Information Technology (IT) Architecture is a blueprint that is developed, implemented, maintained, and used to explain and guide how your organization’s IT and information management elements work together to efficiently accomplish the mission of the organization. An IT Architecture addresses the following views: business activities and processes, data sets and information flows, applications and software, and technology. A proper Architecture is not limited to hardware and software issues. Along with the expertise of A Science and Art, IT Architecture is a plan that addresses how your organization will migrate to the new targets over time.

There are several steps A Science and Art takes in achieving a blueprint for IT Architecture:

• DEFINE YOUR VISION, OBJECTIVES, AND PRINCIPLES
       Who and what are your IT Architectural efforts going to cover?
       What general IT principles will guide your efforts?
• CHARACTERIZE YOUR IT BASELINE
       How does your office do its business, what Information Technology is used,
       and how is it used?
• CREATE A TARGET ARCHITECTURE
       What do you want your IT Architecture to look like in the future?
• DETERMINE THE GAPS BETWEEN YOUR CURRENT AND
       TARGET ARCHITECTURES
       What are the differences between your baseline and the architecture you
       want to achieve?
• DEVELOP A MIGRATION PLAN
       How will you bridge the gaps between the baseline and the Target Architecture?
• IMPLEMENT THE MIGRATION PLAN AND ARCHITECTURE
       Start implementing the plan to bridge the IT architectural gaps.
• REVIEW AND UPDATE REGULARLY
       A Science and Art IT Architecture is a process, not a document.