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data architecture

What's the Difference Between a Data Architect and an Enterprise Architect?

Data architects and enterprise architects aren't one in the same. There's a big difference between these two positions, which might not be accurately reflected by HR departments.

Essentially, the data architect is a data steward. In the Zachman Framework, the data architect is responsible for the "What," "How," and "Where" columns and is primarily constrained to Level 3 (System Logic, Architects as Designers).

The enterprise architect is responsible for not only the "What," "How," and "Where" columns but also the "Who," "When," and "Why" columns. Plus, the enterprise architect is responsible for not only Level 3 (System Logic, Architects as Designers) but also for coordinating with the principals of the other five levels.

Long story short, the enterprise architect's responsibility is over-arching across the entire enterprise, whereas the Data Architect has a subset of the enterprise architect's responsibilities, which are focused mainly on the data itself.

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