Enterprise Architecture Enablement for
Acquisition-Led Growth
From Fragmented Architecture to Portfolio-Driven Governance
A global paperboard packaging manufacturer partnered with Myridius to establish a formal enterprise architecture capability capable of supporting aggressive acquisition-led growth. Facing limited visibility across
600+ applications and no standardized governance model, the organization worked with Myridius to implement enterprise architecture frameworks, application portfolio management, and a scalable modernization roadmap unlocking portfolio transparency, faster decision-making, and improved acquisition readiness.
Manufacturing
Employee Count
20,000+
Myridius Service Offering
Enterprise Architecture, Modernization
Scaling Through Acquisition Without Losing Architectural Control
The client is a global paperboard packaging manufacturer operating across multiple regions, business units, and technology stacks. With a strategic growth target of $10–$12B in revenue, the company pursued acquisition-led expansion to accelerate market share and operational scale.
However, IT architecture practices had not matured at the same pace. Architecture decisions were largely ad-hoc, governance varied by domain, and leadership lacked a consolidated view of the application landscape. As acquisitions increased, so did the risk of duplicated systems, rising costs, and complex integration.
THE CHALLENGE WASN'T AMBITION.
IT WAS ENSURING THE TECHNOLOGY FOUNDATION COULD SCALE WITH IT.
From Architecture Fragmentation to Measurable Impact
Rather than separating challenges and outcomes, this engagement is best understood by examining what fundamentally changed across the enterprise architecture landscape.
|
Architecture Area |
Before Myridius |
After Myridius |
|
EA governance |
No formal enterprise architecture governance |
Standardized EA framework with defined roles and operating model |
|
Portfolio visibility |
Limited insight across 600+ applications |
First-ever enterprise-wide application portfolio view |
|
Cost & standards transparency |
Minimal visibility into spend, standards, and roadmaps |
Clear insight into application costs, redundancies, and roadmaps |
|
Decision-making |
Slow, fragmented architecture decisions |
Faster, data-driven portfolio decisions |
|
Acquisition readiness |
Inconsistent integration approaches |
Standardized architecture and governance for repeatable integration |
|
Modernization planning |
Disconnected initiatives |
Enterprise modernization roadmap with stakeholder alignment |
|
Scalability |
Architecture effort increased with complexity |
Federated operating model designed to scale |
Why Myridius? Architecture with Outcomes in Mind
The client selected Myridius because they needed more than documentation. They needed a practical, execution-ready enterprise architecture capability that could scale globally.
Myridius brought
-
Deep experience in enterprise architecture and IT governance enablement
-
Proven methods for portfolio-level visibility and rationalization
-
A pragmatic approach balancing standards with delivery realities
-
A focus on long-term operating models, not one-time assessments
Rather than imposing theory, Myridius built an EA foundation designed to work in the client’s real
operating environment.
A Connected Enterprise Architecture Operating Model
Myridius delivered an integrated enterprise architecture transformation across three tightly connected workstreams -
Framework, Portfolio, and Roadmap.
From Fragmented Systems to a Governed, Growth-Ready Enterprise
Myridius Delivered
Enterprise Architecture Framework
Defined a formal EA practice with a clear delivery framework, benefits case, and reference architecture. Governance structures clarified roles across enterprise, solution, and technical architecture domains.
Application Portfolio Management
Mapped more than 600 applications across the global business modelto establish
enterprise-wide visibility.
Identified redundancies, standardization opportunities, and cost optimization levers to support acquisition integration.
Modernization
Roadmap
Developed a modernization roadmap supporting a scalable federated operating model. Delivered stakeholder analysis, communication planning, and reusable design patterns to drive adoption and accelerate delivery.
Visibility Before Velocity
Enterprise architecture standards establish consistent governance. Application data is consolidated into a single portfolio view. Redundancies and risks are surfaced through structured analysis. Leadership uses portfolio insights to prioritize modernization, guide acquisitions, and make confident investment decisions while delivery teams leverage reusable patterns to move faster with less rework.
Technical Debt Paralysis
Years of accumulated complexity made even minor updates risky and time-consuming
Performance Degradation
Page load times suffered during high-traffic events, directly impacting user experience and conversion rates
Scalability Ceiling
Traffic spikes caused system slowdowns despite significant infrastructure investment
Development Bottleneck
Creating new features or components takes days per element. This throttled their marketing agility, limiting the ability to maintain reusable components and slowing parallel development
Accessibility Gaps
Creating new features or components takes days per element. This throttled their marketing agility, limiting the ability to maintain reusable components and slowing parallel development
Edge-first block-based architecture for maximum performance
Serverless middleware (AWS Lambda, API Gateway)
Intelligent caching layer (AWS CloudFront, S3 preloading)
Multi-environment deployment (Latest, Stage, Production)
Enterprise-grade security (AWS Secrets Manager integration)
1
Cursor AI Development Assistant integrated into developer workflows enabled component generation with automated documentation
2
Natural language-driven component generation by prompt-driven engineering
3
Intelligent code scaffolding aligned to organizational standards
4
Automated testing and documentation generation along with continuous quality enforcement and pattern consistency
Enterprise coding standards
Responsive design patterns
Security best practices
Testing frameworks
1
70-80% reduction in defect resolution effort
2
Fewer regression issues in production
3
Accelerated QA cycles with standardized EDS development templates
4
Reduced code review overhead & Consistent user experience across all properties
Lambda function scaffolding with proper error handling
AWS Secrets Manager integration for credential management
API Gateway routing configurations
Cron job setups for cache pre-warming
Edge compute functions for personalization
Custom business logic & user experience optimization
Architectural decisions & system design
Complex problem-solving & innovation
Strategic feature development
What Changed When Architecture Became Actionable
This engagement delivered more than architectural artifacts.
-
Leadership gained a clear, enterprise-wide view of the application landscape
-
Architecture decisions became faster, more consistent, and data-driven
-
Acquisition integrations shifted from reactive to repeatable
-
IT teams reduced redundancy and improved cost transparency
-
The organization established a sustainable EA maturity roadmap
Most importantly, enterprise architecture became a strategic enabler, not a bottleneck.
Key Success Factors
| Standards-First Approach |
| Training AI with organizational standards ensured consistency without manual enforcement backed by automated validation workflows and strengthened enterprise modernization efforts. |
| Iterative Refinement |
| Continuous feedback loops improved AI output quality over time. |
| Measurable Outcomes |
| Clear metrics tracked efficiency gains and business impact across high-traffic digital platforms supported by generative AI workflows. |
| Hybrid Expertise |
| Human architects guided strategy while AI accelerated execution. |
| Strategic AI Integration |
| AI wasn't bolted on—it was architected into the development workflow from day one. |
Looking Forward
The Competitive Advantage
This transformation wasn't just about migrating technology—it was about establishing a new operating model where -
| Speed becomes a strategic weapon |
| Quality scales automatically |
| Innovation capacity multiplies |
| Technical debt stops accumulating |
| Developer talent focuses on differentiation |
As AI-assisted development matures, the efficiency gains compound, creating widening competitive moats for organizations that embrace this methodology early.
Architecture as a Growth Multiplier
In acquisition-driven manufacturing organizations, unmanaged architecture complexity quietly undermines scale. This case demonstrates how formalizing enterprise architecture when paired with portfolio insight and pragmatic governance creates stability, speed, and long-term flexibility.
What next?
If your organization is navigating acquisitions, portfolio sprawl, or inconsistent architecture governance, Myridius can help you establish clarity, control, and confidence at scale.
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