Enterprise architecture portfolio meta model

Enterprise Architecture Portfolio Model Concepts

Overview

The AppFaktors Enterprise Architecture Portfolio Model provides a comprehensive framework for organizing and managing enterprise architecture artifacts across four key layers: Strategy, Business, Application & Data, and Technology. This model ensures alignment between business objectives and technology implementation while maintaining clear relationships and dependencies across all architectural domains.

Model Architecture

Four-Layer Framework

The model is structured as a vertical stack with clear relationships and dependencies:

Strategy Layer (Top) - Strategic direction and objectives
Business Layer - Business processes and services
Application & Data Layer - Applications and information assets
Technology Layer (Bottom) - Technical infrastructure and deployment

Layer Descriptions

1. Strategy Layer

Purpose: Defines the strategic direction and business objectives that drive architectural decisions.

Components

Business Objectives

Definition: High-level organizational goals and strategic priorities
Role: Provides strategic direction for all architectural decisions
Relationship: "Applied to" Value Streams to ensure strategic alignment

Value Stream

Definition: End-to-end series of activities that deliver value to customers
Role: Translates business objectives into operational capabilities
Relationship: "Enabled by" Business Capabilities

Key Relationships

Business Objectives → Value Stream: Strategic goals are applied to value creation processes
Value Stream → Business Capability: Value delivery is enabled by specific business capabilities

2. Business Layer

Purpose: Represents the business architecture including processes, services, and operational structure.

Components

Business Process

Definition: Structured activities and workflows that accomplish business objectives
Role: Operational implementation of business capabilities
Relationship: "Operationalized by" Business Services

Business Service

Definition: Discrete business functions that support business processes
Role: Modular business functionality that can be composed and reused
Relationship: "Contains" Business Offerings

Business Offering

Definition: Products or services delivered to customers or stakeholders
Role: Value delivery mechanism to end customers
Relationship: "Provides" Business Data

Key Relationships

Business Process ↔ Business Service: Processes are operationalized by services
Business Service → Business Offering: Services contain specific offerings
Business Capability → Business Process: Capabilities depend on processes for execution

3. Application & Data Layer

Purpose: Manages application portfolio and information architecture supporting business operations.

Components

Technical Capability

Definition: Reusable technical functions that support business operations
Role: Bridge between business requirements and technical implementation
Relationship: "Depends on" Business Applications for implementation

Business Application

Definition: Software systems that support business processes and capabilities
Role: Central orchestrator of technical capabilities and data
Relationships:
- "Applied to" from Business Capabilities
- "Provided by" to Business Capabilities
- "Uses" Business Data

Business Data

Definition: Information assets and data structures used by applications
Role: Information foundation supporting business operations
Relationship: "Provides" data to the Business layer

Key Relationships

Business Capability ↔ Business Application: Bidirectional support relationship
Business Application → Business Data: Applications use and manage data
Technical Capability ← Business Application: Applications depend on technical capabilities

4. Technology Layer

Purpose: Provides the technical foundation and infrastructure for application deployment and operation.

Core Components

Architecture

Definition: Architectural patterns and designs for system implementation
Role: Design blueprint for technical implementation
Relationships: "Designed using" and connected to deployment components

Component (Planned)

Definition: Logical architectural components in design phase
Role: Planned technical elements before deployment
Relationship: "Delivers" technical capabilities

Component (Deployed)

Definition: Physical implementation of planned components
Role: Runtime technical elements
Relationship: "Realized by" vendor products

Tech Capability

Definition: Technical functions provided by deployed components
Role: Foundational technical services
Relationship: "Realized by" deployed components

Vendor Product

Definition: Commercial or open-source products used in implementation
Role: Actual technology products and tools
Relationship: "Realizes" deployed components

System Architecture Detail

System of Systems

Multi-layered architecture showing system composition
Information System: Contains individual systems with interfaces and components
System Components: API, Process, Application, Function layers
Platform Layer: Foundational services and data management
Infrastructure: Physical and virtual infrastructure components

External System

Systems outside organizational boundary
Integration points and external dependencies

Deployment Architecture

Deployment Environment

Application Workload: Categorized by deployment type
- Deployed Software: Applications, Functions, External Systems
- Deployed Middleware: Platforms, Datastores
- Hardware: Infrastructure (Physical or Virtual)
- Management Tools: Operations, SMS Systems, OPS Tools

Runtime Model Categories:

Serverless: Event-driven, scalable functions
External Systems: Third-party integrations
SaaS: Software-as-a-Service solutions
Management and Monitoring Tools: Operational support systems

Model Relationships and Dependencies

Vertical Alignment

Top-Down: Strategic objectives drive business design, which influences application selection and technology choices
Bottom-Up: Technology capabilities enable application features, which support business processes and strategic goals

Horizontal Integration

Within Strategy: Business objectives align with value streams
Within Business: Processes, services, and offerings work together
Within Application: Applications, capabilities, and data integrate seamlessly
Within Technology: Components, products, and deployment models coordinate

Cross-Layer Dependencies

Strategy → Business

Business objectives applied to value streams
Value streams enabled by business capabilities

Business → Application

Business capabilities applied to and provided by applications
Business processes depend on technical capabilities

Application → Technology

Applications designed using architectures
Technical capabilities realized by deployed components

Using the Model

For Enterprise Architects

Portfolio Planning

Start with Business Objectives in Strategy layer
Map Value Streams and required Business Capabilities
Identify supporting Business Applications and Data requirements
Design appropriate Technology Architecture and Deployment models

Impact Analysis

Trace relationships up and down the model to understand change impacts
Use dependency mapping to identify affected components
Assess alignment between strategy and implementation

For Solution Architects

System Design

Reference Business Capabilities to understand requirements
Design Application and Data architecture
Select appropriate Technology Components and Vendor Products
Plan Deployment architecture and Runtime models

Integration Planning

Map External Systems and integration points
Design Component interactions and dependencies
Plan Tech Capability delivery through Vendor Products

For Technology Teams

Implementation Guidance

Understand Business Application requirements
Select appropriate Vendor Products and Tech Capabilities
Design Deployment architecture with proper runtime models
Implement Component architecture with required capabilities

Operations Planning

Use Deployment model for operational planning
Reference Management and Monitoring Tools requirements
Plan Infrastructure (Physical or Virtual) capacity

Best Practices

Model Governance

Consistency: Maintain consistent relationships across all layers
Traceability: Ensure clear traceability from strategy to implementation
Validation: Regularly validate model against actual implementation

Portfolio Management

Alignment: Verify strategic alignment through the model layers
Optimization: Identify optimization opportunities through dependency analysis
Risk Management: Use model to assess impact of changes and risks

Architecture Development

Iterative Design: Use model to iterate between business and technical design
Reuse: Identify reusable components and capabilities across the model
Standards: Establish consistent patterns and standards within each layer

Integration with AppFaktors Reports

The Portfolio Model directly supports the reporting capabilities:

Technology Landscape Reports: Analyze Technology layer components and relationships
Application Portfolio: Assess Application & Data layer health and alignment
Capability Reports: Evaluate Business and Technical capability coverage
Architecture Reports: Monitor Technology layer implementation and compliance

Conclusion

The AppFaktors Enterprise Architecture Portfolio Model provides a comprehensive framework for managing the complexity of enterprise architecture. By organizing artifacts across Strategy, Business, Application & Data, and Technology layers with clear relationships, organizations can maintain alignment between business objectives and technical implementation while enabling effective governance and portfolio management.