TOGAF certification: Everything about the framework

What is TOGAF?

TOGAF is an enterprise architecture framework that helps define business goals and align them with architectural goals around enterprise software development.

TOGAF is short for The Open Group Architecture Framework and was developed by The Open Group, a non-profit technology industry consortium that continues to update and iterate TOGAF.

Open groups:

• Captures understand and address existing and emerging requirements create policies and share best practices.
• It facilitates interoperability, develops consensus, and develops and integrates specifications and open-source technologies.
• It offers a comprehensive range of services to improve the operational efficiency of consortia.

For more information about the Open Group, visit www.opengroup.org.

What is the purpose of TOGAF?

The Open Group Architecture Framework (TOGAF) is an enterprise architecture methodology that provides a high-level framework for enterprise software development. TOGAF helps organize the development process through a systematic approach aimed at reducing errors, meeting schedules, staying within budget, and aligning IT with business units to deliver quality results.

Like other IT management frameworks, TOGAF helps organizations align IT goals with broader business goals while orchestrating cross-departmental IT efforts. TOGAF helps companies define and organize requirements before a project begins, keeping the process moving quickly and with few errors.

TOGAF works on the following five pillars:

• Architecture Development Model (ADM): Describes the complete cycle process for developing enterprise architectures that meet business needs. ADM is the core of TOGAF.
• Enterprise Continuum and Tools: Explains the tools and taxonomies for categorizing and storing architecture activity data.
• Architectural Content Framework: Describes the TOGAF model for architectural artifacts, reusable architectural building blocks, and architectural deliverables.
• Architecture Capability Framework: Discusses the processes, roles, skills, and organization required to set up and operate an architecture within an organization.
• Reference models (removed from TOGAF 9.2).

You can use TOGAF in the following areas:

• Establish Industry Standards: The ability to quickly and easily change the meta-model content, object types, and notations to meet the unique needs of your organization.
• More teamwork and reliability: TOGAF keeps models in a central repository to be used, modified, or kept up to date with new version controls.
• Reduction of costs and time: Existing company data developed in one environment can be transferred to a repository and used for future architecture development.
• Make well-founded decisions: with heatmaps and impact analysis tools

What are the advantages of TOGAF for companies?

• More efficiency: TOGAF helps to develop clear ways to create enterprise architectures. It also provides all the tools needed to set up working EA frameworks. While paying for this type of guidance is entirely optional, the alternative often results in a gross waste of time and resources.
• Common Language: The common vocabulary established by the framework facilitates communication both within and between organizations. This can be a great benefit when it comes to ensuring that an architectural development process runs smoothly.
• Create processes for future development: The ADM establishes a tiered approach to enterprise architecture that is still fluid enough to be customized for individual organizations. While creating such an approach may seem difficult at first, the experience will make future architectural development much easier. In other words, it helps organizations create systems that can be used over and over again.

What are the benefits of TOGAF for Enterprise Architects?

• High Demand: Top-tier organizations value frameworks that set a global standard.
• Experience: TOGAF combines technical and business aspects of IT. Aspiring enterprise architects can learn how to manage multiple elements at once through a certificate. More importantly, they can learn the perspective needed to design and adapt information systems architectures in a broader EA framework.
• Good networking: Because TOGAF is so widely used, professionals around the world are familiar with its terminology and framework. This can create excellent networking opportunities for architects looking for new opportunities.
• No qualifications required: It helps to start a TOGAF course with at least basic knowledge of enterprise architecture. However, there are no prerequisites required to get certified. Even college students can learn TOGAF to prepare for launching their careers.
• Future-proof: Although each version of TOGAF introduces new features, the core framework remains the same. Because of this, even after updates are released, TOGAF can continue to use and update knowledge easily.

Benefits of the TOGAF Management Architecture

• It offers realistic and sustainable decisions to be made by providing a perspective of the whole company.
• The priorities based on commercial strategies, ensure that commercial development and informatics strategies and the parameters that guide them are related to each other.
• It provides effective change management where the impact on the existing components of the organization can be easily assessed.
• It ensures that a common language is spoken by standardizing the coordination and communication between different parts of the company or different applications.
• It provides the establishment of the architectural structure, the preparation of the technological development roadmap, standardization, and upgrading to carry out technological upgrading.
• It minimizes product or service delivery times by identifying and reusing existing components that best fit the solution.

How does TOGAF work?

Modular structure: The TOGAF standard has a modular structure. The modular structure supports:

• Greater ease of use - defined purpose for each part; can be used in isolation as a standalone set of policies
• Incremental adoption of the TOGAF standard
• Accompanying the standard is a portfolio of guides, known as the TOGAF library, to support the practical application of the TOGAF approach.

Content Framework: The TOGAF standard includes a content framework to achieve greater consistency in outputs created using the Architecture Development Method (ADM). The TOGAF content framework provides a detailed model of architectural work products.

Enhanced Guidance: The TOGAF Standard provides an enhanced set of concepts and guidelines to support the establishment of an integrated hierarchy of architectures being developed by teams in larger organizations working within an overarching architecture governance model. In particular, the following concepts are included:

• Partitioning - A set of techniques and considerations for partitioning the various architectures within an organization.
• Architecture Repository - a logical information model for an architecture repository that can be used as an onboard store for all output produced by running the ADM.
• Capability Framework - a structured definition of the organization's capabilities, roles, and responsibilities required to operate an effective enterprise architecture. The TOGAF standard also guides a process that can be followed to identify and establish an appropriate architectural capability.

Architectural Styles: The TOGAF standard is designed to be flexible and can be used with different architectural styles. Examples are provided in both the TOGAF Standard, Part III: ADM Guidelines and Techniques, and the TOGAF Library. Together these form a set of supporting materials showing in detail how the ADM can be applied to specific situations; for example:

• The different uses of iteration that are possible within the ADM and when each technique should be applied.

What does a TOGAF certification bring me?

As a TOGAF-certified professional, you can interpret complex technical processes. Enterprise Architects (EAs) drive the organization's long-term IT strategy, which supports the overall business strategy. They create the technology and application roadmap to guide the organization based on TOGAF technology infrastructure standards.

EAs are responsible for ensuring that all aspects of the technology flow are defined and that IT-enabled processes run efficiently from start to finish. EAs generally work on transformation programs across portfolios and manage a few different meetings and projects such as architecture strategy, architecture review boards, portfolio management, governance committees, and technology lifecycles.

In short, TOGAF certified professionals ensure that an organization's goals and information technology goals and aspects are aligned. As strategic management positions, TOGAF certified professionals are primarily sought after by the largest organizations. Additionally, those interested in working on IoT projects can also benefit from TOGAF training and certification. Make sure the certification is right for your line of business and for you, but if you believe it is applicable and you would benefit from the knowledge of enterprise architecture, TOGAF is the best certification for you.

Why get a TOGAF certification?

Below is a breakdown of the top 10 reasons why you should invest in TOGAF training.

1. The demand for TOGAF certification is skyrocketing

One of the main reasons for TOGAF certification is the high demand for enterprise architects. One reason for the increasing demand is that more and more people in IT and other industries are recognizing the long-term importance of enterprise architecture and its certifications. As IT technology and architecture become more important in all areas of the business, it will be just as important to plan how a company's enterprise architecture will be achieved in the short and long term.

If this doesn't happen, companies run the risk of their technology and architecture becoming obsolete. This is why most companies are looking for more TOGAF-certified professionals. Consequently, you should strive for a TOGAF certification and thus use the growing demand for yourself.

2. TOGAF training opens up new perspectives and opportunities

As a TOGAF-certified expert, you can work directly with banks or numerous other industries, for example. Many companies look forward to getting their hands on TOGAF-certified professionals who can meet their needs. The certification opens up new and exciting opportunities for you to work as a professional in the field that you want.

3. Learn a common language

Professionals with a TOGAF certification share both a common language and knowledge. This is an excellent skill for architecture professionals and consequently a great asset to support the development of IT and enterprise architectures.

4. A great investment in your career

The TOGAF training makes you a worthy and important member of the organization. TOGAF training prepares you for various functions and can guarantee you a potential increase in salary and a top position. The investment is always worthwhile for further training.

5. Meet the needs of your business much better

TOGAF teaches you how to most effectively meet the needs of the organization you work for. This means identifying how the IT budget is being spent and then finding areas where the budget could be spent more efficiently. TOGAF wants to teach you how and where teams have the potential to fit better together. These skills enhance the operations of the business by learning how all the different parts of the business fit together. Additionally, TOGAF gives you the opportunity to see how these processes can be streamlined. This eliminates costs and friction, making departments and the company as a whole more efficient.

6. TOGAF Certification - Improve your management skills

TOGAF certification provides similar expertise to other IT professionals. However, it particularly helps in improving managerial skills. These skills not only make you aware of the language of enterprise architecture but also make you a real leader. Because getting the certification expands your thinking horizons many times over, which in turn helps you to understand and manage things better.

7. Brings trust from employers, colleagues, and customers

TOGAF is a globally recognized certification; it brings a high level of trust from customers, employees, and colleagues. This helps reduce friction in managing the enterprise architecture. TOGAF training significantly increases your reputation and shows that you have proven skills at the highest level.

8. Budget-friendly course with a high return

TOGAF certification can be achieved without much effort compared to other certification courses. The candidate can either choose the whole course or just show up for tests according to his/her learning style. In addition, TOGAF is a budget-friendly certification. Even if you add the cost of training, the TOGAF certification score is a clear investment in your future.

9. Big investment in your future

Building on the previous point, certification can add value to your business. The possibility of a salary increase after receiving the certification is quite conceivable. TOGAF certification is a great investment in your skills and future. Due to growing demand, more industries are recognizing the value of enterprise architecture, which means TOGAF is often becoming versatile and applicable to a variety of job roles.

10. Visible trust mark

The TOGAF certification is a seal of trust for IT professionals. When you are TOGAF certified, both small and large well-known organizations and corporate giants trust you as a professional with credible knowledge.

Professions that could benefit from TOGAF training:

• Enterprise architects
• System architects
• Solution architects
• Network architects
• Team leader
• Software tester
• Product manager
• Product owner
• TOGAF certified professionals
• People who want to understand and apply the latest TOGAF Standard 9.2
• Professionals who want to pass their respective TOGAF certification exams. 

What are the available certifications?

TOGAF (The Open Group Architecture Framework) offers its prospects a clear path for professional development. For TOGAF certification, you must complete both exams (Part 1 and Part 2) at The Open Group. Here you have the opportunity to take the exam for parts 1 and 2 either individually or together and thus receive the certification. The TOGAF Framework portfolio currently consists of four certifications.

These are as follows:

• TOGAF 9 Foundation
• TOGAF 9 Certified
• TOGAF Business Architecture
• TOGAF Essentials 2018

1. TOGAF 9 Foundation

Provides validation that the candidate has acquired knowledge of TOGAF terminology, structure, and key concepts and understands the core principles of enterprise architecture and the TOGAF Standards. This certification is intended for professionals who have a fundamental understanding of the TOGAF 9 standard. In addition, this certificate is intended to test your knowledge of terminology, structure, and basic concepts. It is important to know that to obtain this authorization, one must pass the Part 1 test.

TOGAF certification - syllabus and the exams

There are three exams, which are as follows:

• TOGAF 9 Part 1 – Passing 55% (22 or more points out of a maximum of 40) This exam has 40 questions in a simple multiple-choice format covering the Level 1 Learning Outcomes (see Conformance Requirements for details).
• TOGAF 9 Part 2 – Passed with 60% (24 or more points out of a maximum of 40).

This exam consists of 8 complex questions. This exam is an open book and covers the full Level 2 learning outcomes. The correct answer gets 5 points, the second best answer 3 points, and the third best answer 1 point. The diversionary tactic scores zero points.

• TOGAF 9 Combined Part 1 and 2 - This is a combined TOGAF 9 Part 1 and Part 2 exam for candidates who wish to achieve Level 2 certification directly in a single exam. It consists of two sections with passing grades according to the TOGAF 9 Part 1 and 2 exams described above. Each section must be passed to receive an overall score. If you fail a section, no certification will be awarded, but you will only need to retake the exam(s) corresponding to the failed sections.

What do the TOGAF certification exams cover?

The 11 subject areas covered by the TOGAF 9 Part 1 exam and the number of questions per area in the exam are as follows:

• Basic terms (3 questions)
• Core Concepts (3 Questions)
• Introduction to the ADM (3 questions)
• The Business Continuum and Tools (4 Questions)
• ADM phases (9 questions)
• ADM Policies and Techniques (6 Questions)
• Architecture Governance (4 questions)
• Architectural views, viewpoints, and stakeholders (2 questions)
• building blocks (2 questions)
• ADM results (2 questions)
• TOGAF reference models (2 questions)

The TOGAF 9 Part 2 exam syllabus includes all learning outcomes. The exam samples the learning outcomes with eight scenarios and eight questions.

The 8 questions come from the following subject areas:

• ADM phases: project setup (phases preliminary, A, requirements management)
• ADM phases: architecture definition (phases B, C, D)
• ADM Phases: Transition Planning (Phases E and F)
• ADM Phases: Governance (Phases G and H)
• Customize the ADM
• Architecture Content Framework
• TOGAF reference models
• Architectural Capability Framework 

2. TOGAF 9 Certified

Confirms that the participant can both analyze and apply this knowledge in addition to the knowledge and understanding of the TOGAF 9 Foundation. This TOGAF certification is aimed at professionals with a much deeper understanding of the TOGAF 9 standard. Knowledge is analyzed and applied in the development of an enterprise architecture. To get this permission, one has to pass the tests part 1 and 2 here.

3. TOGAF Business Architecture 

The role of a "Business Architect" is to design, build and maintain architectures that show how different areas of a business interact. They use this top-level awareness to improve individual processes and maximize value for customers. It is a strategic role that works at the corporate level, covering an organization's strategy, structure, roles, skills, processes, information, data, etc. Business architecture requires strong analytical skills. Organizations need to know how to place and analyze capabilities in a business environment to better align them with overarching goals. Although a specialization, it serves as an important part of the foundation for success throughout the enterprise architecture development process.

4. TOGAF Essentials 2018

TOGAF 2018 Basics is intended for people who are already certified to the TOGAF 9 standard or are trainers deploying version 9.2 of the standard. It validates current knowledge and understanding of the TOGAF framework. This qualification consists of a training course and an assessment. The training course includes a multiple-choice online assessment with 20 questions. Those who pass the test receive a TOGAF Essentials 2018 Open Badge and the credential is valid for three years.

More TOGAF training courses

There are two other specialized TOGAF certifications that The Open Group offers in addition to the general certification:

• Business Architecture Certification: This certification can help you demonstrate an understanding of business systems architecture on your resume.
• Security Certification: With this certification, you can demonstrate that you know risk management and system security.

These two additional certifications allow you to specialize in a specific area of system architecture. Consequently, this offers IT professionals another career development opportunity.

Conclusion - is TOGAF training worth it?

When you get TOGAF training, you improve your management skills to a professional level. This certification puts you on an equal footing with other IT professionals going through the same training and certification. You will also learn the language of enterprise architecture. Certification will also strengthen your reputation as an expert in the field. And it will help you up the career ladder by giving more confidence to others. So, if you aspire to a career in enterprise architecture, getting certified in TOGAF is a great way to start your career in this field. You can be hired as a lead architect or executive-level employee and you can prove yourself to your potential employer.

When earning certifications for specific jobs, it is important to work with an accredited training facility. The reason for this is simple: accredited training institutions are the best place to get these certifications. Certifications from non-accredited institutions are worthless.

Before you decide to get certified, think about your career goals. Would you like to work in a field that will demonstrate your expertise? Or do you want to improve your skills and marketability to potential employers? These considerations will help you make the right decision about which certification to pursue. The certification process is an investment in your skills, knowledge, and determination. Therefore, choosing a certification course is an excellent investment in your future!

Interested in more info? You can see the comparison of TOGAF to other frameworks here: IT certifications in comparison: iSAQB vs TOGAF: Detailed Comparison

iSAQB® CPSA: Certified Professional for Software Architecture

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