Info-Tech Urges CIOs to Narrow Scope for Enterprise Architects

The firm’s latest blueprint, Build a Better Enterprise Architect, argues that the common tendency to prioritize technical depth over soft skills—such as storytelling and relationship management—stalls progress. When architects attempt to satisfy every stakeholder demand simultaneously, their influence wanes. Andrew Kum-Seun, a research director at Info-Tech, notes that leaders must move away from generic job descriptions to focus on mandates that align with specific business outcomes.

To bridge this gap, the firm outlines a three-phase approach designed to sharpen the role. This process begins by defining a clear, context-specific scope and reporting structure, followed by a targeted skills assessment that ignores broad, unfocused development plans. By sequencing milestones and documenting a concrete role profile, organizations can transition from vague technical oversight to a function that provides verifiable ROI. Research specialist Caleb Pittman emphasizes that credibility scales only when architects stop chasing universal approval and instead commit to a narrow, high-impact mandate that directly serves the enterprise.