Guiding IT Growth and Sustaining Performance in SMEs Through Enterprise Architecture and Information Management: A Systematic Review

Andiso Pingilili, Ntebele Letsie, Gift Nzimande, Bonginkosi Thango () and Lerato Matshaka
Additional contact information
Andiso Pingilili: Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technology, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg 2092, South Africa
Ntebele Letsie: Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technology, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg 2092, South Africa
Gift Nzimande: Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technology, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg 2092, South Africa
Bonginkosi Thango: Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technology, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg 2092, South Africa
Lerato Matshaka: Department of Nursing, Medical and Surgical Nursing, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg 2092, South Africa

Businesses, 2025, vol. 5, issue 2, 1-52

Abstract: In today’s fast-paced technological landscape, businesses must adapt to evolving business models and harness the power of data to thrive. Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) face significant challenges in aligning IT infrastructure with business objectives while navigating digital transformation. This systematic review, conducted using PRISMA 2020 guidelines, investigates the role of Enterprise Architecture (EA) and Information Management (IM) in driving IT growth and sustaining competitive performance in SMEs. Through a synthesis of academic research, industry analysis, and case studies from the last decade, this review identifies key frameworks—such as TOGAF, Zachman, and FEAF—that support the alignment of IT capabilities with organizational goals. The integration of IM within EA frameworks is found to enhance decision-making, resource allocation, and operational efficiency. Emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and cloud computing are highlighted for their transformative impact, enabling real-time data analysis, improved scalability, and enhanced agility. Our review reports that 43.44% of the studies focused on cloud-based solutions, while 24.59% adopted hybrid models, offering SMEs scalable and flexible IT infrastructures. The findings emphasize the necessity of strong governance frameworks to ensure compliance, adaptability, and long-term sustainability in a dynamic environment. This research contributes to a comprehensive roadmap for SMEs, enabling them to leverage EA and IM for sustained growth and competitive advantage in the digital era.

Keywords: enterprise architecture; information management; sustainability; growth; performance (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A1 D0 D4 D6 D7 D8 D9 E0 E2 E3 E4 E5 E6 E7 F0 F2 F3 F4 F5 F6 G0 G1 G2 H0 J0 K2 L0 L1 L2 M0 M1 M2 M3 M4 M5 N0 N1 N2 O0 O1 P0 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2673-7116/5/2/17/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2673-7116/5/2/17/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jbusin:v:5:y:2025:i:2:p:17-:d:1632956

Access Statistics for this article

Businesses is currently edited by Dr. Patrick Han

More articles in Businesses from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().