Roadmaps. Landscapes. Portfolios. Governance.
Definition
Enterprise Architecture is the discipline that decides which systems, applications and data flows your organisation actually needs to run — and how they should evolve over time. It sits above the tactical decisions (which ERP to select, which cloud vendor to sign) and below the strategic ones (which markets to enter, which product lines to invest in).
For the Mittelstand, this discipline matters most when the IT landscape has grown organically over 15–20 years and nobody can draw its map. The application portfolio contains systems nobody remembers commissioning. Interfaces run on people rather than schemas. The next ERP selection or cloud migration cannot proceed until someone rebuilds the picture.
That's what we do.
Reviewed by
Matthias Müller
Senior Consultant · Process / ERP / Digital, Dreher Consulting
The as-should landscape — business capabilities, application map, data domains, integration patterns. 3–5 year horizon. Vendor-neutral.
Every application catalogued, scored on business value, technical health and strategic fit. Keep, invest, retire or replace decisions with rationale.
Sequenced transformation plan — which changes come first, which depend on which, where the risk sits, what the budget looks like per stage.
The interface map. Every system-to-system connection, the data it carries, the schema that governs it, the ownership that maintains it. API-first or middleware — decided per case.
Master data domains, ownership, quality standards, golden-record definitions. The foundation without which CSRD, ERP consolidation and analytics all break.
The operating model that keeps the architecture from drifting after the consultants leave. Review cadences, decision rights, exception process, KPI framework.
Every case below shipped as an EA engagement or an EA-adjacent transformation. Named industry, anonymised client, real outcome. Where the client agreed to be named, we name them. Where they didn't, we describe the situation precisely enough for you to recognise if it's yours.
Automotive supplier · DACH · €200M+
Post-M&A landscape rationalisation for a Tier 2 automotive supplier. A full application portfolio assessment identified 25 duplicated systems. The target architecture blueprint sequenced retirement waves. Zero production disruption during transition.
Manufacturing · Germany · €500M+
Before-selection EA work for a family-owned manufacturing group. A data architecture model established master-data ownership across 6 subsidiaries. The integration blueprint locked the interface count. ERP selection then proceeded with materially reduced risk.
Pharma · Switzerland · Mid-cap
EA rebuild for a mid-cap pharma group replacing a legacy MES. The application portfolio was scored for validation status. The governance model was designed for GxP change-control. Target architecture blueprinted with regulatory constraints baked in.
From landscape mapping to a living governance model — backed by Dreher's methodology stack.
We map the current-state landscape — applications, interfaces, data domains, capabilities. No opinions yet, just an accurate inventory. This is where the surprises surface.
Decision Architecture Assessment (DAA)We design the target-state architecture against the business capabilities that actually matter. Choices are defended per case. Every decision traceable to a business outcome.
SCOReX®-guided target architectureWe sequence the transformation — which changes come first, which depend on which, where the risk sits, what the budget looks like per stage. Board-defensible.
SCOReX®-guided roadmapWe stay through the first two review cycles of the governance model — ensuring the architecture doesn’t drift back to organic growth the moment we leave.
Hypercare AssurancePost-M&A consolidation. Cross-site master data. Production-system harmonisation.
ExplorePoint-of-sale, e-commerce, ERP and warehouse — integration blueprints decide whether the customer experience actually works.
ExploreLong-cycle projects with shifting data ownership. The integration blueprint is the difference between margin and loss.
ExploreRegulated environments require architecture governance from the design phase.
ExploreRegulatory reporting cascade and risk-data aggregation demand data-architecture discipline.
ExplorePLM, ERP and MES integration. The digital thread requires deliberate architecture.
Explore
Insight
In Brief: The risk of a wrong ERP decision rarely lies in the software itself — it lies in unclear decision criteria, co…
Insight
Key Points at a Glance The greatest risks associated with an ERP migration are organizational, not technical: underestim…
Insight
The companies that will fail with AI in ERP in the next five years will not fail because of SAP Joule, Microsoft Copilot…
Plain answers on the distinctions, scope, timelines and framework choices that come up in nearly every first EA conversation.
Answered by
Dr. Harald Dreher
Founder · Dreher Consulting
Since 1992 he has guided Mittelstand companies through replacing in-house-built ERP systems. He advises vendor-neutrally, taking no commission from any software vendor.
LinkedIn · Last updated: 21 July 2026
Enterprise Architecture is the discipline that maps your business capabilities to your IT systems and data — the “what should exist” question. IT Strategy is the “how should we invest” question — budget, sourcing, cloud vs on-prem, build vs buy. Digital Strategy is the “how should the business evolve using digital” question — products, channels, business models. EA sits between the other two, translating business intent into system decisions.
No. In fact, most Mittelstand companies we work with have no internal EA function — that’s why they hire us. What matters is that at least one internal sponsor (typically CIO, CTO, or Head of IT) commits to the engagement and takes ownership of the governance model after we hand over.
Landscape mapping and target architecture design: 8–14 weeks. Full roadmap including sequencing and governance: 3–6 months. Ongoing advisory (Hypercare Assurance): typically 6 months after handover, then transitioning to quarterly reviews. Duration depends on landscape complexity — 20 applications is different work from 200.
Yes, more so in some ways. Large enterprises have internal EA teams that maintain landscape discipline. Mittelstand companies usually don’t — the landscape grew organically over 15–20 years because someone had to keep the business running. That’s exactly where an EA engagement pays back fastest.
The full first conversation. Includes an initial SCOReX® assessment of your ERP situation.
Book the call →Not ready for the full conversation? A short call to clarify whether we're the right advisors for you.
Book a short call →Send us a short note about where you are — we'll reply with a clear next step, not a sales pitch.
Email us →