Spotlight on Partnership: How Ardoq and Slalom Accelerate Transformation Together

4 Sep 2024

by Deborah Theseira

In today’s fast-paced business landscape, organizations must constantly adapt to stay competitive.

"Organizations are struggling to evolve with the rapid pace of technology change. This presents opportunities for them to think strategically about their future by leading with an architecture mindset and employing modern architecture as a business discipline to ensure the integrity of their enterprise solutions."

- M. Hans Delly, Managing Director and Global Lead of Technology Strategy at Slalom

Enterprise Architecture (EA) is a critical enabler in this journey, but mastering it requires more than just the right tools—it demands the right partnerships. That’s where the powerful collaboration between Ardoq and Slalom comes into play.

Ardoq Slalom

Ardoq’s platform, known for its flexibility and scalability, is designed to empower businesses to manage complexity and drive strategic outcomes. However, the true strength of our platform is amplified through strategic alliances with partners who bring deep industry expertise and a shared commitment to customer success. One such partner is Slalom, a global business and technology consulting firm renowned for its practical, end-to-end solutions that deliver real impact.

Slalom: Ardoq’s Partner of the Year

Slalom’s reach spans eight countries and 45 markets, giving them a profound understanding of diverse customer needs. Their approach to EA isn’t just about documentation—it’s about transforming EA into a strategic business capability, helping organizations move faster and succeed in reducing costs and power modernization and digital transformation initiatives. This alignment with Ardoq’s vision is why we are proud to recognize Slalom as our Partner of the Year for 2023.

ardoq partner of the year 2023

Our collaboration with Slalom has been instrumental in helping organizations navigate some of their most complex technology challenges. Together, we deliver comprehensive technology and EA strategies that not only accelerate transformation but also ensure sustained value over time.

How Slalom Enhances Outcomes

Enterprise Architecture (EA) and transformation initiatives continue to be highly challenging. The larger the organization, the greater the complexity. Even though organizations recognize the importance of EA, they may not have the in-house resources or expertise to fully leverage it as a valuable strategic capability. 

"51% of CIOs are in the process of maturing an EA capability."

- Emerging Technology Adoption 2024: Navigating AI Risks, Rewards and ROI


Yet mastering EA at speed is ever more essential to maintain a competitive edge in today’s rapid pace of business.  They help accelerate strategic initiatives, quickening time to value so businesses can better manage the complexity instead of constantly playing catch up, getting better control over their technical debt, and achieving cost savings. 

“Slalom is a valuable partner that brings a wealth of knowledge in helping organizations both establish and mature EA as a strategic and foundational capability crucial for enabling digital and IT transformation initiatives. With Ardoq’s cutting-edge EA platform and Slalom’s deep industry expertise, our joint customers can better understand their IT landscape, align IT to business strategy, improve enterprise agility and drive scalable innovation at the pace today’s business demands.”
- Angela Sanfilippo, Vice President Global Partnerships at Ardoq

Slalom’s experience means they have field-tested, structured approaches to EA and building the maturity of an organization’s EA into a critical business capability that is focused on value and strategic alignment as an end goal, not just documentation. A modern EA practice means supporting businesses with the guidance and insights needed to make strategy a reality, rather than the strict governance of the past.

Better Data-Driven Transformation Initiatives

In today’s dynamic business environment, a modern, outcomes-focused approach to EA requires a platform anchored in data-driven insights. Ardoq is designed to do just that—helping organizations master complexity without adding to it. Our platform’s flexibility allows for a framework-agnostic approach, catering to the unique needs of each client.

“Our clients are at various stages of digital transformation, and we've observed that a dynamic, adaptable platform like Ardoq is instrumental in their success. Whether they're rationalizing and modernizing their IT landscape or managing a myriad of transformation projects, Ardoq provides them with the necessary insights and clarity to make informed, strategic decisions. Looking ahead, we have high expectations and are excited about the potential of our continued partnership.”

- Miranda Mason, Managing Director of Technology Strategy at Slalom

Ardoq’s suite of pre-built integrations and REST API empowers Slalom’s teams to quickly gather and leverage the data needed to drive strategic decisions. This capability reduces the manual effort involved in producing dashboards and visualizations, allowing for real-time, data-driven deliverables that enhance decision-making.

“We can also use Ardoq to assess the total cost of ownership and build the business case based on those recommendations. This includes cost savings as well as areas of investment. And then developing that prioritized roadmap to help execute on the disposition recommendations. And finally, Ardoq can be used to continue to track the ongoing business case as those application dispositions are executed on.”

-Miranda Mason

Learn how Slalom Consulting and Ardoq helped Cabinetworks transform a century-old cabinet business into a modern, efficient, and customer-focused one, improving IT efficiency and fostering a culture of innovation.

How Ardoq Helps Slalom Improve Client Delivery

Mapping out a client’s landscape in Ardoq offers Slalom and their clients a powerful advantage: long-term visibility with an EA platform that enables strategic decision-making and empowers teams to understand the impact of change both now and in the future. This allows for better planning, more efficient project delivery, and, ultimately, higher-quality outcomes.

Ardoq also allows them to automate manual tasks so Slalom’s teams can spend more time focusing on solving complex problems rather than getting lost in Excel sheets or PowerPoint slides. The result? Clients receive live, data-driven deliverables that ensure they are in a better position post-project.

Leveraging Ardoq also enables Slalom to deepen their engagements with clients. With enhanced visibility into a client’s entire IT landscape, Slalom can identify additional project opportunities, increasing their overall value and stickiness. This is especially beneficial for clients who are already familiar with Ardoq, as it strengthens ongoing relationships and supports continuous growth. Ardoq’s platform is trusted by architecture teams in leading companies worldwide, making it a reliable tool for expanding consulting engagements.

“Mapping things out in Ardoq gives us an 18-month pipeline of work at a given client.”
- Bob Waltenspiel, Senior Alliance Manager at Slalom

Finally, Ardoq helps Slalom uplevel and upskill their teams. By building consistent and repeatable EA engagements powered by Ardoq, Slalom can leverage pre-built use case guides and develop their own intellectual property. Adding a modern architecture platform like Ardoq to their consulting toolbox not only enhances their service offerings but also aligns them with a vision for EA that is backed by a team with real-world experience. This combination of cutting-edge technology and practical expertise sets Slalom up for success in an increasingly competitive market.

Accelerate Your Transformation

The partnership between Ardoq and Slalom is a powerful catalyst for organizations looking to achieve their IT and EA objectives. Together, we bring a combination of strategic insight, practical expertise, and innovative technology that drives real business outcomes.

Learn more about how Slalom and Ardoq can help you accelerate your transformation journey: Explore Our Partnership

 

 

Deborah Theseira Deborah Theseira Deborah is a Content Specialist at Ardoq. She wields words in the hope of demystifying the complex and ever-evolving world of Enterprise Architecture. She is excited about helping the curious understand the immense potential it has for driving effective change.
Ardoq Insights & Events

Subscribe to Ardoq's Newsletter

A monthly digest of the latest news, articles, and resources.