If nobody can draw your systems on one page, nobody can plan changes safely.
In brief
- A one-page map shows systems, who owns them, how they connect and where they hurt.
- It is built for decisions: keep, connect, replace or retire.
- Start with the business capabilities, then place the systems that serve them.
- Keep it simple enough to update. A perfect diagram that nobody maintains is worse than a rough one that is current.
Ask five people which systems the company uses and you get five lists. Ask how the data moves between them, and the answers diverge further. That gap costs money in every project that touches more than one system.
The real issue is not the diagram. It is the shared picture.
Enterprise architecture sounds heavy, but its core is a shared picture. When leaders, IT and business owners look at the same page, discussions about priorities, risks and costs become concrete.
What goes on the page
| Element | What to show | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Business capabilities | The main things the business does: sell, deliver, bill, support | Anchors the map in the business, not in technology |
| Systems | Each system, grouped by capability | Shows overlaps and gaps |
| Owners | A named business owner for each system | Someone accountable for changes |
| Data flows | Lines between systems, with how they move: automatic, file, manual | Exposes fragile or manual links |
| Pain points | Marked where problems occur | Guides priorities |
| Status | Keep, connect, replace, retire | Turns the map into a plan |
Drawing it in five steps
1. List the capabilities
Five to ten rows or blocks are enough. Use words the business uses.
2. Place every system
Include spreadsheets and tools bought by departments. Informal systems often carry important work.
3. Draw the connections
Mark each link as automatic, file transfer or manual. Manual links are where errors and delays appear.
4. Name owners and mark pain
A system without an owner is a risk. A system with many pain markers is a candidate for change.
5. Decide status
For each system, say whether to keep, connect better, replace or retire. Give a reason in a few words.
Five mistakes we see repeatedly
- Drawing from IT’s view only. The business must recognise the page.
- Too much detail. Make it fit on one page.
- Leaving out manual links.
- No owners.
- A one-off exercise. Review it at least once a year.
Our experience
Much of our work sits between systems: connecting them, moving data, reconciling records and agreeing definitions. That work usually starts with a rough map like this one, and the map often reveals systems that nobody had listed.
We can explore drawing your one-page map with you.
Which connection between systems causes you the most manual work?
One page, then decisions
A one-page map will not answer every question, but it makes the right questions visible. Draw it, mark the pain, and use it to choose what to do first.
Talk to Balerion about mapping your systems and deciding what to keep, connect or retire. Email us at talk@balerion.co.th.
