=Paper=
{{Paper
|id=Vol-2574/paper2
|storemode=property
|title=The Value Management Platform and ArchiMate – Towards an Integration? An Illustrative Example for Value Stream Mapping (full paper)
|pdfUrl=https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-2574/paper2.pdf
|volume=Vol-2574
|authors=Geert Poels,Kathleen Nollet,Ben Roelens,Henk de Man,Theodoor van Donge
|dblpUrl=https://dblp.org/rec/conf/vmbo/PoelsNRMD20
}}
==The Value Management Platform and ArchiMate – Towards an Integration? An Illustrative Example for Value Stream Mapping (full paper)==
https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-2574/paper2.pdf
The Value Management Platform and ArchiMate –
Towards an Integration? An Illustrative Example for
Value Stream Mapping
Geert Poels1, Kathleen Nollet1, Ben Roelens1,2, Henk de Man3, Theodoor van Donge3
1
Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Ghent University, Belgium
{geert.poels, kathleen.nollet}@ugent.be
2
Faculty of Management, Science and Technology, Open University, The Netherlands
ben.roelens@ou.nl
3
VDMbee, Schietboom 2, 3905TD Veenendaal, The Netherlands
{hdman, tvdonge}@vdmbee.com
Abstract. The Value Management Platform (VMP) of VDMbee is one of few
strategy and business model development tools that were inspired by the Object
Management Group's VDML standard for value modeling. ArchiMate is The
Open Group's specification of an enterprise architecture language that goes well
together with their TOGAF framework, which is widely used by enterprise ar-
chitects. Although VMP and ArchiMate were developed for different reasons, the
evolution of both enterprise engineering instruments seems to converge towards
a large(r) common ground. For instance, the most recent addition to ArchiMate
is the Value Stream element, allowing ArchiMate to be used for value stream
mapping (in line with TOGAF), for which support is also provided by the VMP.
As another example, VMP now integrates the Process Designer tool which allows
generation of BPMN 2.0 business process diagrams from value stream maps. De-
spite this observed convergence, each approach has its own purpose like provid-
ing a framework for strategy planning and execution for VMP and providing
structure and context amongst the many artifacts that comprise an organization’
architecture for ArchiMate. In this paper, we question whether the integration of
both instruments would be useful for practice and present a scientifically viable
research topic. As a preliminary, but necessary, step for any kind of integration,
we propose to investigate how VDML (and other) artifacts underlying enterprise
modeling with VMP map onto ArchiMate. As an illustrative example, we demon-
strate how value streams designed with VMP can be visualized with ArchiMate.
Keywords: Business model representation, Business ecosystem modeling,
Value modeling, Value stream mapping, Value management, Enterprise archi-
tecture modeling, Value Delivery Modeling Language, Value Management
Platform, ArchiMate, TOGAF
139
Copyright © 2020 for this paper by its authors. Use permitted under Creative Commons License
Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0).
1 Motivation
Since the adoption of the Value Delivery Modeling Language (VDML) [13] by the
Object Management Group (OMG) in 2015, VDMbee1 made efforts to enable its ap-
plication in practice. This has resulted in the development of the Value Management
Platform (VMP), which is a software tool for the application of value-driven strategic
planning according to the Continuous Business Model Planning (CBMP) method [14].
Through the discover, prototype and adopt stages of the CBMP process, ‘business user-
friendly’ VMP techniques (e.g., canvasses, maps and storytelling) are used to develop
a phased strategic plan that is translated into alternative scenarios of structured business
model ecosystems for the involved participants. Aggregating business model values to
strategic plan values allows deciding on the strategy execution roadmap to be adopted.
Comparing planned values with actual performance results allows monitoring strategy
execution. Throughout this process, the complexity of creating, querying and managing
VDML models is hidden for VMP users.
Recently added VMP functionality includes a Process Designer for BPMN 2.0 dia-
grams, which is an implementation of the Camunda2 supported bpmn.io BPMN Viewer
and Editor.3 Similar plans exist for integrating a Case Designer for CMMN 1.1 dia-
grams. With these extensions, VMP crosses the border between the structural layer and
the operational layer of the business architecture [17] and moves towards providing an
integrative architectural view of an organization.
Enterprise Architecture is the discipline par excellence that focuses on providing this
integrative view. Since 2008, The Open Group has been developing ArchiMate [23],
which complements their TOGAF framework [22] by offering a language to create en-
terprise architecture models which can be visualized as TOGAF views. ArchiMate has
evolved from an initial focus on business/IT alignment in an organization’s core archi-
tectural layers (i.e., business, applications and technology) to more attention for enter-
prise coherence governance, including a focus on strategic fit. The ArchiMate meta-
model includes concepts such as capability, resource, course of action (to represent
strategies and tactics) and value to cover Business Architecture domains [4].
ArchiMate’s increased support for strategy implementation [2] has also been the ob-
ject of study in academic research that investigated how to represent business models,
capability models, and value models with ArchiMate (e.g., Fritscher & Pigneur [7],
Meertens et al. [12], Singh [20], de Kinderen et al. [5], Iacob et al. [9], Azevedo et al.
[3], Aldea et al. [1], and Sales et al. [18], [19]). Initial mappings of VDML to ArchiMate
were presented by Ding [6] and Lankhorst et al. [10], while Harot [8] investigated
whether a mapping from VDML to ArchiMate is best incorporated as a new layer, a
new aspect or an extension of ArchiMate’s strategy layer – The recent addition of Value
Stream as a strategy layer element to ArchiMate’s metamodel (see Section 3) seems to
confirm the latter choice. The observed convergence in coverage of business architec-
1
www.vdmbee.com
2
www.camunda.com
3
www.bpmn.io
140
ture modeling points at opportunities for research on how to move from strategy plan-
ning with VMP (following CBMP) to strategy implementation supported by Archi-
Mate. Vice versa, it can be investigated how the VMP-based CBMP method and tech-
niques could be useful for Business/Enterprise Architecture practice with TOGAF and
ArchiMate.
2 Paper Goal
The goal of the paper is twofold. First, by means of an illustrative example we explore
a concrete and recently available opportunity for integration of VMP and ArchiMate.
Second, we ponder about the research activities that would be required for investigating
such integration. We posit that mapping the artifacts underlying enterprise modeling
with VMP and ArchiMate would be required for any kind of integration. The illustrative
example shows that this mapping goes beyond a mere comparison of the syntax and
semantics of metamodel elements, but also extends to pragmatic aspects like model
purpose, choice of diagram types and which information to include in which type of
diagram.
Eventually, the form that an integration of VMP and ArchiMate can take, the appli-
cations and benefits of such integration, and the research that would be required for
establishing and evaluating this integration are open questions for which this workshop
paper only intends ‘to scratch the surface’, to stimulate reflection and discussion.
3 Illustrative Example – Value Stream Mapping
As an illustrative example of the convergence of VMP and ArchiMate, the comparison
of artifacts of both instruments, and the possible benefits of integration, we focus on
the Value Stream element, which is the only new element added to the ArchiMate met-
amodel, in its recent (November 2019) upgrade from Version 3.0.1 to Version 3.1.
3.1 Value Stream Modeling with VDML
OMG’s VDML includes amongst its purposes the support of value stream analysis to
address customer values. VDML defines a value stream as “the network of activities
that includes resources, value contributions and capabilities to determine a value prop-
osition for a customer who may be the ultimate customer or an internal end user of the
result” [13] (p. 99). It is also stated that “a value stream can be identified within a
VDML model as the network of capabilities and their activities that contribute to the
values and deliverables identified in a value proposition” [13] (p. 108), which signifies
that value stream is not a separate element of the VDML metamodel, but refers to a
purposefully organized collection of other elements.
In VDML models, value streams have no specific diagram. The diagram that comes
most close to the intent of the ‘capabilities-activities-resources-value contributions net-
work’ is the Activity Network Diagram, though its BPMN-like partitioning of activities
141
in swim-lanes representing roles, introduces organizational aspects (i.e., who is respon-
sible for performing an activity) that do not fit the higher abstraction level of value
streams, where the focus is more on what capabilities are required to perform the value
stream activities. Roelens and Poels [16] defined a Business Model Viewpoint for
VDML that includes a modified Activity Network Diagram, called Value Stream Dia-
gram, in which activities are replaced by the required capabilities (in the form of VDML
Capability Methods and Capability Offers), though still maintaining the role partition-
ing.
3.2 Value Stream Design with VMP
The discover stage of the CBMP process includes the creation of Value Stream Maps.
A Value Stream Map as supported by VMP is a graphical representation of a value
stream, which is composed of activities to be performed in a particular order and the
competencies that are needed for performing those activities. Competency is a construct
derived from the Business Model Cube concept [11] and can be seen as a generalization
of the VDML Capability and Resource elements [15].
Figure 1 shows an example Value Stream Map for the Flights value stream by means
of which the Operations business unit of a Low-cost Carrier (LCC) delivers the Flights
value proposition to the LCC’s Travel business unit. Also shown are the competencies
(white/solid border: capability, yellow/faded border: resource) that are used by the
value stream activities.
Fig. 1. Flights value stream map as in VMP
During both the discover stage and prototype stage of the CBMP process, value stream
design can be further completed by deciding for each activity the values they create and
the values of value propositions they contribute to. These values instantiate the VDML
ValueAdd and ValuePropositionComponent elements, respectively. VDML defines the
value contribution of a value stream activity as “the measurable effect of an activity
142
that affects the level of satisfaction of one or more values in a value proposition” [13]
(p. 99). For instance, the Value Aggregation View depicted in the VMP screenshot of
Figure 2 shows how the (time) values created by the activities in the Flights value
stream are aggregated to the Turn-around time value of the Flights value proposition.
Fig. 2. Turn-around time value aggregation view as in VMP
Although all information related to value streams as defined by VDML is captured in
VMP when performing the CBMP process, a complete representation of a value stream
in a single visualization is lacking.4 The recent addition to ArchiMate of a Value Stream
element and definition of a Value Stream Viewpoint opens up possibilities to visualize
VMP Value Stream Maps using a widely used enterprise architecture language that is
closely associated to TOGAF.
3.3 Value Stream Definition and Analysis According to TOGAF
TOGAF, in its Version 9.2, has a clear definition of value streams, the position of value
stream maps in business architecture description, the purpose and benefits of value
stream analysis, and guiding principles for value stream map creation [21]. Compared
to VDML, the differences in definition are minor and from a pragmatic point of view,
of no importance. TOGAF refers to value stream activities as value (stream) stages and
4
It is to be noted that activities in a VMP Value Stream Map are clickable shapes. By clicking
the activity shape, details of the activity can be inspected, including the value contributions
that have been defined for the activity.
143
explicitly recognizes processes as means to operationalize these stages. This interpre-
tation of processes is very similar to the intent of the VDML Capability Method ele-
ment, which defines how an organizational unit delivers a capability. TOGAF’s value
streams can thus be decomposed into value stages that create incremental values con-
tributing to the value proposition for the stakeholder that initiates or triggers the value
stream. Value stages are mapped to business capabilities (as documented in a Business
Capability Map) to analyze an enterprise’s current and desired ability to deliver the
value proposition. Heatmaps can be used to visualize the results of a gap analysis and
to direct business transformation initiatives.
3.4 Value Stream Modeling with ArchiMate
ArchiMate supports the modeling of value streams through its new Value Stream ele-
ment (Figure 3). A value stream “represents a sequence of activities that create an over-
all result for a customer, stakeholder, or end user” [23] (p. 53). Completely in line with
both TOGAF and VDML, the stakeholder triggering the value stream may be an exter-
nal customer (i.e., customer of the enterprise) or an internal customer (i.e., actor within
the enterprise like a business unit, department, role, etc.). This stakeholder can be rep-
resented using the ArchiMate Stakeholder motivational aspect element, which can be
related to the value stream by an ArchiMate Association relationship. ArchiMate does
not have a metamodel element to directly represent a value proposition, but using its
Value and Outcome motivational aspect elements, an elegant solution can be provided.
An outcome may represent any end result (hence also the result of a value stream) and
a value may represent the relative worth, utility or importance of any enterprise archi-
tecture concept (hence also an outcome). ArchiMate values can thus be related to an
outcome (via an Association relationship) to represent the values composing a value
proposition, and the outcome can be related (again with an Association relationship) to
the stakeholder for whom the value proposition is intended.
Fig. 3. Alternative notations for the Value Stream element in ArchiMate
ArchiMate value streams can be decomposed into other value streams, which can be
used to represent value (stream) stages. Each of these value stages can in turn be asso-
ciated to a value that represents the incremental value obtained after performing the
value stage. The value stream itself can be related by an ArchiMate Realization rela-
tionship to the outcome that represents the value proposition. Through the ArchiMate
Serves relationship, value stream (stages) can be related to capabilities and resources.
Alternatively, resources can be assigned to the capabilities that serve the value stream
(stages).
Figure 4 shows the value stream example from the ArchiMate 3.1 specification, in
which value stages cross-reference capabilities. Value stages are related with Archi-
Mate Flow relationships, representing in this case value flows as they are associated to
144
values that represent the value increments resulting from each stage. The flow from the
final stage to the outcome is, however, violating the ArchiMate metamodel specifica-
tion as an ArchiMate Flow relationship cannot be directed from a value stream to an
outcome. A correct model would show that the overall value stream realizes the out-
come – See Figure 5 for a correct representation.
Fig. 4. Value stream with capability cross-mapping (example 22 in [23], p. 56)
The ArchiMate specification also defines a Value Stream Viewpoint that “allows the
Business Architect to create a structured overview of a value stream, the capabilities
supporting the stages in that value stream, the value created, and the stakeholders in-
volved” [23] (p. 168). Unfortunately, the only elements selected from the ArchiMate
metamodel to create views according to this viewpoint are Value Stream, Capability,
Stakeholder and Outcome, hence leaving out Value and Resource. Also, at the time of
writing, the most recent version of the Archi tool5 (Version 4.6.0) leaves out these ele-
ments from the Value Stream Viewpoint.
The example Flights value stream designed with VMP can be visualized in Archi as
in Figure 5. The immediate benefit of such visualization is that all information related
to the value stream is captured in one representation. Note that the stakeholder associ-
ated to the outcome that is realized by the value stream (i.e., the LCC Travel business
unit) is the value recipient, whereas the stakeholder that is associated to the value stream
(i.e., the LCC Operations business unit) contributes to the value creation and delivery.
In general, the latter stakeholder could be different for different value stream stages.
Note also how the time values contributed by the different value stream stages compose
5
www.archimatetool.com
145
the time values that are part of the Flights value proposition (i.e., turn-around time and
flight duration). Changes in these activity times will impact the value proposition.
Fig. 5. Flights value stream map as an ArchiMate model
4 Discussion
Although VMP and ArchiMate are means targeting different ends, the illustrative ex-
ample demonstrates a large degree of syntactic and semantic overlap in the modeling
artifacts of both instruments. Notational conventions for visualizing value stream maps
are clearly related (compare Figures 1 and 5) and, even if not homomorphic, concepts
of both metamodels are relatively straightforward to map. Further, ArchiMate value
streams, capabilities and resources are all strategy layer elements in the enterprise ar-
chitecture, reflecting a level of abstraction in modeling common to VMP.
Regarding the possible benefits of integration, we acknowledge that further research
is required. The mapping of modeling artifacts opens up avenues for (research on) in-
tegration that recognizes the complementary purposes of VMP and ArchiMate in the
areas of strategy planning and strategy implementation, respectively. For instance, ex-
porting model results, like a value stream map, from VMP to enterprise architecture
tools in a format ‘understood’ by these tools (i.e., ArchiMate) would facilitate designing
and deciding on the business, application, data, and technology infrastructures needed
to realize the resources and capabilities that are required for delivering value proposi-
tions. Of course, this is just one possible application of integration and many more can
be discovered, explored and experimented with in future research.
References
1. Aldea, A., Iacob, M.-E., Van Hillegersberg, J., Quartel, D., Franken, H.: Capability-based
Planning with ArchiMate: Linking Motivation to Implementation. In: Proceedings of the
17th International Conference on Enterprise Information Systems, pp. 352-359 (2015).
146
2. Aldea, A., Iacob, M.-E., Quartel, D.: From Business Strategy to Enterprise Architecture and
Back. In: Proceedings of the IEEE 22nd EDOC International Workshops, pp. 145-152
(2018).
3. Azevedo, C.L.B., Iacob, M.E., Almeida, J.P.A., van Sinderen, M., Pires, L.F., Guizzardi,
G.: Modeling resources and capabilities in enterprise architecture: A well-founded ontology-
based proposal for ArchiMate. Information Systems 54, 235-262 (2015).
4. Business Architecture Guild. A Guide to the Business Architecture Body of Knowledge
(BIZBOK Guide), Version 7.0 (2018).
5. de Kinderen, S., Gaaloul, K., Proper, H.A.: Bridging value modeling to ArchiMate via trans-
action modeling. Software & Systems Modeling 13(3), 1043-1057 (2014).
6. Ding, H.: Integrating value modeling into ArchiMate. Master Thesis, University of Twente.
Enschede (2016).
7. Fritscher, B., Pigneur, Y.: Business IT Alignment from Business Model to Enterprise Ar-
chitecture. In: Salinesi, C., Pastor, O. (eds.) Proceedings of the CAiSE 2011 International
Workshops. LNBIP 83, 4-15 (2011).
8. Harot, F.: How can VDML support the representation of value in ArchiMate? unpublished
Master Thesis, IC Institute. Beerzel (2020).
9. Iacob, M.-E., Meertens, L.O., Jonkers, H., Quartel, D.A.C., Nieuwenhuis, L.J.M, van
Sinderen, M.J.: From enterprise architecture to business models and back. Software & Sys-
tems Modeling 13(3), 1059-1083 (2014).
10. Lankhorst, M., Aldea M.A., Niehof, J.: Combining ArchiMate with Other Standards and
Approaches. In: Enterprise Architecture at Work, pp. 123-140. Springer (2017).
11. Lindgren, P., Rasmussen, O.H.: The Business Model Cube. Journal of Multi Business Model
Innovation and Technology 1(3), 135-182 (2013).
12. Meertens, L. O., Iacob, M.-E., Nieuwenhuis, L.J.M., van Sinderen, M.J., Jonkers H., Quar-
tel, D.: Mapping the business model canvas to ArchiMate. In: Proceedings of the 27th annual
ACM symposium on applied computing, pp. 1694-1701. ACM (2012).
13. Object Management Group: Value Delivery Modeling Language (VDML), Version 1.1
(2018).
14. Poels, G., Roelens, B., de Man, H., Van Donge, T.: Continuous Business Model Planning
with the Value Management Platform. In: Gordijn, J., Proper, E. (eds.) Proceedings of the
12th International Workshop on Value Modeling and Business Ontology. CEUR Workshop
Proceedings, vol. 2239, 18 pp. (2018).
15. Poels, G., Roelens, B., de Man, H., van Donge, T.: Revisiting Continuous Business Model
Planning with the Value Management Platform. In: Johannesson, P., Andersson, B.,
Weigand, H. (eds.) Proceedings of the 13th International Workshop on Value Modeling and
Business Ontology. CEUR Workshop Proceedings, vol. 2383, 7 pp. (2019).
16. Roelens, B., Poels, G.: The Development and Experimental Evaluation of a Focused Busi-
ness Model Representation. Business & Information Systems Engineering 57, 61-71 (2015).
17. Roelens, B., Steenacker, W., Poels, G.: Realizing strategic fit within the business architec-
ture: the design of a Process-Goal Alignment modeling and analysis technique. Software &
Systems Modeling 18(1), 631-662 (2019).
18. Sales, T.P., Almeida, J.P.A., Santini, S., Baiao, F., Guizzardi, G.: Ontological Analysis and
Redesign of Risk Modeling in ArchiMate. In: Proceedings of the IEEE 22nd International
Enterprise Distributed Object Computing, pp. 154-163 (2018).
19. Sales, T.P., Roelens, B., Poels, G., Guizzardi, G., Guarino, N., Mylopoulos, J.: A Pattern
Language for Value Modeling in ArchiMate. In: Proceedings of the 31st International Con-
ference on Advanced Information Systems Engineering. LNCS 11483, 230-245 (2019).
147
20. Singh, P.M.: Integrating Business Value in Enterprise Architecture Modeling and Analysis.
Master Thesis, University of Twente. Enschede (2013).
21. The Open Group: Value Streams. Open Group Guide (2017).
22. The Open Group: The TOGAF Standard, Version 9.2. The Open Group Standard (2018).
23. The Open Group: ArchiMate 3.1 Specification. The Open Group Standard (2019).
148