Business Architecture Simplified and Differentiated

What Is Business Architecture?
Business Architecture Simplified
and Differentiated
White Paper
June 2018
Whynde Kuehn, Senior Consultant, Cutter Consortium

Cutter Consortium
37 Broadway, Arlington, MA 02474-5552
Tel: +1 781 648 8700; Fax: +1 781 648 8707

What Is Business Architecture? Business Architecture Simplified and Differentiated

June 2018

Table of Contents
Introduction ................ ... See more

................................................................................................................ 3
What Business Architecture Is ................................................................................................... 4
How Is Business Architecture Defined? .............................................................................. 4
What Is the Scope of Business Architecture? ...................................................................... 5
How Is Business Architecture Built and Used? .................................................................. 8
Distinguishing Characteristics of Business Architecture ...................................................... 13
Business Architecture in Context ............................................................................................ 14
How Does Business Architecture Fit Within Enterprise Architecture? ......................... 14
How Does Business (and Enterprise) Architecture Fit Within Strategy Execution? .... 15
What Business Architecture Is Not .......................................................................................... 17
Moving into Action ................................................................................................................... 21
About the Author ...................................................................................................................... 22
About Cutter Consortium ........................................................................................................ 23

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Audience
This Cutter Consortium white paper is primarily designed for business architecture
practice leaders and business architecture practitioners. It is also helpful for executives
(or any other business or IT roles) who would like to gain a more in-depth understanding
of what business architecture is and is not.

At a Glance
•

The scope of business architecture is defined by an industry standard set
of core and extended domains. If a concept is not represented by one of the
domains in the ecosystem from the BIZBOK® Guide (shown in Figure 1 of this
white paper), it is outside the scope of business architecture.

•

Business architecture is captured in a reusable knowledgebase. Blueprints are
generated from it to support various business scenarios and decision making.
While a minimum baseline of business architecture is necessary to effectively
apply it in practice, a knowledgebase can be built and refined over time. In the
end, the emphasis should always be on applying business architecture versus
building it.

•

Business architecture has some unique characteristics that distinguish it from
other disciplines. Business architecture has an enterprise scope, is created at a
high level of detail, and is a reusable asset.

•

Business architecture (as a part of enterprise architecture) is the bridge
between strategy and execution. Architecture is not yet formalized as part
of strategy execution in many organizations. However, when in place, it
enables a truly business-focused, top-down, and cross–business unit approach
to designing, planning, and executing change initiatives. To fully leverage its
value, architecture should be positioned appropriately within an organization’s
strategy execution lifecycle.

•

When scoped and positioned correctly, business architecture does not overlap
with any other teams — in fact, it helps them operate more effectively. There
is always mutual benefit when teams work together. When clear boundaries are
drawn, business architecture is much more likely to be adopted, valued, and
sustained.

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Introduction
Many great minds, organizations, and professional associations have worked to
establish the concept of business architecture. While business architecture owes its
roots to many different people and techniques over the years, it started to formalize as
a discipline around 2010, driven by the Business Architecture Guild®. There is now an
established body of knowledge, certification, and an accredited training program, as
well as events and communities all over the world, supported by a growing market of
professional associations, research analysts, and organizations that offer related services
and tools. It’s catching on faster and wider than ever as new organizations, industries,
and countries engage.
Even though a fair amount of formalization has taken place, confusion still exists about
what business architecture is and is not. Sorting through the myriad content available
on the topic requires precious time and effort to piece it all together — time that could be
spent practicing business architecture and advancing the discipline.
One of the first and pivotal activities that occurred with formalization was to define
business architecture and its scope. This harmonized the existing perspectives and drew
clear boundaries delineating what business architecture was and was not. It is important
to note that the resulting definitions were not one person’s or one organization’s theory
of what business architecture is, but rather a reflection of what the global community
of business architecture practitioners believes.1 While some debate and differing
opinions currently exist related to what is right and wrong, there is what works —
and the definitions have stood the test of time in practice.
As a result, this Cutter Consortium white paper aims to distill what business
architecture is, piece by piece, using the established business architecture body of
knowledge, the BIZBOK® Guide, as its basis. It is grounded in business-focused
perspective and experience and addresses many of the typical questions and
misconceptions that exist around business architecture.
This white paper is sharply focused on providing clarity for the business architecture
concept and its scope because this is foundational for more advanced dialogue and
usage. Its ultimate goal is to provide another perspective that can shed additional
insights on what business architecture is and is not, allowing business architecture
leaders, practitioners, and consumers to spend their precious time applying the practice
versus rediscovering it. This clarity can help new business architects get up to speed
more quickly, help colleagues working in related functions and disciplines to see how
business architecture strengthens — not competes with — what they do, and allow the

1

This is reflective of the member-driven, collaborative team structure used by the Business Architecture
Guild to develop and refine the body of knowledge, which is called A Guide to the Business Architecture Body
of Knowledge® (BIZBOK® Guide).

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global community of architecture practitioners to accelerate progress and advance the
discipline together.

What Business Architecture Is
A clear, industry-wide definition of business architecture must serve as the starting
point for understanding and evolving business architecture. While there have
been a variety of definitions suggested over the years, collaborative efforts across
architecture disciplines have resulted in a solid definition that can be adopted.

How Is Business Architecture Defined?
According to the Federation of Enterprise Architecture Professional Organizations
(FEAPO), business architecture is defined as follows:
Business architecture represents holistic, multidimensional business views of: capabilities,
end-to-end value delivery, information, and organizational structure; and the relationships
among these business views and strategies, products, policies, initiatives, and stakeholders. 2
This definition represents agreement among all architecture disciplines and clearly
defines exactly what business architecture is. Many previous definitions of business
architecture, including the one used by the Business Architecture Guild, contained
common ideas such as referring to business architecture as a blueprint (to be discussed
later in this paper), as a way to facilitate common understanding, and with the purpose
of bridging strategy and execution. The value of business architecture has been a source
of much discussion and some definitions of business architecture became obscured as a
result. However, as the FEAPO definition cleanly communicates, business architecture
is indeed a specific collection of information — a “thing” — though the real potential is
in how it can be leveraged in business decision making and a variety of scenarios.
The value of business architecture is a broader topic covered in other papers3 and case
studies; however, it is generally recognized that the heart of the value proposition is in
the ability to translate business strategy into plans and business and IT execution, in a

2

Prior to the existence of this definition (adopted on 14 January 2017), the Business Architecture Guild used
the following: “Business architecture is a blueprint of the enterprise that provides a common understanding
of the organization and is used to align strategic objectives and tactical demands.”
3

For example, see: Kuehn, Whynde. “The Value of Business Architecture.” White paper, S2E Consulting
Inc., March 2017.

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coordinated way across business units. The Business Architecture Guild defines the
value of business architecture as follows:
The value of business architecture is to provide an abstract representation of an enterprise
and the business ecosystem in which it operates. By doing so, business architecture delivers
value as an effective communication and analytical framework for translating strategy
into actionable initiatives. The framework also enhances the enterprise’s capacity to enact
transformational change, navigate complexity, reduce risk, make more informed decisions,
align diverse stakeholders to a shared vision of the future, and leverage technology more
effectively.4

What Is the Scope of Business Architecture?
The scope of what business architecture represents is shown in Figure 1.5 Each box
represents a different business domain. The four core domains are shown in the center,
and include capabilities, value streams, organization, and information. In particular,
capabilities and value streams form the foundation of an organization’s business
architecture, providing the key lens and connection point into the rest of the business
architecture domains as well as other related domains (e.g., system applications).
Capabilities show a “business at rest,” while value streams show a “business in motion.”
Value streams provide the context for capabilities, showing where they are used to
provide business value.
The extended domains are shown in the outer circle. The extended domains capture
additional perspectives, such as an organization’s products and stakeholders. They
also capture the information necessary to trace strategies through to the initiatives that
implement them, connecting through the core business architecture domains in between.
The business architecture domains, and the relationships made between them, provide
a tremendous range of options for analyzing an organization in support of various
business questions and scenarios.

4

From BIZBOK Guide, Part 1.

5

This figure has been visually redesigned, but the content is from Figure 1.1 of the BIZBOK Guide.

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Figure 1: Business Architecture’s Representation of the Business Ecosystem.

A description for each business architecture domain is below. Definitions sourced from
the BIZBOK Guide are indicated.
Domain

Description

Capability

A particular ability or capacity that a business may possess or exchange to achieve a specific
purpose or outcome. (BIZBOK Guide)
Capabilities define “what” an organization does at progressively lower levels of detail,
usually not to exceed more than six levels. An organization typically has one enterprise
capability map that encompasses the entire scope of its ecosystem, except in special cases
such as for a conglomerate.

Value Stream

An end-to-end collection of activities that create a result for a customer, who may be the
ultimate customer or an internal end user of the value stream. (BIZBOK Guide)
Value streams are product- and business unit–agnostic, and their scope usually crosses
more than one business unit. Organizations typically have one to two dozen value streams,
though there may be more for those with complex business models.

Organization

The key component that is mapped and related to other domains (e.g., capabilities, policies)
is the business unit.
Organization: A social unit of people, systematically structured and managed to meet a
need or to pursue collective goals on a continuing basis. (BIZBOK Guide)
Business Unit: A logical element or segment of a company (such as accounting, production,
marketing) representing a specific business function, and a definite place on the organizational chart, under the domain of a manager. Also called department, division, or functional
area. (BIZBOK Guide)

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Domain

Description

Information

The key component that is mapped is the information concept. Information concepts are
the nouns of the business (e.g., customer, product) and can be related to each other or to
other domains (e.g., capabilities). Information concepts provide the vocabulary used by the
rest of the business architecture.
Information: Data that has been verified to be accurate and timely, is specific and organized
for a purpose, is presented within a context that gives it meaning and relevance, and that
can lead to an increase in understanding and decrease in uncertainty. (BIZBOK Guide)
Information Concept: A way in which to represent business terms and semantics within the
context of business architecture. (BIZBOK Guide)

Vision, Strategies,
and Tactics

Visions, strategies, and tactics provide the business direction necessary to operate and
enact change. The key component that is mapped and related to other domains (e.g.,
capabilities, value streams) is the objective.
Strategy: The pattern or plan that integrates an organization’s major goals, policies, and
action sequences into a cohesive whole. (BIZBOK Guide)
Tactic: A course of action that represents part of the detailing of strategies. (BIZBOK Guide)
Objective: A quantitative, measurable result that defines strategy. (BIZBOK Guide)

Policy, Rules,
Regulations

A course or principle of action adopted or proposed by a government, party, business, or
individual. (BIZBOK Guide)
Policies include both external perspectives (e.g., regulations) as well as internal ones (e.g.,
internal policies or business rules).

Stakeholders

An internal or external individual or organization with a vested interest in achieving value
through a particular outcome. (BIZBOK Guide)
Stakeholders in business architecture are mapped at a higher level of detail compared to
typical role definitions.

Products and
Services

Product: The overall experience provided by the combination of goods and services to
satisfy the customer’s needs. (BIZBOK Guide)
Service: Intangible service products such as accounting, banking, cleaning, consultancy,
education, insurance, expertise, medical treatment, or transportation. (BIZBOK Guide)
Organizations frequently use the term “product” to encompass both products and services.

Metrics and
Measures

Measure: A number or quantity that records a directly observable value or performance.
(BIZBOK Guide)
Metric: A standard of measurement by which efficiency, performance, progress, or quality
of a plan, process, or product can be assessed. (BIZBOK Guide)
When related to objectives, capabilities, value streams, and initiatives, metrics/measures
can be used to assess business performance and initiative results. Business architecture also
contributes additional metrics to capture various aspects of effectiveness for capabilities
and value streams.

Decisions
and Events

Event: Occurrence happening at a determinable time and place, with or without the
participation of human agents. (BIZBOK Guide)
The dynamic rule-based routing maps referenced in the BIZBOK Guide (related to case
management) provide a key decision and event structure.

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Domain

Description

Initiatives
and Projects

For simplicity, the BIZBOK Guide uses initiative to encompass all concepts including
programs, projects, etc. When changes are needed to any aspect of the business
architecture, they are delivered through initiatives.
Initiative: A course of action that is being executed or has been selected for execution.
(BIZBOK Guide)
Project: A temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product or service. (BIZBOK
Guide)

How Is Business Architecture Built and Used?
Some background on how the business architecture domains discussed above are
actually captured and used provides additional insights about the nature of business
architecture.

Building Business Architecture
Every organization has a business architecture. It may not be written down in an
industry standard format or designed intentionally in all cases, but it exists. In
particular, the content for the core business architecture domains may or may not be
documented. These are typically the starting point when an organization decides to
start a new business architecture practice. The business architecture team works with
business subject matter experts to facilitate the creation of this content, often with an
initial focus on capabilities, value streams, and information. Content for the extended
business architecture domains typically already exists in different sources, but may
need to be adjusted in format or level of detail before incorporating into the business
architecture. It is important to note that while the business architecture team may help
to document and “steward” the business architecture content in the knowledgebase, the
business “owns” it.
For each domain, the mapping process typically includes documenting domain names,
attributes, and relationships to both business architecture domains as well as other
domains. For example, when documenting capabilities, a list of capability names would
be identified (e.g., Customer Management, Product Management) along with the
attribute information for each (e.g., description). Each capability would be connected
to the relevant business units, value stream stages, products, and so forth, as well as
domains outside of business architecture such as system applications and business
processes.

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All of the business architecture content is stored in a knowledgebase.6 A knowledgebase should logically contain one enterprise view of the business architecture for the
whole organization, except in special cases (e.g., for a conglomerate). It should not be
fragmented by business units, projects, or any other segmentations, though of course
the relevant portion of the business architecture may be viewed for any scope. A
knowledgebase may be a set of Visio, Excel, and PowerPoint files, a lightweight business
architecture tool, a robust enterprise architecture tool, or any combination of tools. Most
organizations start with the Microsoft Office suite and then migrate to a lightweight
business architecture tool and then later to a more robust tool(s), typically selected
together with team members from the rest of the architecture disciplines.
Building a business architecture knowledgebase takes time and should be approached
strategically. The first step is to determine which domains and relationships will
be captured7 and then create a plan for documenting and refining them over time.
These decisions and the appropriate timing should be driven by the expected value
proposition and usage scenarios for business architecture within the organization.
As mentioned earlier, most organizations begin by mapping the four core business
architecture domains initially and then mapping the extended business architecture
domains over time as needed to support the scenarios in which they are currently
applying business architecture. The same strategic approach typically applies for
connecting the business architecture to other domains.
Your business architecture knowledgebase should include content for each business architecture
domain that you have determined to be applicable for your organization (most or all usually
apply). The content for each domain includes names, attributes, and relationships to business
architecture domains as well as other domains (e.g., system applications). The knowledgebase
can be created and refined over time.

Using Business Architecture
Once business architecture content is captured in a knowledgebase, the key is being able
to generate useful views and reports from it for communication or analysis purposes.
These views and reports need to be tailored to the scope and relevant information for the
business question or scenario being addressed. Visual views, often called “blueprints,”8

6

The BIZBOK Guide defines a knowledgebase as a facility that is used for storing, evolving, and managing
business architecture artifacts, from which business blueprints may be produced or derived.
7

Refer to the metamodel in Section 5.1 and Appendix B.4 of the BIZBOK Guide for the full superset of
options.
8

The BIZBOK Guide defines a blueprint as a graphical representation of one or more aspects of an extended
enterprise, which may extend beyond organizational boundaries.

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can be produced as well as reports containing textual or graphical information. While
the BIZBOK Guide is principle-based and does not require specific blueprints to be used,
there are a common set of visuals that are frequently used such as the “box in box”
view of a capability map. Blueprints can depict one business architecture domain (e.g.,
a capability map) or multiple business architecture domains (e.g., a capability/value
stream cross-mapping). Reports can also depict one or more business architecture
domain in almost countless combinations. This concept — that blueprints are generated
from a reusable business architecture knowledgebase in support of business scenarios —
is encapsulated in the Business Architecture Framework from the BIZBOK Guide, as
shown in Figure 2.9

Figure 2: The Business Architecture Framework.

Business architecture content is maintained in a reusable knowledgebase. Blueprints and reports
may be generated from the knowledgebase in support of many different business scenarios and
questions.

9

This figure has been visually redesigned, but the content is from Figure 1.3 of the BIZBOK Guide.

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Some Nuances
There are a couple nuances in terminology to clarify. The first is the use of the term
“map” versus “model.” Many sources use “model” though the BIZBOK Guide uses
“map” consistently throughout. The terms are equivalent in this case. For example, some
sources refer to a capability model, while the BIZBOK Guide refers to a capability map.
The second nuance, which can seem like it is in conflict to the Business Architecture
Framework in Figure 2, is that new business architecture teams may actually start their
mapping work by creating some blueprints (visuals). In this case the “blueprints”
actually exist before the reusable knowledgebase does for a short time. However, this
is a good practice and there are no implications to doing so.

Time Spent Building Vs. Using Business Architecture
Some of the lack of clarity about what business architecture is, or what business
architects do, is because of some confusion related to building versus using business
architecture. Some people believe that building business architecture is the main focus
of every business architect. This misconception can discourage some organizations from
starting practices because there is a perceived lack of immediate value if this is the
primary responsibility of the business architect role. However, as shown in Figure 3,
over the lifetime of a business architecture practice,10 a relatively low amount of time
and effort is spent creating the business architecture. The majority of time and effort
should be spent applying the business architecture and refining the knowledgebase as
needed. There are also different skills required for business architecture creation versus
application. Applying business architecture in various scenarios, such as for strategy
translation or transformation, requires a much broader set of knowledge, experience,
and skills. Having a diverse business architecture team comprised of people with
different personas, experience, and skills can be beneficial for this reason.

10

This assumes a business architecture practice stays in place indefinitely once it has been established.

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Figure 3: Comparison of Key Aspects of Building Vs. Using Business Architecture.

At times, it can seem as if the business architecture industry has placed more emphasis
on mapping the business architecture versus applying it. This is due to a number of
factors related to the relative newness of the discipline. The first is that focus was
initially needed to standardize and then teach business architects how to build a
business architecture. While the BIZBOK Guide has been solid for some time, many
practitioners are still learning how to do business architecture and this will occur
for some time. In addition, most organizations do not have a documented business
architecture, so before using it, at least some level of baseline needs to be created first.
Finally, the nature of some practitioners is that they truly enjoy and are enriched by the
mapping process, so it does become a topic of discussion in many forums. However, it is
important to note that building a business architecture is a means to an end — not
an end in itself. As the discipline matures and more people begin to practice business
architecture within their organizations, the conversation will continue to shift more and
more to how business architecture can best be applied to deliver value.

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Distinguishing Characteristics of
Business Architecture
There are a few unique characteristics that distinguish business architecture from other
disciplines and guide its creation. These include the following:
•

Enterprise scope. The scope of business architecture encompasses an entire
organization’s ecosystem. For example, if an organization is comprised of
multiple legal entities, the scope of the business architecture includes them all
(except for a conglomerate). The scope of business architecture also includes both
internal and external perspectives. For example, an organization’s capability map
would include all capabilities performed, even if they are outsourced. Value
streams and organization maps may include external parties such as customers,
partners, or regulatory bodies. While business architecture blueprints and
reports may be tailored for a specific business unit, product, initiative, or other
scope, there is one business architecture for an organization — not multiple
business architectures owned by different business units or some other
segmentation.

•

High level of detail. Business architecture describes an organization at a higher
level of detail than other operational techniques such as procedures, processes, or
requirements. This is necessary because of its enterprise-level scope; otherwise
it would be challenging and time consuming to document and maintain all the
content. This is also by design because business architecture provides a unique
view that allows people to understand an organization at a higher level, seeing
“the forest for the trees” before pursuing more focused analysis. Business
architecture must be built at level of detail that is reflective of an enterprise
perspective, not from a business unit perspective or some other segmentation.
For example, the information concept of “customer” would reflect an enterprise
meaning where customers are the external individuals or organizations who
have purchased or could potentially purchase a product or service, even if
some business units refer to each other as “customers” from an operational
perspective.

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Reusable. The business architecture that exists in the knowledgebase is a
reusable asset. This is why it is built in a way that is business-focused (not
solution-specific), enterprise-level, and at a high level of detail. Unlike some
artifacts, which are created for a specific initiative, the business architecture
persists over time. The reusable nature of the knowledgebase saves substantial
time that would otherwise be spent rediscovering how the business works in
order to evaluate issues, opportunities, and change impacts.

These characteristics make business architecture a powerful tool for any type of impact
analysis, such as for a new strategy, innovation idea, transformation, acquisition, or
regulatory change. Business architecture allows impacts to be methodically pinpointed
so that the appropriate actions can be taken, without extra time for rediscovery or
dependence on tribal knowledge. For example, the impact of a new strategy can be
assessed by identifying the capabilities and value streams impacted, which can further
identify the business units, stakeholders, and products that are impacted as well as
operating model impacts such as business processes and system applications, and even
any in flight initiatives.

Business Architecture in Context
Further clarity can be gained about what business architecture is by understanding its
context within enterprise architecture and the strategy execution lifecycle.

How Does Business Architecture Fit Within
Enterprise Architecture?
Enterprise architecture is comprised of multiple foundational domains including
business architecture, application architecture, data architecture, and technical
architecture.11 (“IT architecture” is a term used to collectively describe the application,
data, and technical architectures, so at a higher level, enterprise architecture can also
be said to be comprised of business and IT architecture.) Enterprise architecture can be
thought of as an umbrella concept for these domains, where there are formal mappings
between the architectures and close relationships between the architects. Business
architects have a unique role in that they are a part of the business, but they are also a
part of the enterprise architecture team. As a result, strong partnership is required on
both sides, no matter where the business architecture team reports, whether it is within
the business or to the enterprise architecture team.

11

This concept is from Section 6.2 of the BIZBOK Guide.

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Figure 412 illustrates this enterprise architecture concept. As the authors of the diagram
state in their corresponding article,13 “Business architecture links strategy, initiative,
product, policy, and customer to technology investments and solution deployments.”
Furthermore, “it means that the scope and impacts of strategies, product plans,
initiatives, and investments are clearly defined from a business perspective first,
and only then from an IT perspective.”

Figure 4: Enterprise Architecture Concept.

How Does Business (and Enterprise) Architecture
Fit Within Strategy Execution?
Business architecture provides a flexible framework that can be used on its own for
various types of analysis, decision support, and alignment, but one of its most critical
roles is to serve as a bridge between strategy and execution. Figure 5 shows an
enterprise-level strategy execution perspective and the role of business architecture

12

Ulrich, William, and Richard Soley. “Business Architecture: Putting ‘Business’ into Enterprise
Architecture.” CIO Review, February 2016.
13

Ulrich and Soley (see 12).

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Figure 5: Strategy Execution and the Role of Business Architecture.

within it. (Note: This diagram focuses on business architecture, but IT architecture
would play a similar role starting in Stage 2 and increasing further downstream.)
A defined strategy from Stage 1 is “translated” during Stage 2 into the architectural
changes necessary to make it real. The absence of Stage 2 in many organizations can lead
to redundant and conflicting initiatives as business units implement strategy in silos.
In Stage 2, the necessary changes or additions to the business and IT architecture are
identified, assuming that a business architecture knowledgebase is in place and aligned
to the IT architecture. The impacted components are then rearchitected and can be
communicated visually through a target state architecture that aligns the organization
to a common view of the future. In Stage 3, the target state architecture is broken down
into initiatives (organized into a visual roadmap if desired), which are scoped and
framed within an architecture context and input into the planning process. The
architecture associated with each initiative becomes the common key for reconciling
and integrating initiatives across the enterprise. Each initiative may result in business
solutions (e.g., organizational changes or process changes) as well as IT solutions, which
are executed in Stage 4. In Stage 5, the results of the initiatives are measured against the
original objectives, assuming that traceability exists from the strategy and objectives
through the business and IT architecture to the initiatives.

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This approach represents a true top-down, cross–business unit, and business-driven
method for designing and planning change initiatives, which can then lead to a
coordinated set of actions for downstream business and IT execution. When done well
it has the potential to increase speed to market and ensure that an organization is
working on the highest-priority initiatives, scoped and sequenced in the most efficient
way. It also provides a way to quickly reprioritize and replan initiatives on an ongoing
basis to adjust for strategic or operational changes. However, while this approach
defines what is possible, it can take some time to implement within an organization,
especially as it may require a paradigm shift.

What Business Architecture Is Not
Finally, a discussion of what business architecture is not further illuminates what it is.
Business architecture is commonly confused with some other disciplines, which can
make articulating its unique value a challenge and can also lead to the perception that
it overlaps or competes with the responsibilities of other teams. However, the reality is
that when scoped and positioned correctly within an organization, business architecture
does not overlap with any other teams; in fact, it helps them to operate more effectively.
A significant amount of work has been done over the years through collaboration
between the business architecture community and various other communities of
practitioners to identify the connections and integration points between disciplines.
The conclusion continues to be that the relationship between business architecture
and other disciplines is always of mutual benefit.
In term of scope, if a domain is not included within the ecosystem shown in Figure 1, it
is not business architecture. Some of the aspects that are most commonly confused to be
part of business architecture are described below. (Note: this is not a fully inclusive list
of related functions and disciplines.)
•

Business architecture is not strategy formulation. Business architects work with
business leaders and/or strategy teams to inform strategy formulation as well
as map strategy if it is not written down or detailed enough. However, the key
role that business architects (in partnership with IT architects) play is to use
the business architecture to translate strategy into the business and IT changes
needed for implementation. There are some business architects who play a more
significant role in strategy formulation, but this is more related to an individual
wearing multiple hats versus the intent of the business architect role. Strategy
can be mapped to the business architecture (especially capabilities and value
streams) through objectives.

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•

Business architecture is not business model formulation. Similar to strategy
formulation, business architects work with business leaders or other teams to
inform business model formulation or redesign as well as create documentation
it if it is not written down.14 The business model is also used by business architects to translate business model changes into the business and IT changes
necessary to make them real. Each of the nine components of the business
model canvas can be mapped to various aspects of business architecture.

•

Business architecture is not customer experience design. Business architects
work with customer experience teams to inform customer experience design
(e.g., journey maps) and then along with the business objectives, business
architects translate these designs into the business and IT changes necessary
to make them real. Customer journeys can be mapped to business architecture
value streams and capabilities.15

•

Business architecture is not operating model design. Business architecture is
more strategic and focused on enabling an organization to realize their business
model, while the operating model — often described as inclusive of people,
process, and technology — has a more detailed focus.
o

Business architecture is not business process modeling or management.
Significant collaboration occurred between the business architecture
and business process communities to establish the relationship and
mutual benefits between the two disciplines. Business architecture
provides a top-down perspective and framework for processes, and
processes can inform the business architecture and carry out any
detailed changes to it. Processes can be mapped to business architecture
capabilities (as the primary relationship) as well as to value streams.16

o

Business architecture is not organizational effectiveness (or organizational
design or organizational development). Business architecture does not replace
the important discipline necessary to make sure that an organization and
the people of which it is comprised are working most effectively related
to aspects such as organizational structure, talent management, and
culture. The business architecture and organizational effectiveness

14

Many teams have adopted the business model canvas as a way to document an organization’s business
model. See: Osterwalder, Alexander, and Yves Pigneur. Business Model Generation: A Handbook for Visionaries,
Game Changers, and Challengers. John Wiley & Sons, 2010.
15

For more information on the integration between business architecture and customer experience design,
see: “Business Architecture and the Customer Experience: A Comprehensive Approach for Turning
Customer Needs into Action.” Business Architecture Guild, 2016.
16

For more information on the integration between business architecture and business process, see:
“Business Architecture and BPM — Differentiation and Reconciliation.” Business Architecture Guild, 2014.

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disciplines (which may report to Human Resources or otherwise) can
and should work closely together as both can provide inputs to each
other and benefit from collaboration at various points during strategy
execution.
o

Business architecture is not requirements management. Business architecture
is enterprise level and precedes initiatives, where requirements are
typically detailed and initiative-specific. Business architecture can be
used to define the scope of an initiative and requirements can be written
to directly use the business architecture terminology such as stakeholder
names, capability names, and value stream stage names. Requirements
(regardless of methodology) can be mapped to business architecture
capabilities, which not only help to tie them back to the business
objectives, but also enable them to be reused across initiatives. Business
architects work with business analysts to guide requirements authoring
and mapping back to the business architecture.17

o

Business architecture is not IT architecture or solutions. As described earlier,
the business architecture and IT architecture disciplines work closely
together, both in terms of the architecture and the roles. Business
architecture is purely business-focused and can provide the business
lens for IT architecture and decision making. System applications and
services can be mapped to capabilities. Value streams can be used to
provide context for how services are orchestrated. Business architecture
information concepts can be mapped to the data architecture.

Figure 6 overlays each team mentioned above on the strategy execution perspective for
context.

17

For more information on the integration between business architecture and requirements, see:
“Leveraging Business Architecture to Improve Business Requirements Analysis.” Business Architecture
Guild, 2014.

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Figure 6: Related Teams in a Strategy Execution Context.

It is critical for a business architecture team to develop strong relationships with each
related team in the organization. A best practice is to identify and document all related
teams in an engagement model, which shows the inputs and outputs between teams.
The business architecture team should then meet with each team to confirm the
interactions and develop a working relationship. In many cases, there should be a
formal mapping between business architecture domains and other domains. This is
usually done in close partnership with the related team. For example, a business process
analyst may map a set of processes to capabilities, with guidance from a business
architect. Over time, formal integration can occur where necessary, to ensure that each
team’s roles and processes are adjusted to reflect how they interact with others.
When scoped and positioned correctly, business architecture does not overlap with any other
teams — in fact, it helps them to operate more effectively. There is always mutual benefit to
working together.

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Moving into Action
Whether you are starting a new practice or maturing an established one, there are steps
you can take to act upon the information discussed in this white paper.
If you are starting a new business architecture practice within your organization …
Easy. Leverage what you’ve learned from this white paper, read the BIZBOK Guide, and
train and certify your business architects. This will allow you to start your practice with
the right foundation.
If you have an established business architecture practice but have defined business
architecture with a limited scope …
Harder. The first step is to identify the business architecture domains and relationships
that are missing but needed, based on the value proposition and usage scenarios for
business architecture within your organization. Your biggest challenge may be obtaining
buy-in and explaining the shift in thinking. For example, if you have defined business
architecture primarily as capabilities, you will need to communicate that there are other
domains in the ecosystem and the value of documenting them. Another challenge may
be reallocating time for both business architecture team members and business subject
matter experts, who are likely committed to other high-priority work.
If you have an established business architecture practice but have defined business
architecture with a misaligned scope …
Hardest. If you have defined the boundaries of business architecture differently than
what has been described here and in the BIZBOK Guide, this does require some changes
to be made to ensure your practice is adopted, effective, and sustainable. For example,
you may have defined business architecture as inclusive of processes, requirements,
and/or various IT perspectives. The first step is to reconcile your current domains with
the industry-standard business architecture domains. Identify those that you need based
on the value proposition and usage scenarios for business architecture within your
organization and identify which of your current ones should be out of scope. Start
conversations about why it is important to make these changes and create a plan to
get there over time. The change could entail activities such as creating content for new
domains within your business architecture knowledgebase, transitioning content that
no longer applies to other teams, adjusting the business architect role definition and the
team composition, adjusting the team structure, providing additional training for the
business architecture team, communicating to business architecture stakeholders, and
selecting a more appropriate business architecture knowledgebase tool. In addition
to leadership buy-in and communication, partnership is also very important in this
scenario. For example, if the business architecture team is currently responsible for
detailed process mapping, this work could be transitioned to a more appropriate team
or a new one could be created.

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About the Author
Whynde Kuehn is a Senior Consultant with Cutter
Consortium’s Business & Enterprise Architecture practice and
a Summit 2016 speaker. She is passionate about bridging the
gap between strategy and execution. Ms. Kuehn is a long-time
business architecture practitioner, educator, and industry
thought leader, who takes a business-focused and resultsoriented approach to business architecture. She has extensive
experience in enterprise transformation and planning and was
a key player in one of the largest business transformations in the world. In addition to
her role at Cutter Consortium, Ms. Kuehn is Principal of S2E Consulting Inc.
Ms. Kuehn most enjoys helping clients build their business architecture practices.
She has a track record of creating successful teams that become embedded into their
organizations. Ms. Kuehn also provides business architecture training. She has
developed and taught comprehensive, large-scale business architecture training
programs via in-person and online formats, both for the public and in-house for clients.
She is a recognized thought leader in business architecture, regularly speaking, writing,
and chairing/cochairing conferences and events that advance best practices and facilitate
community across the world. She is a cofounder and board member of the Business
Architecture Guild, a not-for-profit organization that is advancing the discipline, and
serves as its Editorial Board Chair. Ms. Kuehn also founded a New York Business
Architecture Community.
Passionate about using business as a force for good and systematic change, Ms. Kuehn
also founded Metanoia Global Inc., which helps social entrepreneurs to start, scale, and
sustain successful businesses, with a focus on Africa. Through her work with Metanoia
Global, pro bono efforts, and the other nonprofit boards, Ms. Kuehn has the pleasure
and honor of seeing firsthand how business can focus on purpose as well as profit and
how enterprises can be a solution to poverty. She can be reached at wkuehn@cutter.com.

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About Cutter Consortium
Cutter Consortium is a unique, global business technology advisory firm dedicated
to helping organizations leverage emerging technologies and the latest business
management thinking to achieve competitive advantage and mission success. Through
its consulting, research, training, and executive education, Cutter Consortium enables
digital transformation.
Cutter Consortium helps clients address the spectrum of challenges technology change
brings — from disruption of business models and the sustainable innovation, change
management, and leadership a new order demands, to the creation, implementation,
and optimization of software and systems that power newly holistic enterprise and
business unit strategies.
Cutter Consortium pushes the thinking in the field by fostering debate and collaboration
among its global community of thought leaders. Coupled with its famously objective
“no ties to vendors” policy, Cutter Consortium’s Access to the Experts approach delivers
cutting-edge, objective information and innovative solutions to its clients worldwide.

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