You make some interesting points Steve. As a consultant I take those architecture principles to my clients, and often it's the only way to maintain control of a big BI project. But there's always a need for vision and creativity. Those who only go by the book tend to produce a lesser result, even if it's a really good book. I would say that a consultant or employee who is 25% visionary but abides by a strong methodology 75% of the time has an ideal approach for the type of work we do.