Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
that capture how EA models are designed and used. The question we address is, there-
fore, the following:
What are the operations on EA models following an artificial
ontology view?
The key contribution of our work is the development of these opera-
tions building on the ontology of the artificial (March and Allen 2007).
2 Conceptual Models and Modeling for Enterprise Architecture
Received wisdom for conceptual modeling for information systems (Wand and Weber
1990) builds on Bunge's (1977) ontology. It posits that conceptual models must show
fidelity against the real-world they represent (Wand and Weber 2002). In contrast, EA
practitioners use models for different purposes. Table 1 below summarizes the differ-
ences and Figure 1 outlines how EA models are used.
Table 1.
Conceptual Models for Enterprise Architecture vs. Software
Concern
Enterprise Architecture
Software Applications
What
The underlying logic of a business
Structure and functionality of software
When
Often
post-facto
, after a business
model is in place in the organization
Typically prior to the (detailed) design
and implementation of software
How
A reflection of the architecture as it
exists, and a vision of a desired state
Often based on the intended software
implementation
Who
Provides a decision vehicle and
what-if model for decision-makers
Translates user requirements into
designs for software developers
Use
A communication mechanism to
effect change
Produce a functional software that meets
the requirements
Life cycle
Moving from extension to intension,
effecting change in both
Moving from intension to extension in
spite of round-trip engineering
Abstraction
Explicit use and instantiation from
frameworks with multiple models
Implicit re-use of the ontology or
domain models during design
Intended Outcome
:
• Towards greater
stakeholder
consensus and
commitment to
change
Concerns
:
• Discovery of
concepts
• Ongoing
stakeholder
communication
• Appropriate use
of constructs
• Ongoing
refinement
Conceptual
Model(s)
Slice of Reality
and
Human inventions as
part of a techno-
organizational system
Overarching Goal
:
• Making
architecture visible
and effecting
organizational
change
Fig. 1.
Conceptual models and modeling for
Enterprise Architecture
