What This Guide Covers
Business Architecture provides the structural foundation for understanding how the enterprise creates value. It connects strategy to execution through capabilities, value streams, organization, and information concepts. This guide focuses on practical, lightweight approaches aligned with TOGAF Business Architecture.
1. Business Architecture in TOGAF
TOGAF defines Business Architecture as the representation of business strategy, governance, organization, and key business processes. In practice, the most useful artifacts are:
- Business capability maps
- Value streams and value stream stages
- Organization mapping
- Information concepts
2. Capability Modeling
Capabilities describe what the business does — independent of processes, systems, or organizational structure. They provide a stable anchor for planning and prioritization.
- Define top-level capabilities (20–40 for an enterprise)
- Decompose into sub-capabilities where needed
- Use business-friendly naming
- Validate with stakeholders
3. Value Streams
Value streams describe how value is delivered to stakeholders. They connect strategy to capabilities and provide a powerful lens for prioritization.
- Identify key value streams (customer, partner, internal)
- Define value stream stages
- Map capabilities to each stage
4. Operating Model Alignment
Business Architecture supports operating model design by clarifying:
- Which capabilities are centralized vs. federated
- Which teams own which capabilities
- Where handoffs and dependencies exist
Downloadable Assets
- Capability Map Template (PDF)
- Value Stream Mapping Template (PDF)
- Capability-to-Value Stream Matrix (PDF)
- Operating Model Assessment Worksheet (PDF)