What is Information Engineering?

To pursue the goal of enterprise computing, organizations need both information systems architecture and a methodology that supports developing that architecture. Information engineering is a formal methodology that is used to create and maintain information systems. It is top-down methodologies that starts with business models and then supports the building of data models and process models that link to and support the business models.
The methodology is enterprise-wide in scope in contrast with most IS development methodologies, which tend to deal with only one application or organizational subunit at a time. The information engineering is data-driven. I believe this approach is appropriate since it is logical to determine the “what” before the “how” in systems design. Information engineering, however, does include process models, and results in a balanced approach.
The information engineering is compatible with the information systems architecture framework. Information engineering addresses all of the cells in the data and process columns of the framework. (I am not aware of any general IS methodology that addresses the network column at the present time)