An IT services firm with a rapidly growing SaaS portfolio faced a classic EA problem: Workday, Salesforce, Greenhouse, and Kantata were introduced largely in isolation, without overarching architecture governance or binding guardrails. Portamus established a TOGAF-based enterprise architecture spanning all four domains — business architecture, information system architecture, technology architecture, and integration architecture — and introduced architecture principles, review processes, and a structured evaluation procedure that now places all technology decisions on a solid architectural foundation.
IT Services & Consulting
IT Services Firm Establishes Full-Spectrum Enterprise Architecture Function
TOGAF-based enterprise architecture across all four architecture domains — with architecture principles, review processes, and decision support for a growing SaaS portfolio.
Executive Summary
The Engagement at a Glance
Challenge
Where the Organization Stood
A growing IT services firm operated a heterogeneous SaaS portfolio including Workday, Salesforce, Greenhouse, and Kantata without architecture governance — technology decisions were made without architectural guardrails.
No Architecture Governance
Without established EA governance, technology decisions were made in silos without cross-cutting assessment — creating increasing risk of redundancies and integration failures.
Heterogeneous SaaS Portfolio Without Integration Architecture
Workday, Salesforce, Greenhouse, and Kantata were operated largely in isolation — a coherent integration architecture was missing.
No Architecture Principles
No binding architecture principles existed to guide solution designs and technology evaluations across the organisation.
Solution
What We Did
TOGAF-Based Enterprise Architecture
Portamus designed the enterprise architecture using TOGAF across all four domains: business architecture, information system architecture (application and data), technology architecture, and integration architecture.
Architecture Principles and Governance
Binding architecture principles were established, compliance monitoring introduced, and a review process for submitted solution designs and architecture proposals was implemented.
Technology Evaluation and Market Trend Assessment
Portamus continuously assesses opportunities and risks from technology developments and market trends, providing architecture models and decision papers for leadership.
Results & Outcomes
What Changed
4
Architecture Domains Covered
The EA fully covers all four TOGAF domains: business, information system, technology, and integration architecture.
TOGAF
Framework Implemented
TOGAF serves as the methodological foundation for all architecture decisions and review processes.
established
Architecture Principles
Binding architecture principles now govern all solution designs and prevent technology missteps.
4 Tools
SaaS Integrations Designed
Workday, Salesforce, Greenhouse, and Kantata have been embedded in the integration architecture with defined interfaces.
Key Takeaways
What Made This Engagement Work
EA Requires All Four Domains
An EA that focuses only on technology architecture and neglects business architecture does not create genuine business-IT alignment — all four domains must be developed coherently.
Architecture Principles as Guardrails
Binding architecture principles are the most effective instrument for steering decentralised technology decisions — they scale better than case-by-case reviews.
Technology Evaluation Is an EA Responsibility
Continuously assessing market trends and emerging technologies is a core enterprise architect responsibility — reactive technology adoption without architectural assessment carries too much risk.
Related Case Studies
More Client Outcomes
Business Process Management
European Aviation Authority Designs ECCAIRS-Integrated Occurrence Reporting System
Challenge
Optimisable digital system for managing internal aviation occurrences, required integration with European ECCAIRS standard
Solution
Process design for IORS, ECCAIRS integration architecture, SAP integration evaluation, staff training
Outcome
IORS live (easa.europa.eu/iors), ECCAIRS integrated, EU-wide incident data exchange enabled
Authority
Digitalisation
EU-wide
Incident Reporting
Business Process Management
Fashion Retailer Builds ITIL-Compliant ITSM with Automated CMDB
Challenge
No unified ITSM, missing CMDB, manual release processes without unified automation for host and Java workloads
Solution
ITIL CMDB with automated asset discovery, Nagios monitoring, ChangeMan z/OS release management, Serena PPM
Outcome
Automated CMDB live, release management brought into production, SLAs and OLAs defined
live
to date
automated
Asset Discovery
Healthcare
National Healthcare System Consolidates ITSM Architecture Across 22 Hospitals
Challenge
Fragmented ITSM across 6 hospital clusters, no unified monitoring for health-critical SLAs
Solution
End-to-end ITSM architecture across 8 process areas, SLA monitoring design, 4-system integration blueprint
Outcome
Unified ITSM blueprint for $54M programme, SLA-capable monitoring, integration architecture delivered
22
Hospitals
$54M
Programme Budget