Choosing your starting line in enterprise architecture

Explores two fundamental approaches to establishing an enterprise architecture office: mapping the current state (AS-IS) versus designing the ideal future state (TO-BE). The AS-IS approach involves documenting existing structures, applications, and business units, then gradually improving them. The TO-BE approach skips archaeology and starts with industry-standard frameworks. The author recommends adopting existing structures if they're actively used by leadership, but designing new frameworks when the organization lacks consistent architecture practices. For technical layers like applications and infrastructure, always map the AS-IS, especially during migrations or mergers.