ACS Fellows Present at Leading International Conference

Representing ACS on the Global Stage

Dr Rod Dilnutt FACS FBCS CP, an esteemed Honorary Life Member of ACS, proudly presented on behalf of fellow ACS members and authors Maryam Alshehri AACS, A B M Nayeem MACS, Sherah Kurnia AACS, and Prof William Yeoh FACS.

The two papers presented were:

• "Stakeholder Engagement in Enterprise Architecture: Enablers and Barriers in the Private Sector"

• "Critical Characteristics of Enterprise Architects"

These studies offer valuable insights into the role of enterprise architecture in leading digital transformation.

Enterprise Architecture in the Age of Digital Transformation

Digital transformation is a pressing priority for many organisations. For CIOs, however, the journey can be daunting, with many initiatives challenged by project overruns and failures.

Successful transformation begins with a clear understanding of business strategy and the deployment of enabling digital platforms. Enterprise architects play a critical role in aligning strategy with technology, ensuring the design guides effective implementation. Central to this success is stakeholder engagement and clear communication within complex environments.

Research from the University of Melbourne highlights the need for CIOs to:

• Recruit architects with the right personal attributes to engage stakeholders

• Identify practices that improve transformation success

• Understand the risks that need to be managed throughout the process

Both papers presented by the Enterprise Architecture Group contribute valuable research in this space, providing evidence-based guidance for CIOs and digital leaders.

Key Findings and Practical Implications

Critical Characteristics of Enterprise Architects Influencing Stakeholder Engagement Effectiveness

1. Informs project leadership of the capabilities required to build a relationship between project design teams and business users
2. Helps with recruitment of the right people with the right skills
3. Informs professional development and training for ongoing career progression 

Stakeholder Engagement in Enterprise Architecture: Enablers and Barriers in the Private Sector

1. Underscores the importance of effective alignment of technical and business stakeholders as systems are designed, developed, and deployed.
2. Barriers and enablers identified can be managed as risks, thereby giving the opportunity to promote enabling change management best practice as mitigation strategies.

Informing Future Practice

These findings offer a timely contribution to enterprise transformation initiatives across the private sector. They highlight the need for better alignment between people and processes, and provide actionable insights to help organisations avoid common pitfalls in digital delivery.

While formal publication of the papers is pending, copies can be requested by contacting Dr Rod Dilnutt through email.