A method to define an Enterprise Architecture using the Zachman Framework

Abstract

The proliferation of IT and its consequent dispersion is an enterprise reality, however, most organizations do not have adequate tools and/or methodologies that enable the management and coordination of their Information Systems. The Zachman Framework provides a structured way for any organization to acquire the necessary knowledge about itself with respect to the Enterprise Architecture. Zachman proposes a logical structure for classifying and organizing the descriptive representations of an enterprise, in different dimensions, and each dimension can be perceived in different perspectives.In this paper, we propose a method for achieving an Enterprise Architecture Framework, based on the Zachman Framework Business and IS perspectives, that defines the several artifacts for each cell, and a method which defines the sequence of filling up each cell in a top-down and incremental approach. We also present a tool developed for the purpose of supporting the Zachman Framework concepts. The tool: (i) behaves as an information repository for the framework's concepts; (ii) produces the proposed artifacts that represent each cell contents, (iii) allows multi-dimensional analysis among cell's elements, which is concerned with perspectives (rows) and/or dimensions (columns) dependency; and (iv) finally, evaluate the integrity, dependency and, business and information systems alignment level, through the answers defined for each framework dimension.

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