ICMG Enterprise Architecture Convergence Level 1 — EA (IT) One IT Anatomy™

Level 1 is where most organizations believe they are mature because IT architecture boards exist, technology stacks are standardized, and IT projects go through architecture compliance.

But Level 1 in the ICMG Enterprise Anatomy™ maturity model is not about governance activity or tool uniformity. It is about whether one consistent IT anatomy actually exists and governs IT decisions across initiatives.

What Level 1 requires, starting from the first project

Level 1 begins only when the first IT initiative is modelled end-to-end across P1–P6 and used in decision-making.

This means the project anatomy is explicit as:

• P1 — IT Strategy (intent, outcomes, priorities)

• P2 — IT Process (end-to-end sequencing and flows)

• P3 — IT Systems / Logic (rules, sequencing, controls, decision logic)

• P4 — IT Component Specifications (apps, platforms, integration components, infrastructure patterns)

• P5 — Implementation Tasks (build/change/deploy tasks across teams and systems)

• P6 — Operations (run-state responsibilities, monitoring, incident patterns, operational controls)

If the model is created but not used, Level 1 does not exist. Level 1 is not achieved by producing architecture artifacts. It is achieved when the anatomy governs decisions.

Use & decision rule

At Level 1, anatomy must be used to:

1. prioritize IT initiatives

2. resolve architectural conflicts

3. handle exceptions and trade-offs

4. manage implementation sequencing decisions (P5)

5. manage operational decisions and breakdown explanations (P6)

If decisions are still resolved primarily by meetings, senior-person memory, or vendor constraints, then anatomy is not governing.

Propagation is the real maturity inside Level 1

Once the first initiative has a full P1–P6 IT anatomy and is being used for decisions, Level 1 maturity is defined by how far that same anatomy propagates across the IT portfolio.

This is where the scale rule comes in.

• 1 IT project → one P1–P6 IT anatomy exists (and is used)

• 100 IT projects → each instantiates the same IT anatomy

• 160 IT projects → one IT anatomy governs all 160

• 1000 IT projects → one IT anatomy governs the entire IT portfolio

This is the Level 1 “one anatomy” test:

Many IT projects → One IT Anatomy™

What Level 1 eliminates

When Level 1 is real, the organization stops operating with “mini-architectures” per program. Even if the same tools and vendors are used, projects no longer:

1. reinterpret workflow sequencing,

2. re-embed approval logic differently,

3. redefine data meanings silently,

4. build parallel integration patterns.

Tool uniformity may exist at many organizations. Level 1 is about anatomical uniformity—with P1–P6 governing behavior and decisions.

Boundary

Level 1 remains inside IT. Business departments are still external at this stage. That is why Level 1, even when strong, is not enterprise anatomy yet—it is IT anatomy convergence.