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Phase B – Business Architecture

The main objective of Phase B or the Business Architecture Phase is to develop the business architecture that will describe how the enterprise or organisation will need to function in order to reach the business goals that have been specified.

In addition, another objective is to identify the candidate architecture road-map components which are based on any gaps between the target business architectures and the baseline business architectures.

Other key objectives pertaining to Phase B or the Business Architecture Phase are:

  • Elicit any business requirements and identify any existing material that may be able to be reused.
  • To demonstrate to stakeholders the business value of any subsequent work and what return on investment they should expect to see.
  • Describe the baseline Business Architecture
  • Analyse any gaps between the Target Business Architecture and the Baseline Business Architecture.
  • Identify and develop the architecture viewpoints that are relevant.
  • Demonstrate how end stakeholder requirements and concerns are addressed in the Business Architecture
  • Identify and select any techniques and tools that are relevant and can be utilised within the selected viewpoints
  • Identify any existing architecture definitions that may be able to be used as a starting point when creating the architecture

The key aspects when approaching the Business Architecture Phase are:

Approach one -The most common approach

  • An architect must understand that the extent of work in the Business Architecture Phase will directly depend on the the enterprise environment. It is important to be aware that in some instances important elements pertaining to the Business Architecture may be completed within other activities
  • Where the key element may be completed in other activities the architect may be required to verify and update any current or ongoing business plans and strategies. In addition there may be the requirement for the architect to connect between business strategies, business drivers (At a high level) and goals on one-hand and the specific requirements of the business on the other.
  • Where none or a small amount of Business Architecture work has been completed the architect must analyse and research, verify and achieve buy-in to the main business objectives and processes that the architecture must support.

A secondary approach

Establishing the Baseline Description

Where the business has existing descriptions of the architecture. In this scenario, then these descriptions should form the basis for the Baseline Description. Where no architecture descriptions exists, then information should be obtained and the relevant Business Architecture Models developed.

Implementing Business Capabilities

Use the the business capability map that was either found or developed during the Architecture Vision phase. The business capability map should provide a self contained overview of the current business or enterprise organisational structure, IT systems, applications and any other business processes.

A third approach

Using the organisation map – An organisation map displays any key organisational partners, units and stakeholder groups the form the ecosystem of the enterprise or organisation. The organisation map should also display any working relationships between these entities.

Mapping and modelling techniques which may be provided are extensions that will implement the business capabilities, organisational maps and any value streams into actual business practice.

In addition to any value streams, business capabilities and organisational maps a assortment of other techniques may be employed. These techniques may be Class Models, Use-Case Models and Business Process Models (Commonly referred to as Activity Models).