Enterprise Architecture Modelling to Support Collaboration the Archimate Language As a Tool for Communication
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Enterprise Architecture modelling to support collaboration The ArchiMate language as a tool for communication Kurt Van der Veken 850834709 APRIL 2013 1 Enterprise Architecture modelling to support collaboration The ArchiMate language as a tool for communication Education: Business Process Management and IT Faculty: Computer Science Institute: Open Universiteit Commission board Executive examiner and first supervisor: dr. ir. F.J.M. Mofers (Frans) Second supervisor: dr. J.C.S.P. van der Woude (Jaap) Graduation coordinator: ir. H. Hofstee (Hans) Course: (T89317) Thesis Business Process Management and IT Student: 850834709 Booischot (Belgium), April 2013 2 Preface Few enterprises today have descriptive representations that depict how the enterprise works. Therefore, change can only be accommodated by trial and error. As complexity and the rate of change increase, risk of trial and error increases. Architecture provides the structure to predict the impact of change, reduce the risk and maintain enterprise viability in a changing environment. John Zachman This thesis has been submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of Master of Science in Business Process Management and IT (BPMIT). The BPMIT master program is an interfaculty master programme that combines courses from the faculty of Computer Science and the faculty of Management at the Open Universiteit Nederland (OU). I choose to graduate in the Enterprise Architecture discipline. The knowledge and insight obtained during the courses in the master program proved to be an excellent preparation for the graduation. Ever since I followed the course Information and Process Architecture in the master programme, I had a personal objective to get more skills and knowledge in the Enterprise Architecture discipline. By the practical experience gained by working in IT for more than a decade, I recognized the added value that architecture could bring to the business and IT. The selected subject for this thesis enhanced my academic view, helped meet my personal objective and is a subject that is applicable in the real world. The Enterprise Architecture modelling language ArchiMate, proved to be ideal to introduce architecture at a financial service provider. As the potential benefits to an enterprise become clear from the very beginning you start modelling views for business, application and technology and their relationships. I would like to thank Geoffrey Bohen for reviewing a draft of this thesis and for providing feedback and suggestions. I also want to thank the interviewees at the participating companies for taking time in their busy schedules to participate in interviews and to contribute to the creation of a model in ArchiMate. I also want to thank my supervisors Frans Mofers and Jaap van der Woude for coaching me and broadening my insight in scientific research. Their feedback kept me on track and provided me with new inspiration. And last but not least, I want to thank my wife An Hye, for creating the cover sketch and for supporting me in my ambition to get a relevant academic degree. Without her full support, it would have been impossible for me to combine my family, work and student life. 3 Contents Abstract ........................................................................................................ 7 1 Introduction ........................................................................................................ 9 1.1 Scope of the research ...................................................................................... 11 2 Problem statement and objective ....................................................................... 11 3 Theoretical point of departure for architecture modelling ................................ 12 3.1 Literature review research question ................................................................. 12 3.2 Strategy for the literature review ...................................................................... 12 3.2.1 Conceptual model ...................................................................................... 14 3.3 Enterprise Architecture description .................................................................. 15 3.3.1 The goal of Enterprise Architecture ........................................................... 17 3.3.2 Architecture products ................................................................................. 17 3.3.3 Architecture process .................................................................................. 18 3.4 Enterprise Architecture Modelling .................................................................... 19 3.4.1 EA modelling approach.............................................................................. 19 3.4.2 Modelling languages .................................................................................. 20 3.4.3 The ArchiMate language ............................................................................ 20 3.5 Shared understanding ...................................................................................... 22 3.6 Communication ................................................................................................ 23 3.7 Collaboration .................................................................................................... 23 3.8 Service provider ............................................................................................... 24 3.9 Shared understanding model ........................................................................... 25 4 Research design and approach .......................................................................... 26 4.1 Conceptual design ........................................................................................... 26 4.1.1 Can an organization support communication and collaboration by using Enterprise Architecture modelling? .......................................................................... 27 4.2 Technical design .............................................................................................. 28 4.2.1 Strategy ..................................................................................................... 28 4.2.2 Case study ................................................................................................. 29 4.2.3 Practitioner-researcher .............................................................................. 30 4.2.4 Research choice ........................................................................................ 30 4.2.5 Time horizon .............................................................................................. 30 4 4.2.6 Reliability an validity .................................................................................. 30 4.2.7 Access to data and ethical issues .............................................................. 31 4.2.8 Method....................................................................................................... 34 4.3 Material ............................................................................................................ 34 4.3.1 Secondary data ......................................................................................... 34 4.3.2 Primary data .............................................................................................. 35 4.3.3 Analysing the data ..................................................................................... 36 5 An empirical search on EA modelling and collaboration ................................. 38 5.1 Model ............................................................................................................... 38 5.2 Expectations..................................................................................................... 40 6 Results ...................................................................................................... 41 6.1 Results of interview round 1 ............................................................................. 41 6.1.1 Collaboration and shared understanding ................................................... 41 6.1.2 Communication and shared understanding ............................................... 42 6.1.3 Stakeholders and shared understanding ................................................... 44 6.1.4 Shared understanding of processes, systems and concerns ..................... 45 6.2 Modelling in ArchiMate ..................................................................................... 46 6.3 EA modelling comparison ................................................................................ 49 6.4 Results of interview round 2 ............................................................................. 50 6.4.1 Collaboration and shared understanding ................................................... 50 6.4.2 Communication and shared understanding ............................................... 50 6.4.3 Shared understanding of processes, systems and concerns ..................... 51 6.4.4 Stakeholders and shared understanding ................................................... 52 6.5 Summary of results .......................................................................................... 53 7 Conclusions and recommendations ................................................................... 54 7.1 ArchiMate as a tool for communication to support collaboration ...................... 55 7.2 Contribution to science and practice ...............................................................