Function modelling is one of the most versatile and underused techniques in enterprise architecture — a hierarchical decomposition from mission to activities that brings clarity to scope, responsibility, and design. This white paper introduces function modelling and shows how it connects to goal modelling, process analysis, service design, and capability definition, providing a unified picture of how these paradigms relate and reinforce each other. It is a practical guide for architects, analysts, and anyone trying to make sense of what an organisation does and how to design what it should do next.
Understanding and Improving Your Value Chain: A Practical Guide for Enterprise Architects
Value chain analysis is one of the most powerful starting points in enterprise architecture and business process improvement — but getting real analytical value from it requires going well beyond a Porter diagram on a whiteboard. This white paper covers the full value chain toolkit: core concepts, reference models (including SCOR and VRM), a structured approach to documenting and analysing each value chain step, and a practical framework for deciding between incremental improvement and radical redesign. It is a hands-on reference for architects and business analysts working on process improvement, operating model design, or strategic transformation.
Brief Introduction to Domain Modeling
A domain model is a high-level, logical view of the concepts and relationships that matter to an organisation — a shared map of the information landscape that cuts across business units, applications, and technical environments. This introductory white paper explains what domain models are for, how to read and construct them using a clear notation derived from UML, and how to enrich them with metadata to support data governance, security policy, integration planning, and project scoping. It is a concise, accessible reference for architects, analysts, and anyone working to establish shared understanding of business information across an enterprise.
Beyond UML: A Practical Method for Delivering Commercial Software Systems
UML brought valuable standardisation to object-oriented analysis and design, but leaves critical gaps: no standard process, weak dynamic modelling, and little architectural guidance for building flexible, maintainable systems. This book presents the Inspired Method — developed and refined over decades of commercial practice — as a comprehensive alternative covering the full lifecycle from business analysis through design, architecture, and delivery. It is aimed at developers and analysts building multi-user, database-backed commercial applications who need a rigorous yet accessible approach that actually works in practice.