Business Architecture Mastery

This is the most comprehensive Business Architecture training programme available globally. We go beyond approaches such as TOGAF™ (Open Group), Zachman, BizBoK (Business Architecture Guild), Business Model Canvas (Osterwalder & Pigneur), Enterprise Engineering (Dietz et al), Archimate™ (Open Group) and others in addressing the context in which business finds itself and the many dimensions that must be integrated to make informed coherent decisions to achieve desirable futures. We draw upon and remain compatible with other approaches where these are competent and deliver value, but supplement these with unique thought leadership in integrated meta models, stakeholder modelling, process architectures, integration of strategy, architecture and programme management.

We launched the programme in 2021 after a successful pilot in 2020. These confirmed the efficacy of the delivery model and the relevance of the techniques. The full programme comprises 15 major topics, focussing on one per week. All sessions feature live instruction, online delivery, supplemental recordings and written material.

Delegates will benefit from the expertise of the course leader and his team at Inspired. The course will be led by Graham McLeod, Owner and Chief Architect of Inspired.org. Graham has worked in industry for 40 years and academia for 12 (in parallel). He has experienced first hand the difficulties of really doing thorough analysis under pressure in many industries globally, including banking, assurance, healthcare, telecoms, education, administration, retail, services and others. He has taught strategy, business and enterprise architecture and other techniques at leading universities and international conferences. He has led the development of unique techniques, models and tools at Inspired for over two decades. He is uniquely qualified to share experience and techniques that you can rapidly apply. He is passionate about his subject and a great teacher. We may also have expert guest lecturers on selected topics. These are carefully chosen to ensure high levels of expertise and stimulating delivery.

Unique content shared will include:

• Inspired Holistic Architecture Language overview and conceptual meta model

• Inspired techniques for reconciling motivation, function, process, service and capability dimensions

• Inspired maturity models for Application Landscape and Post COVID New Normal 

• Inspired Process Architecture approach

• Inspired Stakeholder Value Exchange techniques

• Innovative Initiative selection, scoping and prioritising techniques

• Insights on how to present recommendations and models in ways that are persuasive to decision makers

Comments from Delegates on Previous Face-to-face BA Courses

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Robert McKee

20+ Year Business Architecture veteran Major banking group

“Having participated in the above-mentioned course under the auspices of Inspired.org during Feb-June 2021 I can unreservedly say that it was one of the most encompassing courses on Business Architecture that I have had the privilege to attend.

Graham McLeod who is the owner and Chief architect at Inspired.org facilitated the course at a pace that ensured that no-one was left behind and allowed sufficient time for students to engage in breakaway sessions to ensure that there was a cross pollination of ideas and solutions during exercises.

The course material was well thought through, illustrated by good examples, and a comprehensive text was made available as a useful resource after the course was completed.

Content was produced with all levels of participants in mind and ensured that no matter what your current experience level was, that you would derive value from attendance.

I would recommend the course as a superb source of insights into modern day business architecture, and to place you in a position to take advantage of opportunities in this field.

The establishment of a forum for ongoing networking and enrichment on relevant topics is a supplementary benefit post course.”

Sabelo Mabanga

Newly minted business architect at leading multinational retail group

”…it was my first Business Architecture course, I got what I was bargaining for and more… I’m in it, I’m inspired…”

Damian Gawlowski

Business Architecture and Design Lead at Deloitte, London UK

“I recently completed the Business Architecture Masterclass (BAMC) administered by Inspired Consulting and presented by Graham McLeod... The course was well managed with materials at a similar quality to that of Oxford University. Sessions were also run in a similar fashion where there was a mix of lecture, discussion and break out rooms for group exercises…

The BAMC has certainly been one of the more useful courses that I have attended in that the spectrum of content presented is far broader than I would have expected... The subjects covered extend beyond the traditional content that you would expect - to starting to think outside the box, different perspectives, what matters to the design of a business and its people…

This course is a great option to solidify basic Business Architecture training already completed. It goes beyond the Business Architecture Guild’s BIZBOK guide and the Zachmann Framework Masterclasses that I have done. If you are looking for a course that will introduce you to some of the latest research in this field and beyond, I would highly recommend this course.”

Read Damian’s full testimonial >>

The course features Live TED-like lectures, in-class assignments, group work and feedback to apply techniques. Sessions are recorded for ease of review / in case you miss anything. Supporting notes, documents, examples and videos are provided to enhance learning. Support in planning the use of techniques in your own context is included.

Certification requires 12 modules out of 15 to be completed.

The main topics covered in the course include (subject to improvement without notice):

• Analysing a Business using decomposition, abstraction and multiple perspectives. Applying decomposition and abstraction in a variety of relevant model types, including: Motivation/Goals, Function, Process, Service, Capability

• Use of Maturity/Readiness Models
  Understanding, constructing and applying maturity models to rapidly assess status and plan next steps for positive change. These can apply to the business/social context, EA practice, Business Architecture Capability, Digital Transformation and other areas

• Ontologies, Taxonomies and Meta Models
  Understand the role and structure of meta models and how business ontologies and industry reference models provide guidance for analysis and integration of information. Learn how they can be used to rapidly analyse current business / situation and identify gaps, redundancies and opportunities. Learn how they can be employed to integrate multiple perspectives and support collaboration

• Context Analysis

  Understanding the context in which the business operates is vital to making sound decisions. This includes understanding inter alia: Technology, politics, economy, competition and other factors driving change; impact of change on options, data, products, services, employment, organisation structure, nature of work, business models, channels and customer engagement

• Interaction and Stakeholders
  This is about seeing the organisation from the outside and the perspective of customers, suppliers, legislators, employees and other stakeholders. We need to understand why and how we engage with these parties and what each provides and expects

• Measurement, Metrics and Business Health

  We tend to get what we measure, so it is very important to understand how to measure holistically: measure things that really matter and drive desired behaviour and outcomes in a sustainable manner. We also need to assess and enhance the overall health of the organisation

• Understanding and Delivering Value

  Ultimately, an enterprise exists to add value to customers, shareholders, employees, partners and other stakeholders, including society at large. We need to understand value from stakeholder perspectives, how it is created and how to enhance its delivery through capabilities. Extended value chains and networks beyond single organisations also receive attention

• Working Smarter not Harder

  The use of data, ubiquitous intelligence, pervasive networks, location awareness, algorithms and machine learning can transform business models, value chains, processes, products and services and, ultimately, value delivery. Having a shared conceptual language and vocabulary enhances communication and rigour in all modelling and requirements definition activities

• Communications: Listening, Convincing

  Really listening and gathering accurate inputs to decision making is vital. Facilitation and consensus building are important sills. So are formulating recommendations, plans, designs and architectures in a way that is accessible and persuasive to decision makers and affected stakeholders

• Data, Knowledge and Power

  Data, information, knowledge and wisdom are increasingly available and important. We need to understand what they are, how we gather them, how we organise them, exploit them and integrate them for best effect

• Organisation Structure, Design, Emergence

  How organisations come to have the shape they do. Understanding new possibilities and what is appropriate to respond to challenges and opportunities while respecting the human aspects and good cultures. Supporting agency (self management) while achieving high performance. Working with organisation design to achieve a match for future business structures. The role of change management in success

• Desirable Futures

  This is about imagining the possible, which is normally well beyond what most people plan for. Development of visions for business, products, services, delivery, customer interaction. Scenarios and prototyping

• Understanding and Achieving Quality

  When we make change, it should create something better. Understanding quality, quality measurement, quality achievement and quality improvement is vital to delivering plans and architectures that enhance the business, the experience of stakeholders and value to the community

• Why? Understanding Motivation

  Understanding the many reasons we do things, the many reasons we may need to change. Merging these drivers. Identifying themes and priorities. Setting realistic goals and objectives and tracking activity to respond to desired outcomes and imperative changes

• Innovation and Disruption

  Much is made of digital disruption and how various organisations have used technology to win in their markets. However, the truth is that digital disruption is mostly about people and change. We can introduce technology, but we have to use it in ways that benefit people and we have to manage the impact so that we convince those affected of its benefits. Also, how do we foster creativity and leverage it internally and externally?

• Delivering Delight

  How to engineer delight into products, services and customer experience. How to keep doing it. How to be a great place to work while delivering value sustainably

• Managing Risk

  Understanding, identifying, reducing, and appropriately taking risk

• Choosing Battles, Scoping, Prioritising

  Filtering options, properly scoping initiatives, focussing resources and executing in the right sequence. The role of minimum viable products and incremental delivery

Live sessions will be held every Thursday at the times shown below (This may change to accommodate most convenient times for cohort actually enrolled):

Platform

To support learning, we use the Ruzuku course delivery platform. This allows us to provide course overviews, online enrolment and payment, online course structure and progress tracking, forums for student collaboration, recorded session videos and support materials such as white papers, readings, example models and video clips.

We make use of Zoom for live lectures with rich student interaction via video, audio, screen sharing, break-away rooms and chat facilities. Students will need a PC / Mac / high end tablet and a reliable Internet connection to participate. 

We will share examples in our enterprise level enterprise modelling and knowledge management platform: Enterprise Value Architect (EVA) to demonstrate what an integrated tooling environment can achieve. Of course, techniques can also be supported by other competent toolsets.

Because of the high level of engagement and lecturer attention, we are limiting the course to a maximum of 24 delegates per cohort. 

Being based in a developing economy region (South Africa) we are acutely aware of the difficulty of paying for world class tuition in devalued currency. Accordingly we have two tier pricing for the course:

If you are unsure of your current economy’s status, please refer to the full country lists.

Both of these provide exceptional value when you consider the career development and improved strategic decisions that result.

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Current scheduled instances below. Please choose one to reserve your place.

Please contact us if you want to arrange an in-person or in-house course and we will review the request.

Please use the form below to ask us anything or have us contact you for a discussion. Not sure whether this training is suited to your role/organisation/experience? Book a call and we can discuss further, and find the right match for your needs.