Investment Models for Enterprise Architecture (EA) and IT Architecture Projects within the Open Innovation Concept

Abstract

Information technologies (IT) architecture and infrastructure is a significant cost item, especially for enterprises with complex production infrastructure and equipment that require automated and digital devices to collect and process primary data on technological and production processes. Most investment models for enterprise-wide development projects usually do not take into account the automation’s costs, including the design and implementation of information systems. The Enterprise Architecture (EA) paradigm has been proposed to bridge the gap between the business and the IT sector. The study aims to develop investment models for projects for the implementation and development of EA solutions, including IT architectures that eliminate the shortcomings of existing approaches. The research methodology is based on the analysis of published approaches to investment models for projects creating and developing EA, IT architectures with the identification of their advantages and limitations, and on the analysis of IT investment assessment practices in Russian infrastructure-intensive companies. As a result, investment and appraisal models are proposed that have advantages associated with the ability to calculate the effect of an integrated approach to the implementation of IT solutions, a more accurate calculation of an investment project cost by taking into account the IT system’s cost, a reduction in the investment cycle of development and implementation of architectural solutions, including physical and IT component.