Fractional Strategic Technology Architect and Advisor: Mike Topalovich

Have been having some really interesting conversations about what a post-$CRM world and what AI-enabled CRM could look like in the future. I host a public "Architect Office Hours" every Friday at Noon from here in Chicago (12PM Central Time / US). I like to apply themes where possible to gain and share diverse perspectives on topics that we may not be thinking about today, but we will need to think about at some point. Next Friday, November 8th, the theme of Architect Office Hours will be focused on understanding what we're using CRM for today, and how we might think about alternative strategies for composing new enterprise applications from commodity commercial components to create systems tailored to each organization's specific needs. If you're interested in nerding out over the future of CRM technology and architecture, or if you just want to be a fly on the wall, I encourage you to register by clicking on the "external link" in this LinkedIn event. You will receive an email with the Zoom link upon successful registration. If you're looking to sell something or be a brand fanboy, I encourage you to *not* register. Looking forward to the discussion.

"The Art and Science of Architecture" is the third of six topics in the "What Is Architecture?" series and discusses the multi-faceted nature of architecture. What do we mean when we say architecture is the *art* and *science* of designing and implementing structures and flows? Architecture by its nature is a multi-faceted discipline. It is both creative and technical, balancing aesthetics with engineering principles. When we speak of “art” in the context of “art and science,” we refer to the creative and aesthetic aspects of architecture. When we speak of “science” in the context of art and science, we refer to the technical aspects of architecture.

Architect Office Hours with Mike Topalovich are starting up again on Fridays at 12PM noon Central. Register today for the Zoom link.

How does experience architecture influence interactions and exceed the interactions of users to build trust and loyalty? What is experience architecture? Experience architecture is the strategic design and orchestration of interactions between humans and systems, focusing on creating the conditions for positive interactions at each step of a user journey. Experience architecture draws from a broad range of technical, artistic, and scientific disciplines including as User Experience (UX) Design, User Interface (UI) Design, and Information Architecture (IA), along with human psychology and sociology. Designing experiences focuses on crafting interactions that are both functional and meaningful, eliciting positive responses by anticipating the needs, motivations, and behaviors of users to meet or exceed expectations to build trust and loyalty. Learn more about Experience Architecture: https://lnkd.in/gzWViHYb

How can mapping and actively managing business capabilities enable the application of enterprise technology to achieve strategic objectives? Capability management represents the alignment of technology solutions with the business functions and processes of an enterprise. In the context of business architecture, business capabilities represent the core elements that define what a business does and how it serves its customers and stakeholders. Business capability management focuses on understanding and mapping out the business capabilities essential for achieving strategic objectives, aligning to critical business processes and value streams, identifying gaps, and ultimately leveraging technology to enhance and mature these capabilities. Learn more about Business Capability Management and Enterprise Technology Strategy: https://lnkd.in/gsPd5zJv

How can enterprise architecture risk be identified and mitigated to safeguard systems and data against potential threats or disasters? Architecture risk mitigation identifies, analyzes, and addresses potential risks within enterprise systems and architecture to prevent operational and strategic threats. Understanding potential vulnerabilities within an architecture, including outdated technologies, integration issues, or lack of system governance, enable an enterprise to develop proactive plans and strategies for safeguarding foundational systems and data. Continuously monitoring for emerging risks and scanning the horizon for potential threats to defend against or recover from failures, disasters, or external actors hardens enterprise architectures and makes them resilient and responsive. Learn more about Architecture Risk Mitigation and Enterprise Systems Architecture: https://lnkd.in/gJjuWTAe

After trying on the "fractional" solo model for 6 months, I have made adjustments and am creating availability for 1 or 2 new portfolio clients. If you have an interest in bolting on a brain with 50,000+ hours of enterprise architecture and technology leadership experience to your team or organization, I invite you to get in touch to see if there might be a fit for a half day or full day per week of my dedicated focus. I tend to operate as a "player-coach," working from within to solve complex and systemic people, process, and technology problems...together as a team. I can take on either one new full-day client or two new half-day clients on Tuesdays. In-person is an option, and I would prefer that if it made sense. In addition to long-term fractional relationships, I will also offer what I'm calling "micro-consulting" services, where you can rent my brain for a half or full hour on-demand on Mondays, Tuesday evenings (US), and Fridays to tackle challenges at an individual, team, or executive level. I don't want to call it "coaching" because I don't want to compete with all the 24-year-old life coaches out there or anything like that, but there's been a lot of demand for super-focused, high level consulting without the baggage of having to scope out a larger project or negotiate a consulting agreement, and that is the problem I am trying to solve with on-demand consulting across a broad range of topics. Micro-consulting availability will start from Monday, July 29, and I'll post more details when that is available. Fun times, appreciate all of the support and shared knowledge from everyone across the network. Hopefully now I can start reciprocating and sharing what I've learned. Mike

How does application rationalization enable enterprises to reduce the complexity of managing enterprise application portfolios? Streamlining enterprise application portfolios enables business agility and responsiveness while avoiding “SaaS Sprawl” and technical debt, all in lockstep with keeping subscription costs optimized and meeting the growing demands of the organization. By assessing the existing application landscape and identifying opportunities for consolidation, organizations can achieve application rationalization by eliminating redundancies and retiring legacy applications that are no longer effective or efficient. Reducing complexity enables enterprises to focus on optimization instead of putting out fires, and leveraging enterprise applications enables the conditions for organizational maturity and growth. Learn more about Application Rationalization and Enterprise Applications: https://lnkd.in/gne2ZZcC

Introducing "The Nature of Architecture," the first of six written narratives that attempt to answer the question, "What is Architecture?" We start with the intrinsic characteristics of architecture, its universal qualities, and what makes architecture…architecture. We also discuss how architecture can be both a process as well as the tangible output of that process. The YouTube video for "The Nature of Architecture" will follow next week. Subscribe to the "What Is Architecture?" newsletter to be notified when new content drops. As always, your philosophical questions and direct feedback are always appreciated.

How can providing decision support with enterprise technology enable making better strategic choices across the organization? Decision support is about providing deep and specialized knowledge to aid in navigating the complexities of the modern enterprise. Decision support leverages systems thinking, analytics, and strategic insights to inform decisions, solve business challenges, and understand the tradeoffs involved. Providing technology support for making decisions enables choices that anticipate trends, assess risks, and address the potential impact of decisions across the organization to ensure alignment with global business objectives. Learn more about Decision Support and Enterprise Technology Leaderhship: https://lnkd.in/gzJv3-Hr