It’s no good having a strategy if you can’t execute on it.

This year, for our fifth annual State of Enterprise Architecture report, we quizzed organizations on their ability to bring about change. In particular, we focused on how well they understand their capabilities and their insight into IT sustainability. We also asked about how they invest, and what the barriers to executing strategy are.

Respondents assessed their enterprise architecture maturity on seven criteria. We then worked out an average score and ranked the results. The top 25% of organizations we named “leaders”, and the bottom 25% are “laggards”. More than 500 enterprise architecture professionals and their colleagues took part.

We found that leaders invest more strategically, have a better understanding of their capabilities, and are way ahead in IT sustainability.

Download the State of Enterprise Architecture 2025 Report.

Most CEOs aren’t short on ambition. What they lack is visibility. Strategic plans stall, investments go unchecked, and disconnected teams spin in circles—all because leaders can’t see where value is being created (or lost). Strategic Portfolio Management changes that. It turns transformation from a guessing game into a guided and collaborative path for decision makers.

Digital transformation has become synonymous with progress. Every new platform promises agility, every integration the potential to scale, and every cloud migration a faster path to innovation. But beneath the surface of this rapid evolution lies a growing problem.

Not long ago, digital transformation was seen as a long-term strategic goal. Today, it’s a high-stakes sprint, with unprecedented urgency. In a world where AI reshapes industries monthly and macroeconomic volatility rewrites priorities overnight, the companies that survive — let alone lead — are those that can adapt faster than their competitors.

Organizations of all sizes and industries face an increasingly complex and rapidly changing business environment that may hinder successful business transformation. The leading innovation author and speaker Peter Hinssen calls it the “Never Normal” – a world with more frequent ‘seismic shocks’ of technology innovation, geopolitical conflicts, and ecological challenges affecting the very fundamentals of business, and the ‘polycrises’ when multiple catastrophic events occur together.
 

Many organizations are prioritizing a robust digital strategy that emphasizes agility and technological acceleration. The speed of digital innovation enables businesses to streamline operations and adopt digital solutions that enhance efficiency. As companies move toward digital maturity, they are challenged to achieve digital transformation while scaling their initiatives effectively.