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Software Architecture Guide

Business Architecture Artifact

Explanation

Section titled “Explanation”

Business architecture artifacts are diagrams and lists that show how a business works. Each answers a different question. Together they give architects and business people a shared picture. For related ideas, see the articles Business Architecture and Business Capability Map.

Strategy map. A strategy map shows strategy as linked objectives. They sit in four balanced scorecard perspectives. Financial and customer objectives are the outcomes the organization wants. The links are causal, so managers can test whether the theory behind the strategy holds.

Capability map. A business capability describes what the business can do. It leaves out people, process, data and technology. The map groups capabilities into levels. It can also show which applications support them.

Capabilities versus processes. A process is a sequence of activities that produces a result of value for consumers. A capability says nothing about how things are done. Teams, processes and applications work together to deliver a capability.

Value stream diagram. This is a specific artifact type. It usually leaves out control logic and exception paths.

Customer journey map. It shows the process a person follows to reach a goal. Phases are high-level stages, and they vary by scenario. An emotion line across the phases shows where users are delighted or frustrated.

Organization. In BIZBOK, an Organization and a Business Unit map to the ArchiMate Business Actor. Business architecture also uses ArchiMate business, strategy and motivation elements.

Linking to IT. Architects connect applications to capabilities. This shows the business value of IT and supports portfolio decisions. A heat map colors capabilities by a criterion such as maturity. It reveals critical capabilities with the biggest gaps.

Example

Section titled “Example”

A regional retailer draws a strategy map. One customer objective is faster delivery. It then draws a capability map with a capability called “Order Fulfillment” and marks the applications that support it. A heat map colors that capability red because its maturity is low. The team now sees where to focus software work.

Trade-offs

Section titled “Trade-offs”

Each artifact shows only one angle. A capability map says nothing about how work is done, and a value stream diagram usually omits control logic and exceptions. Readers need several artifacts, and need to know which one answers their question.

How business artifacts link strategy to capabilities and applications.

Diagram source 
flowchart LR
  S[Strategy map: goals] --> C[Capability map]
  C --> P[Processes]
  C --> A[Applications]
  H[Heat map] -.colors.-> C

Checks

Section titled “Checks”
  • Capabilities are described without people, process, data or technology, and are kept separate from processes.
  • Applications are linked to the capabilities they support.
  • Heat maps color capabilities by a stated criterion such as maturity.
  • Strategy map objectives are linked causally across the four perspectives.
Section titled “Related”

Sources

Section titled “Sources”