The Edge of Engineering and Architecture: Navigating agile, engineering, and delivery

As CEO of Iasa, the world's largest professional association for architects, and champion of the BTABoK (Business Technology Architecture Body of Knowledge), I've witnessed firsthand the dynamic interplay between engineering and architecture in today's complex projects. In this session, we'll dance on the edge of these disciplines, using the BTABoK as our guiding framework, exploring how agile practices, decisive engineering, efficient delivery, and the delicate balance of hands-on/hands-off leadership intertwine.

Defining the modern dance: We'll explore the shifting ground where agile methodologies meet traditional engineering rigor, and how architects leverage the BTABoK's 5 Pillars of Architecture Skill (Business Strategy, Technology Strategy,Solution Design, Delivery & Operations, and Value Management) to navigate the tension inherent in the roles. We will also dive into the healthy and natural balance between engineereing and architecture and why it is so essential to modern systems success.

Understanding the business waltz: We'll shift perspectives, examining how business objectives and user needs inform the interaction between agility and precision in complex projects, aligning with the BTABoK's emphasis on strategic value delivery.

Change Management and Architecture: We'll look into practical strategies for managing the roadmap and delivery of a project including:

Harmonizing delivery: Finding the sweet spot between iterative sprints and long-term vision, as outlined in the Delivery & Operations pillar.

Hands-on leadership: Empowering teams while providing strategic guidance,aligning with the Leadership and People skills.

Technical Excellence: Ensuring high-quality engineering practices within an agile framework, leveraging the BTABoK's Technology pillar.

Human Systems: Addressing unforeseen challenges and navigating changing requirements, a key competency in the BTABoK's Solution Design pillar.

Case studies from the architectural stage: Learn from real-world examples of successful projects where architects mastered the interaction between agility and engineering excellence, demonstrating the practical application of the BTABoK principles.

Open discussion: Share your own experiences and challenges, and engage in a collaborative conversation about navigating the complexities of modern architecture, applying the BTABoK's collaborative and knowledge-sharing principles.

This session is for you if you are:

A senior developer or technology leader working with legacy systems.
A senior architect looking at a portfolio of change and large structural systems delivery.
Responsible for delivering new technology solutions in a complex, existing environment.
Keen to gain practical strategies and actionable insights from a business and technical perspective.

About Paul Preiss

Paul Preiss is the CEO and Founder of the Iasa, one of the largest Enterprise and IT architect associations in the world. Through his time at Iasa, Paul has taken the association from a single user group in Austin Tx to an international organization with chapters in over 25 countries. Paul's vision is a unified architecture profession with effective education, credentials and ethics which fully supports corporate strategy and delivery. He is a tireless advocate for the field and speaks on topics ranging form architecture ethics to best the best setup and structure for architecture teams. Paul has spoken at hundreds of events as well as held conferences and training for architects all over the world. He is an expert software and enterprise architect in practice and continues to work with companies on optimizing their technology strategy.

Prior to developing Iasa, Paul was the chief architect for Dell Pan Asia where he helped to integrate the technology strategy across 14 countries. He also served as the chief architect for the Sears point of sale replacement in North America consisting of 2000 stores and thousands of suppliers as well as the chief architect for a digital asset management firm, Ancept.

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