REAL Talk With Sam Holcman

I recently, on the prompting of one of our clients, took a look at Wikipedia and its TOGAF® entry. In summary, after reading this, my question is – why would any organization move forward with TOGAF®?

Yes, the AI and LLM hype will continue. We have now spent enough time in the “real world” to put together some real-world questions that need to be addressed and answered prior to deployment. It is not too late!

More and more data being used to train AI engines with less and less understanding of the quality or provenance of the data being used.  My story of this realization in my own personal computer cleansing.

In today's rapidly evolving business and technology environments, organizations face increasing pressure to align their Information Technology (IT) initiatives with their strategic goals. Enterprise Architecture (EA) and Business Architecture (BA) are critical disciplines for achieving this alignment, driving efficiency, and fostering innovation. While distinct, these two areas are closely intertw...

Getting confused, upset, or wondering. Tariffs are being talked about. Reciprocal Tariffs are being talked about. Subsidies? Stay tuned. Maybe the Root cause is subsidies. A brief introduction to all of these.

We needed to transform some Enterprise Architecture practices from developing “New Silos” to enabling the enterprise strategy.  Yes, transform the Enterprise Architecture Practice!  The probable cause - the B.A.I.T. model.

Back in the 2010-2020 timeframe, there was this “magical device” (in my opinion!) called the Windows Phone.  This product made so much sense to me – yes, I had one.  Think about this wonder.  We had the same person-machine interface on the desktop, on the tablet, and in the palm of our hands.  Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella still considers giving it up one of his biggest mistakes.  Time for a second...

In a recent 927 word article, there are nine key words that all that are looking at AI need to embrace.  The nine words are “The true value of AI is in the data”.  Please listen carefully.

TOGAF®, is often described as both a framework and a methodology for enterprise architecture (EA). However, this dual characterization creates confusion, as TOGAF® does not fit neatly into either category. It is best understood as a hybrid approach that combines elements of both frameworks and methodologies, but without fully embodying the strengths of either.

Enterprise Architecture (EA) frameworks are indispensable tools for organizations, providing structured thinking and guiding principles to align business strategies with information technology initiatives. While some may argue for flexibility in choosing or tailoring frameworks, the reality is that adopting a unified and standardized EA framework is critical to achieving coherence, efficiency, and...

Have you ever pondered the tangible accomplishments or real-world impact of individuals who showcase an extensive array of academic credentials, professional certifications, or honorific initials in their email signatures or business cards?  Let us explore this and what it could mean.

The unkindest symptomatic term that technology people use to describe the people that pay the bills – USERS.  It is a mindset; it is an insult.  It needs to stop being used by information technology people now.  Listen in as to why.

Let me summarize. If you were involved in or part of activities regarding the date issue in year 2000, year 2038 is going to make year 2000 look like child’s play. Time to get started! Let us start with an inventory.

Operations Evaluation and Optimization – something we have been doing for over twenty years with our clients. First Process, then Technology, and then People – this order is important.  Starting with headcount reduction does not address the Root Cause – inefficient processes. Process Visualization is the key to Root Cause understanding, and optimizing the whole.

What is Zombie Software and Hardware?  It is hardware and software that has not been completely removed – eliminated – from your organization's physical implementations.  Why is this a serious cyber threat?  Listen in.

We all know what makes artificial intelligence work is data. But how much do you know about the data that is being used in artificial intelligence? Whether it's a model that you obtained off of the Internet, a large language model, a small language model, or other sources. What is the quality of that particular data? Who actually owns the data? What context is the data coming from? Can you actuall...

In the world of Enterprise Architecture and Business Architecture, the terms educate, demonstrate and train are often confused. In this broadcast, we will define each one of these terms from the context of two different audiences - one is the Enterprise Architect and Business Architect, and the other is the stakeholder’s context. As you will hear from this broadcast, the skills you require are dif...

Business Architecture is often misunderstood and incorrectly categorized as a mere component of Enterprise Architecture. This concise exploration aims to dispel the marketing hype and provide clarity on this crucial yet frequently misinterpreted field.

Paving over the cow paths.  Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting change. All you have do to is buy a package and you will never have to work and thing again (and you can get rid of all o f the programmers!).  How many of these have you heard?  Here we go again – AI Coding will solve all ills.  Have a listen.

Let us look outside of EA and BA at failures in other disciplines to see if we can learn something. This gets us away from siloed thinking in our own domain. Perhaps we can learn something!

Humankind has a thirst for ease.  Sometimes, we just fill out forms with 123 Main Street, Joe Doe as our name, 123-456-7890 as our telephone number.  Innocent or mischievous?  Does your favorite AI tool or language model know this?  Of course not.  If you have not dug into this yet in your language models, you will possibly be surprised.  The issue is large and growing.

Beyond the AI Algorithm: Rediscovering Authentic Learning and Best Practices.  The Broadcast will outline the four categories of data (information), and the limitations faced today with large language models.

General Motors has had a number of changes in their software development organizations, for a number of decades now.  It's like déjà vu all over again, as Yogi Berra stated.  Perhaps it is not who is developing the software that needs to be addressed - it is how it is being developed.  An understanding that needs to be put forward.

Can you trust and verify the software you are using (or developed internally) is secure, safe, and functions as intended?  Do you know where the software was developed, who maintains is, how it is maintained, and how it is changed?  In this age of increasing cyberattacks, these questions are now an imperative.  Listen in for some insight into this very important topic.

Does the word Consultant bring fear to you or your organization?  Let us examine how to turn that fear into trust and hope.  There is one overarching thing that you can do to make this happen.  Have a listen!