Enterprise Architecture Case Studies

These case studies illustrate real-world consequences of enterprise architecture decisions, highlighting the importance of systematic planning and comprehensive domain analysis.

Cloud Migration Gone Wrong

Issue: A global retailer underestimated performance bottlenecks when moving to the cloud.

Key Insight: Misaligned expectations led to degraded user experience and operational inefficiencies.

Project Objectives	Improve scalability, reduce costs, enhance resilience.
Key Challenges	Latency-sensitive workloads, lack of cloud cost planning.
Technical Risks	Performance degradation, security misconfigurations.

Monolith to Microservices Chaos

Issue: A fintech firm's rushed transition resulted in a distributed monolith.

Key Insight: Poorly defined service boundaries created unnecessary complexity and bottlenecks.

Project Objectives	Faster releases, improved system resilience.
Key Challenges	API performance bottlenecks, data inconsistency.
Technical Risks	Service sprawl, lack of centralized governance.

Over-Engineered Scalability

Issue: A media company overbuilt its architecture without considering actual usage needs.

Key Insight: Premature optimization led to excessive costs with little tangible benefit.

Project Objectives	Ensure high availability for future growth.
Key Challenges	High costs, unnecessary architectural complexity.
Technical Risks	Over-provisioning, increased maintenance overhead.

Vendor Lock-in Nightmare

Issue: A logistics provider became entirely dependent on a single cloud vendor.

Key Insight: Lack of portability strategy led to rising costs and reduced flexibility.

Project Objectives	Reduce IT overhead, improve system standardization.
Key Challenges	No exit strategy, escalating vendor costs.
Technical Risks	Limited migration options, high switching costs.

Security Oversight in IoT

Issue: A smart city project lacked proper IoT security measures.

Key Insight: Weak identity management created vulnerabilities across the network.

Project Objectives	Deploy connected infrastructure for real-time analytics.
Key Challenges	Device authentication failures, lack of Zero Trust security.
Technical Risks	Data breaches, compromised IoT endpoints.

Data Governance Failure

Issue: A healthcare provider struggled with data compliance and classification.

Key Insight: Poor governance practices led to compliance risks and inefficiencies.

Project Objectives	Improve data privacy, enforce compliance standards.
Key Challenges	Inconsistent data retention policies, regulatory risks.
Technical Risks	Unauthorized access, audit failures.