For years, organizations have unknowingly reinforced a divide that should never have existed. IT teams refer to everything outside of their function as "the business," creating an artificial separation. Meanwhile, HR calls itself HR, Sales calls itself Sales, Customer Support calls itself Customer Support—none of them collectively refer to themselves as "the business."
This isn’t just semantics. It’s a structural and operational misunderstanding that has shaped decision-making, communication, and, ultimately, the way enterprises function.
How Did This Divide Happen?
IT was originally seen as an enabler—a function that supported operations, automated workflows, and built systems to improve efficiency. But over time, the narrative shifted.
IT became the architect of platforms, infrastructure, and compliance frameworks, while other departments remained focused on their operational and strategic goals.
Somewhere along the way, IT was no longer seen as part of the business but as a separate entity that built "solutions for the business." The unintended consequence?
HR needs workforce planning insights, but IT delivers a tool.
Sales needs customer intelligence, but IT delivers a CRM system.
Finance needs real-time forecasting, but IT delivers a dashboard.
What was missing? The integration of IT into the very structure of the enterprise. IT was designing tools in isolation while departments continued to function in their own silos.
This divide widened as Enterprise Architecture (EA) frameworks reinforced IT-led governance models, treating business functions as separate consumers of IT services rather than co-creators of enterprise-wide solutions.
The Flaw in the “IT vs. Business” Mindset
The truth is, IT is not separate from the business. HR, Sales, Finance, and Customer Support are not isolated entities—they are interconnected systems within the Enterprise Anatomy.
HR is not just a department—it’s part of the enterprise nervous system, constantly sensing workforce capacity, organizational changes, and compliance.
Sales is not just a function—it’s a circulatory system, bringing in revenue and ensuring the enterprise thrives.
Customer Support is not just a service—it’s the sensory feedback loop, ensuring customer experiences directly influence strategy.
IT is not just an enabler—it’s the connective tissue that holds all these components together.
Yet, because IT has been structurally positioned as external to business strategy, it continues to build systems first, rather than architecting enterprises first.
The Enterprise Anatomy Model: Breaking the IT vs. Business Illusion
The Enterprise Anatomy Model dismantles this artificial separation. Instead of viewing IT as an external function, it places IT within the same enterprise structure as every other department. IT is no longer "building for the business"; IT is an integrated component of the business.
This means:
Enterprise-wide strategy first, systems second. IT doesn’t define the enterprise structure; it reinforces it.
Process alignment before tool selection. The architecture must be business-driven, not IT-defined.
Systems must evolve with the enterprise. IT doesn’t impose solutions—it co-develops them with HR, Sales, Finance, and every other function.
When organizations adopt the Enterprise Anatomy Model, they stop asking, "How do we align IT with the business?" Instead, they start defining the enterprise as one single, interconnected system.
The Future: One Enterprise, One Anatomy
The greatest mistake in modern EA was allowing IT to be positioned as separate from the rest of the enterprise. That’s why so many enterprise strategies fail—IT is designing systems in isolation, while departments are shaping business functions without integrated technology considerations.
There is no IT vs. Business. There is only One Enterprise, One Anatomy.
The sooner organizations realize this, the sooner they will stop trying to "align" IT and start structuring enterprises the way they actually function.
The shift isn’t just necessary—it’s already happening. The question is, who will adapt first?