Enterprise Architecture as a Strategic Blueprint: Enabling Sustainable ERP Implementation Through Alignment and Execution

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) implementations continue to face substantial challenges related to strategic misalignment, scope creep, and systemic inefficiencies often resulting from inadequate architectural foresight. This paper examines the role of Enterprise Architecture (EA) as a strategic and operational enabler that bridges the gap between organizational objectives and ERP execution. Drawing upon architectural frameworks, capability-based planning principles, and case-informed insights, the study conceptualizes EA not merely as a documentation mechanism, but as a governance-oriented discipline that facilitates traceable alignment between business processes, information systems, and technology infrastructure. The paper articulates how EA frameworks contribute to ERP success by promoting standardization, minimizing unnecessary customization, and enabling phased implementation models that accommodate evolving business contexts. In doing so, it positions EA as a foundational scaffold for de-risking ERP deployments and sustaining enterprise agility. The findings underscore the importance of embedding EA early in the transformation lifecycle to ensure that ERP systems are not implemented in isolation, but rather as integrated components of a coherent enterprise design.