Chief Architect Jim Wilt Talks Discipline and His Successful Career in Technology
James Wilt, a distinguished chief architect with over four decades of experience across aerospace, cloud, and AI, has shaped the enterprise architecture profession through initiatives like the Microsoft Architecture Advisory Board and the Iasa Certified IT Architect programs. In 1999 he launched the internal "Code Discipline" course, formalizing architecture as a standalone discipline. Today he leverages the Chief Architect Forum (CAF) to guide senior architects in applying emerging technologies—especially generative AI—while navigating C‑suite dynamics. Wilt stresses disciplined execution and measurable delivery as the core of architectural value.
The Quest for the Best EA Tool
Enterprises now manage 500‑plus applications, creating sprawling, costly tech landscapes that often dictate business direction. The article argues that Enterprise Architecture (EA) tools can tame this complexity, but only if they address core requirements such as visual process‑to‑application mapping, cost‑of‑ownership...
Rethinking ERP Transformation: A Governance Centric Framework for Sustainable Value Realization
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) projects continue to suffer cost overruns and muted business value, not because of technology limits but due to weak governance structures. Rajesh Arangamany proposes a five‑layer, governance‑centric framework that aligns strategic objectives, capability models, architectural accountability,...
Filin-Matthews Named Chief Architect at McDonalds
Wayne Filin‑Matthews has been named Vice President of AI Strategy and Chief Architect at McDonald’s, a newly created executive role aimed at embedding artificial intelligence throughout the restaurant chain. The veteran enterprise architect arrives from AstraZeneca, where he led large‑scale...
When Systems Recognize Capability But Governance Delays Authorization: A Structural Gap in Modern Institutions
Modern institutions deploy real‑time detection systems that instantly flag eligibility, compliance, and risk, yet legacy governance frameworks still rely on slow, manual authorization processes. This recognition‑authorization gap creates operational drag, underutilizes talent, and erodes trust across public and private sectors....
When Excellent Technology Architecture Fails to Deliver Business Results
Large enterprises now standardize clean, cloud‑first technology architectures, yet many digital transformations still miss their business targets. The piece explains that the failure stems not from technical flaws but from architecture being sidelined during day‑to‑day decision making, where cost, risk...
Contracting for Cloud Computing Capacity: Key Concerns for Customers
Cloud contracts often cite "capacity" without precise definitions, leaving enterprises uncertain about resource availability. As AI and data‑intensive workloads strain specialized processors, providers typically rely on "commercially reasonable efforts" rather than firm guarantees, creating allocation risk. Long‑term commitments can lock...
Breaking the Silos: The Rise of the Open Lakehouse Architecture in 2026
In 2026 the open lakehouse has become the de‑facto enterprise data strategy, merging low‑cost data‑lake storage with warehouse‑grade ACID transactions via open standards. By adding a metadata and transactional layer atop object storage, organizations achieve a single source of truth...
A&G Announces that Chief Architect Neil Wylie Will Begin Supporting the Magazine as a Senior Editor
A&G Magazine announced that Neil Wylie, former CDW chief architect and current CEO of Agentic Engine, will serve as a senior editor. The voluntary role includes writing, editing, and leveraging his extensive network to bring thought‑leadership content to the publication. Managing...
CxO Considerations to Invest in LLM/SLM Development
Enterprises are moving from speculative AI projects to strategic investments in Large Language Models (LLMs) and Small Language Models (SLMs). LLMs deliver broad, multi‑domain capabilities but demand massive data, compute, and capital, while SLMs offer domain‑specific agility with lower resource...
Rethinking Identity Management: From Who Has Access to What Really Matters
Traditional Identity Governance and Administration (IGA) has focused on compliance, but 99% of granted permissions remain unused, creating “Zombie Access”. This compliance‑only approach leads to rubber‑stamping, with 58% of access reviews ineffective, exposing organizations to insider threats. Integrating data governance...
Creating a Top-Down and Bottom-Up Grounded Capability Model
The article argues that business capabilities are the foundation of enterprise architecture and must be captured in a grounded capability model. A successful model combines top‑down strategic direction with bottom‑up operational validation, creating a stable map that aligns strategy, value...
