Our Enterprise Architecture services include

• consulting
• support for tool selection and roll-out
• Capability mapping and maturity model
• Training, both organisational and public courses

In addition, we write blogs and hold related webinars (in finnish). Our training and webinar offering you can find at oppia.fi.

Consulting services

Consulting can be needed in various situations. Typical situations, where clients need our help are:

• Your organisation doesn’t have enough enterprise architecture knowhow. As a result of some research, it has been determined that enterprise architecture needs to be done, but even starting seems too challenging. Or there is some part of enterprise architecture that no-one in the internal architecture team has enough experience on.
• You are launching an enterprise architecture function and need help with it. Launching the EA function should be a nonrecurring task, after which the function is up and running. As a result, you may not have experience of doing it in your organisation, and don’t need to. After all, most organisations only do it once.
• You are setting up a specific enterprise architecture tool. This is a once in a lifetime event for your organisation but happens to us more often. Sometimes it needs to be set up two or three times. We are usually called in on the third time. We call this tool takeover.
• Your architecture team needs more resources. The amount of architecture work needed is not a constant, sometimes you need more and sometimes less. Using consultants is a way to even the load. It may also be, that your organisation doesn’t want to hire architects on a permanent basis. Besides, using consultants makes it easier to react to changing needs.
• There is a constant battle between enterprise architecture and other development activities regarding who should do what. Some have even suggested that architecture could be unnecessary. Contact us for best tips on how to divide development activities in an efficient way.
• You need a team of enterprise architects from Coala.

Check out our consultants. Everyone has their own specific area of expertise, but also many common traits. Every Coala does basic architecture work, but your assignment will be manned according to your needs. Some assignments are focused on training and mentoring, others need a good ICT knowledge base, and we also have process developers.

Tool related consulting

Our tool consulting typically consists of

• Architecture work with a modelling tool. All Coalas can model and use various tools. Of course, architecture also entails presentations and reports, so it is not just the modelling tool we use.
• Standardising tool usage and improving the quality of architecture deliverables. It can happen that one architect uses the tool in one way, and the other in another. As a result, the content can be quite irregular, even chaotic. Our services include modelling handbooks, various quality checking activities and producing content in the “right way. Architecture deliverables are best harmonised if the common way of modelling is implemented following an example.
• Guidelines and roles needed to use a tool. What does an administrator do? Do all architects and project group members have similar needs? We have the basics materials ready for you.
• Tool training. Actually, we never just teach how to use the tool, we also teach the way of modelling in your organisation. The tool is never something separate from other architecture work.
• Support for clients when selecting a tool. Tool selection starts with capability mapping and determining what software has already been acquired to support development work.  We have materials ready to support your selection process.
• Tool switch and new tool roll-out consulting. When taking over a new tool you need to understand what the key issues are you need to get right in the beginning. Fixing them later on will become increasingly difficult if you let the problem fester.

Different organisations need different tools, often the most cost-efficient choice would be to do a tool takeover for and existing tool, taking advantage or tool licenses already bought and paid for. This usually means doing a structural renovation or even starting from a clean slate. Tool takeover is our specialty. We have intimate knowledge of for example BiZZdesign, Sparx, ARIS, QPR and Mega Suite. From us you will get a condition check and action proposals for any tool.

Naturally tool consulting is not separate from our other consulting assignments. We often do traditional consulting alongside tool consulting.

Enterprise architecture training

We adjust our architecture services to the level desired by our clients. Maybe you wish to do just the minimum amount of architecture on the side? Or are you planning to launch a bigger architecture function? Are the architects on the company payroll, or are they consultants? We offer training for all these situations.

Training is offered both via organisational and public courses. Some examples of our courses/trainings

• Tool and modelling training (i.e., ArchiMate®) as well as method training (i.e., requirement management). This training creates the foundation for the basic skills needed by an architect.
• Training for beginners and end users of architecture deliverables. Not everyone wants to become a full-time architect, so we have suitable training for other groups as well.
• In depth training for architects. Meaning training from expert to expert.
• Tailored training according to focus group. For example, a process modelling course for a group with architecture backgrounds can be condensed in half the time, because they are already familiar with some of the content.  

Our training ties together with our consulting. It is not always practical to have classroom type training, instead our consultants can take part in guiding day to day work. Some courses are also available online.

Our trainers are Anna, Oskari, Vilja and Ida-Kaisa. They all do practical architecture work daily. Coala does not offer training on subjects we have no practical knowledge of.

Interested? Call Anna, and we’ll talk more.
Anna Aaltonen +358 40 570 8099

*ArchiMate® is a  registered trademark of The Open Group.