Shoot in Manual: Why Enterprise Architects Must Take Control
Your camera’s auto mode works 80% of the time. Your enterprise architecture can’t afford those odds.
In photography, I shoot manual because I need every shot to be intentional. After 23+ years of enterprise architecture, I’ve learned the same principle applies to government IT transformation.
Auto mode is reactive. Manual mode is intentional.
Auto Mode = Reactive IT
• Default vendor configurations • Framework implementations without contextualization • Letting individual teams make isolated decisions
Result: Looks fine on the surface, but lacks cohesion and long-term scalability.
Manual Mode = Intentional Architecture
• You set the strategic parameters • You understand the trade-offs • You optimize based on context: business needs, regulations, user behavior
Result: Systems aligned with mission, values, and measurable outcomes.
The Three Critical Settings Every EA Must Control
Aperture = Scope & Focus
• Wide open (f/1.4): Focus intensely on critical path—provider data integration while letting legacy systems blur into background • Stopped down (f/8): Everything in focus—comprehensive modernization where all systems need equal clarity
Shutter Speed = Speed of Change
• Fast (1/1000s): Agile API implementations, quick wins that build momentum • Slow (30s): Multi-year Medicaid modernizations requiring careful coordination across stakeholders
ISO = Risk Tolerance
• Low ISO (100): Highly regulated environments where every component must be pristine • High ISO (3200): Innovation initiatives where some noise is acceptable for speed to market
Manual Mode Checklist
Before any architecture decision, ask:
□ What am I choosing to focus on? (Aperture) □ How fast does this need to happen? (Shutter Speed) □ What’s my acceptable risk level? (ISO)
At a recent state healthcare project, this manual approach delivered $5M in annual savings and seamless integration across multiple modules—because every decision was intentional, not reactive.
The lesson: Don’t just document what happens—shape what’s possible.
