Enterprise Architecture in the Digital Era: A Comprehensive Review of Academic Progress and Industry Implementation

Purpose: This paper presents a comprehensive review of Enterprise Architecture (EA) evolution, bridging the gap between academic research and industry practice over the past decade (2015-2025). We examine how EA frameworks, methodologies, and practices have adapted to digital transformation challenges, with particular focus on financial services sector implementations. Design/methodology/approach: We conducted a systematic literature review of 150+ peer-reviewed articles from leading databases (Scopus, Web of Science, IEEE Xplore) combined with industry reports and practitioner insights from enterprise architecture implementations in banking and financial services. The review follows the PRISMA guidelines and includes both theoretical contributions and empirical studies. Findings: The research reveals five major evolutionary trends: (1) shift from rigid frameworks to agile EA practices, (2) integration of EA with DevOps and continuous delivery, (3) emergence of EA automation and AI-assisted tools, (4) increased focus on business outcome measurement, and (5) evolution toward ecosystem and platform-based architectures. We identify a persistent gap between academic frameworks and practical implementation challenges, particularly in legacy system modernization and organizational change management. Practical implications: The paper provides actionable insights for EA practitioners, highlighting successful patterns from banking sector implementations, common pitfalls, and emerging best practices for digital transformation. We present a maturity-based adoption roadmap suitable for organizations at different stages of EA evolution. Originality/value: This is the first comprehensive review that systematically integrates academic research with large-scale industry implementation experiences, offering a bidirectional knowledge transfer between theory and practice. The inclusion of practitioner perspectives from financial services provides unique insights into real-world EA challenges and solutions.