Modeling-enabled Design of Enterprise Transformation: Implications for Complex Enterprise Systems Architecting and Engineering

Abstract

This is a presentation given at the MITRE-MIT Enterprise Modeling Exchange Conference, MITRE Corp., McLean, VA, September 25-26, 2008. The presentation traces the causes of the failure of most enterprise transformation efforts, presents a new way of thinking about enterprise change and transformation, outlines a proposed conceptual framework for enterprise transformation by design, concentrating on the “fuzzy-front-end,” describes how enterprise modeling and simulation can help, and shows the links between modeling and specific change regimes, objectives, and change strategies. The presentation further maps model selection to enterprise state-space-contingent design targets and change strategies, by employing the concept of fitness landscapes from evolutionary biology. Finally, looking forward, the presentation defines complex enterprise systems science, architecting, and engineering as emerging new field of study requiring interdisciplinary research.