Established enterprise architecture (EA) practices provide the most comprehensive framework for ensuring IT standards are consistently applied. EA defines the principles, policies, models, and standards that govern the use of technology across the entire organization. It creates a blueprint for IT infrastructure, applications, and data, guiding technology decisions and implementations to ensure they are aligned, interoperable, and standardized. This holistic approach is specifically designed to enforce consistency and prevent the creation of disparate, non-compliant technology silos, thereby directly addressing the consistent application of IT standards enterprise-wide.

A. Enterprise risk management (ERM) reviews. ERM focuses on identifying and mitigating risks. While this may influence certain IT security or operational standards, its primary purpose is not the consistent application of all IT standards.

B. Mandatory systems development training. This is too narrow in scope. It only addresses standards within the systems development lifecycle and does not ensure consistency across other areas like infrastructure, operations, or data management.

C. Business case reviews by the steering committee. The steering committee's role is primarily strategic alignment, prioritization, and funding approval for new initiatives, not the detailed, ongoing enforcement of technical standards across the enterprise.

1. ISACA

CGEIT Review Manual

8th Edition (2020). Domain 2: IT Resources

Section 2.3

Enterprise Architecture. The manual states that EA provides a "holistic view of the current and future state of the enterprise" and includes "principles

policies and standards" that guide the design and implementation of IT solutions

thereby facilitating the enforcement of standards and ensuring consistency.

2. Ross

J. W.

Weill

P.

& Robertson

D. C. (2006). Enterprise Architecture as Strategy: Creating a Foundation for Business Execution. Harvard Business Review Press. Chapter 2

"The IT Engagement Model

" explains how EA defines the standards and integration requirements that ensure technology is implemented consistently to support the business's operating model.

3. Tamm

T.

Seddon

P. B.

Shanks

G.

& Reynolds

P. (2011). How does enterprise architecture add value to organisations? Communications of the Association for Information Systems

28(1)

10. This article discusses the benefits of EA

including "IT-related cost savings and avoidance" and "IT-related risk reduction

" which are achieved through standardization and consistent application of architectural principles. (DOI: https://doi.org/10.17705/1CAIS.02810)