Several domain-specific frameworks and bodies-of-knowledge formalise themselves as a coherent set of related processes/value-streams/functions/services/capabilities. Examples: CoBIT, ITIL, IT4IT, eTOM, SCOR, etc.
A normal question from the #entarch viewpoint to those frameworks & bodies-of-knowledge and any process models as well is the following – how to check that a proposed set of processes/functions/services/capabilities/etc. is solid or complete (i.e. having all the necessary or appropriate parts)?
I found practical the following cross-check mapping:
- List all the processes from the process-set in focus
- List all the primary artefacts in the domain of the process-set in focus
- Make a matrix – processes (rows) vs primary artefacts (columns)
- Check that all the primary artefacts are involved in this process-set (no empty columns)
- Check that any process uses at least one of the primary artefacts (no empty rows)
Below is a cross-check mapping for my own collection of IT value-streams.
And, below is a cross-check mapping for a set of value-streams (based on their data flow diagram) from of the IT initiatives. As we see there are some “holes”.
If necessary, a deeper analysis can be carried out:
- Processes can be decomposed in to main activities
- Values-streams can be decomposed into their stages
- Artefacts can be presented by phases of their life cycles
AS
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