September 9, 2007

Segway and Enterprise Architecture

User-centric EA is based on business driving technology, rather than technology for technology’s sake.

An example of technology for technology’s sake:

Segway today is an example of technology for technology's sake: The basic model has no weather protection or ability to carry family members or luggage. It is innovative and seems like it has a lot of untapped potential, but as of now, has not been aligned with the needs of its potential users.

Requirements should come first.

From a User-centric EA approach, rather than starting with hundreds of new technology patents, Dean Kamen the founder of Segway and his organization should have started with an ethnomethodological study of individual and social mobility and the requirements for the individual and society for transporting people and property under various environmental and personal situations.

There is an important place for innovation.

Mr. Kamen and Segway have developed some innovative and helpful technology: Segway has helped in the energy efficient and personal mobility marketplace. Segway has especially helped disabled people with its amazing stairclimbing technology. So certainly, there is a place for pure innovation and creativity by the engineering community, like the approach Segway has pursued. However, for Segway, the market penetration and potential for benefiting greater numbers of people remains somewhat at a distance.

In contrast to Segway’s pure engineering approach, in User-centric EA, innovation is critical, but user requirements are primary!


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1 comment:

Anonymous said...

It seems like there are many people who see EA and IT governance as hindrances to innovation but if properly used they can actually lead to better innovations, as this blog entry shows. If developers look to EA and IT governance before developing their innovations they can produce new technolgies that meet multiple user requirements (instead of a small group); can be shared across the entire enterprise; and are longer lasting because they align to the target architecture and transition plan.

Mr. Kamen's innovation not only has problems that are related to user requirements but overall infrastructure. Where is the best place for people to drive their segways? One or two segways on sidewalk may be seem feasible, but what about twenty or fifty? In that case, it seems like it may be a blessing in disguise that segways didn't catch on. We would be facing problems with having to change our infrastructure to fit this new technology.

- Jeanine