integrates with configuration tools that allow product customization. For instance, if you manufacture bikes, it’s essential to combine the right wheel size with the right frame. This integration makes working with our Digital Twin intuitive, as QualiWare already incorporates significant product-oriented capabilities.
The Value of Value Stream Mapping
Value Stream Mapping, also at the “Peak of Inflated Expectations”, is another focus at QualiWare. Interestingly, the concept has evolved over time. Initially, it pertained to production management optimization—tracking transactions at a low level, machine runtime, and the duration to move items between machines.
Later, the Business Architecture Guild introduced a new interpretation of a “value stream” as the delivery of value to customers or stakeholders, also known as value propositions. This created some confusion, as there are now two levels of value streams: a high-level business value and a low-level operational stream. Gartner’s Hype Cycle may refer to this higher level of abstraction here.
Generative AI and Machine Learning
At QualiWare, new technologies like augmented architecture and AI are core areas of interest, and we have already seen positive results. Generative AI, featured in this year’s Hype Cycle, is relevant to everyone. We began implementing AI solutions in QualiWare four years ago, starting with machine learning; now, we’re working with generative AI and Large Language Models (LLMs). Kuno raises the question of whether AI is only about generative AI, but it is undeniably a trend receiving significant attention.
Platform Engineering
There’s a growing trend to make working with applications more straightforward and flexible. Instead of integrating thousands of applications individually, organizations now seek platform-based structures that support multiple functions with known interfaces to the applications. This centralizes the required information and services, making it easier to combine them as needed.
Platform Engineering has descended into the “Trough of Disillusionment”, indicating a phase of reality-checking, as companies encounter practical limitations. This is where technologies mature and prove, or fail to meet, their promise.
Inspiration for Navigating a Complex and Changing World
Gartner’s 2024 Hype Cycle highlights exciting trends, emphasizing EA’s evolving role with a greater focus on security, information management, and value-driven tools. While the Hype Cycle doesn’t always reflect the actual relevance of every technology for EA professionals, it offers inspiration to stay vigilant about the tools and concepts that can create value in an increasingly complex and dynamic world.
