Always is Cheap, Sometimes is Expensive

Always is Cheap, Sometimes is Expensive

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From Bookstores to Bots, Does Using AI for Writing Feel Like Cheating?

From Bookstores to Bots, Does Using AI for Writing Feel Like Cheating?

As an enterprise architect and solution designer, a significant portion of my job revolves around writing. I am constantly drafting positions, defining approaches, and establishing the guiding principles for where our technology is heading. Historically, this level of strategic writing has always relied on deep, continuous research. Lately, however, the

Stop Asking for an "AI Strategy"

Stop Asking for an "AI Strategy"

Why AI is just another tool in the EA toolbox—and how to actually use it to enable business strategy. Stop Asking for an "AI Strategy" Why AI is just another tool in the EA toolbox—and how to actually use it to enable business strategy. Walk into

Securing the "Always," Building the "Sometimes": The Micro-App Renaissance

Securing the "Always," Building the "Sometimes": The Micro-App Renaissance

If you’ve been in the technology space long enough, you start to see the pendulum swing. Years ago, I made a living by executing a very specific, highly valuable rescue mission: liberating business logic from the fragile, tangled webs of Excel spreadsheets and Microsoft Access databases. Back then, my

Architecting Time: Why I Traded the Corporate Clock for a Life Grid

Architecting Time: Why I Traded the Corporate Clock for a Life Grid

One of the key motivators for my recent decision to retire was the new way I think about time. For decades, like most professionals, I had a transactional relationship with time. You dedicate your weeks to work, and in exchange, you build a career, provide for your family, and solve

You Start Coding

You Start Coding

I know all technical articles these days are supposed to be about artificial intelligence, but I think many organizations are still working to modernize their application development lifecycles. I was going through my file archives this weekend and came across an old graphic I used often, and it made me

The Power of QR Codes

The Power of QR Codes

I just finished falling down the rabbit hole of QR codes. I had no idea the power these things had. Honestly, I thought all they did was point to websites, but they can do so much more than open a restaurant menu on your phone. This article is about my

The Principle of ODI

The Principle of ODI

Years back I worked with a top-notch Project Manager. He was more business-centric than technical but he led technical projects. We worked on a few large projects together, he as the Project Manager and me as the Solution Architect. One was a large consumer-facing custom application and

Always is not a Mandate but an Aspiration

Always is not a Mandate but an Aspiration

I have been using the same architectural principles for solution design for years, always is cheap and sometimes is expensive. I am amazed at some of the different reactions I get from IT professionals when they first hear me say it and I do say it a lot. For the

Do Not Forget What Was

Do Not Forget What Was

As Enterprise Architects our job is to focus on understanding the “As Is” and building transition plans to get to the “To Be”. But I always like to remind people don’t forget the “What Was”. We can learn from our past experiences if we do the due diligence to

Knowing Where You Are Matters

Knowing Where You Are Matters

I have worked on many software development projects where I was asked to do a technical review. During the review, I would find holes in their technical architecture. For example, the security model was not fully built out or the business continuity plan was not defined. When I would raise

Business Capability Modeling Best Practices

Business Capability Modeling Best Practices

Early on in my career, I was introduced to business capability modeling. This technique helps an organization identify its capabilities. It focuses on what the business does rather than how it does it. Capabilities help abstract the “how” away and define the needed capabilities of what the company does to

The Power of Yes

The Power of Yes

How we position ourselves in conversations can have an impact on how we are able to move the conversation along. A few years back my company was designing a website for a local insurance company. The daughter of the owner, Samantha had joined the firm and was helping us get

My Solution Design Process

My Solution Design Process

Introduction We can benefit from a structured process when implementing change in the Enterprise. We need to define the work and what artifacts we need to ensure a successful transition. In keeping with my primary motto, always is cheap and sometimes is expensive, I have built a solution design model

Blockchain

Crypto currency has been a hot topic in the news again with the rise in prices for Bitcoin, Ethereum and Dogecoin. We have also seen Non-fungible tokens or NFTs get a lot of attention in the press. Both items utilize the same underlying technology called blockchain. So, what is

The Keys Go in the Key Bowl

The Keys Go in the Key Bowl

When my kids were teenagers, we used to play a game at my house, I called “Where are my keys”. My kids never put their car keys in the same place when they came home which caused the panic search to find out where they were minutes before they needed

My Core Solution Design Principles

My Core Solution Design Principles

Over the years I have accumulated a laundry list of catchphrases, sayings, and principles that have helped me explain to my team members what I am trying to convey. Of course like any good Software Architect, I have documented those items into a list I hope to publish in more

Always is cheap, sometimes is expensive

Always is cheap, sometimes is expensive

Always is cheap and sometimes is expensive. I have been using this principle for most of my professional career. It is intended to get at the heart of what it is we do when we design solutions by driving to standards, patterns, and practices. Repeatability and reusability are key deliverables