How to modelize the functional layer when using the French approach Urbanisation

Started by Martin Pagé, August 23, 2021, 15:00:55 PM

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Martin Pagé

Hello everyone,

Maybe I'm not the first one writing about this  8)

We would like to have your comments on how to modelize with ArchiMate the "functional layer". This layer comes from a French approach to EA called "Urbanisation du système d'information". I've searched the web, and so far, no satisfactory answers.

Usually, there are 3 functionnal levels, nested.
For instance, with ArchiSurance :
- high-level : functional area Production
- mid- : functional Claims area
- bottom- : functional Home claims area

Should we use :
- business function (nested to be easier to read) ?
- application function (nested to be easier to read) ?
- something else ?

We would like to avoid the ArchiMate element Capability, because we're going to do a (real) capability map. So to avoid confusion, we would like to avoid this element.

Any thoughts ? Thanks !
-

Jean-Baptiste Sarrodie

Hi,

It is usually best to use the business layer with business functions. Using application functions would lead to modelling only activities that are supported by applications while it is also important (maybe even more) to keep track of acttivities that are still not supported by applications). Using business functions solves this. Note that the right link between application layer and business functions will be serving relationship (IT support business) and not realization (fully automated business activity... without humans).

Regards,

JB
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rchevallier

IMHO the "functional" layer in French Urbanism is flawed. It exists between the business layer and application layer, because the "Urbanism" approach was a IT driven initiative and not an Enterprise wide initiative. So IT needed a conceptual layer defined as they couldn't usually get the business layer described. I find the anglo-saxon EA approach and model (eg: Zachman) more meaningful and holistic

I suppose this is not for negotiation, so I'll suggest the following:

* Do you have a real business layer definition => Urbanism functional layer is the behavior of the Archimate Application layer (ie: Function, process and services)
* You don't have a business layer definition => use Archimate business layer for it. Keep the behavior component in Archimate Application layer to describe the application behaviour implementation where needed