An Intentional Perspective on Enterprise Modeling - Intentional Perspectives on Information Systems Engineering - page 215

3.1 The EKD Modeling Language
The EKD modeling language consists of six sub-models: Goals Model (GM),
Business Rules Model (BRM), Concepts Model (CM), Business Process Model
(BPM), Actors and Resources Model (ARM), as well as Technical Components
and Requirements Model (TCRM). Each sub-model focuses on a specific aspect of
an organization (see Table 1) .
The GM focuses on describing the goals of the enterprise - what the enterprise
and its employees want to achieve, or to avoid, and why. The GM usually clar-
ifies questions, such as: where should the organization be moving; what are the
goals of the organization; what are the importance, criticality, and priorities of these
goals; how are goals related to each other; which problems hinder the achievement
of goals?
Figure 2 depicts a fragment of an EKD enterprise model with its sub-models.
Inter-model relationships are depicted by an arrow and a verb that is meant to
facilitate the understanding of the relationship between the components.
The BRM is used to define and maintain explicitly formulated business rules,
consistent with the GM. Business Rules may be seen as operationalization or lim-
its of goals. The BRM usually clarifies questions, such as: which rules affect the
organization's goals; are there any policies stated; how is a business rule related to
a goal; how can goals be supported by rules?
The CM is used to strictly define the “things” and “phenomena” that are
addressed in the other models. The CM usually clarifies questions, such as: what
concepts are recognized in the enterprise; which are their relationships to goals,
activities, processes, and actors; how are they defined; what business rules and
constraints monitor these objects and concepts?
The BPM is used to define enterprise processes, the way they interact and the
way they handle information as well as material. A business process is assumed
to consume input in terms of information and/or material and produce output of
information and/or material. In general, the BPM is similar to what is used in tra-
ditional data-flow diagram models. The BPM usually clarifies questions, such as:
which business activities and processes are present in the organization, or should
be there to manage the organization in agreement with its goals? How should the
business processes, tasks, etc. be performed? Which are their information needs?
The ARM is used to describe how different actors and resources are related
to each other and how they are related to components of the GM and BPM. For
instance, an actor may be responsible for a particular process in the BPM or an
actor may pursue a particular goal in the GM. The ARM usually clarifies questions,
such as: who is/should carry out which processes and sub-processes; how is the
reporting and responsibility structure between actors defined?
The TCRM becomes relevant when the purpose of EKD is to aid in defining
requirements for the development of an IS. This sub-model focuses on the technical
aspects of the IS, such as high level requirements and sub-systems, that are needed to
support enterprise's goals, processes, and actors. The TCRM usually clarifies ques-
tions, such as: what are the requirements for the information system to be developed;