ArchiMate Model Quality

ArchiMate Model Quality

This skill provides guidance on creating high-quality, maintainable ArchiMate models.

Naming Conventions

Element Naming by Type

Element Category	Convention	Examples
Structural Elements	Singular Noun Phrases	Customer Portal, Data Warehouse
Behavioral Elements	Verb Phrases	Manage Applications, Process Payments
Processes	Present-tense Verb + Noun	Handle Claim, Submit Order
Services	Noun or Gerund Phrase	Customer Information Service, Payment Processing
Capabilities	Compound Noun/Gerund	Risk Management, Customer Onboarding
Value Streams	Verb-Noun Active	Acquire Insurance Product

General Guidelines

• Use Title Case for element names
• Use compound terms for clarity ("Student Information System" not "System")
• Avoid abbreviations unless domain-standard
• Don't include element type in name when tool shows it visually
• Use namespacing prefixes for large models: [Business Systems][Customer System]
• Prefix views with state: ASIS_ApplicationLandscape, TOBE_Integration

EA Smells (Quality Issues)

EA Smell	Description	Correction
Lonely Component	Element with no relations	Connect or remove orphans
Strict Layers Violation	Business directly linked to Technology	Add Application layer intermediation
Dead Element	Element not in any view	Review for deletion or include
God Component	One element with too many responsibilities	Decompose into focused components
Chatty Interface	Too many fine-grained relationships	Consolidate at appropriate abstraction
Missing Relationship	Implicit dependencies not modeled	Make relationships explicit
Circular Dependencies	Cyclic relationships	Restructure to eliminate cycles

Common Modeling Errors

1. Mixing abstraction levels: Detailed processes alongside strategic capabilities
2. Using Association as default: When specific relationship type applies
3. Over-modeling: Every detail captured, creating maintenance burden
4. Wrong element type: Using Process when Function is correct
5. Missing services layer: Direct connections bypassing service abstraction
6. View-centric thinking: Creating elements for single view, not reusing
7. Inconsistent naming: Same concept with different names across views

Abstraction and Granularity

Abstraction Levels by Purpose

Purpose	Abstraction Level	Audience
Informing	High (Overview)	CxOs, broad stakeholders
Deciding	Medium (Coherence)	Managers, analysts
Designing	Low (Details)	Subject matter experts

Granularity by Element Type

Element Type	Right Level	Over-Modeling Signs
Business Processes	Level 2-3 decomposition	Every task modeled
Applications	Logical components	Individual modules as components
Technology	Platform/service level	Individual servers
Capabilities	2-3 levels deep	Operational activities

Key Principles

• 80/20 Rule: Only a subset of ArchiMate elements needed for most modeling
• Match stakeholder needs: Detail viewpoints = one layer/one aspect
• Limit view complexity: Target ~20 elements per view (40 max)

Viewpoint Selection

Stakeholder-to-Viewpoint Mapping

Stakeholder Type	Recommended Viewpoints
CxOs, Business Managers	Strategy, Capability Map, Motivation
Enterprise Architects	Layered, Application Cooperation, Implementation
Process Architects	Business Process Cooperation, Service Realization
Application Architects	Application Usage, Implementation and Deployment
Infrastructure Architects	Technology, Technology Usage, Physical

Pattern-to-Viewpoint Mapping

Architecture Pattern	Primary Viewpoints
Microservices	Application Cooperation, Layered, Technology Usage
API/Integration	Application Cooperation, Service Realization
Cloud Infrastructure	Technology, Deployment, Layered
Data Architecture	Information Structure, Application Cooperation
Capability Mapping	Capability Map, Strategy, Resource Map

Model Quality Checklist

Before Creating

• Define scope and purpose
• Identify stakeholders and concerns
• Select appropriate viewpoints
• Establish naming conventions

During Modeling

• Follow naming conventions consistently
• Use correct element types
• Model at appropriate abstraction level
• Reuse existing elements (don't duplicate)
• Add descriptions to elements

Model Review

• Elements correctly typed
• Names follow conventions
• No orphaned elements
• No strict layer violations
• Relationships directionally correct
• Views tell coherent stories

Model Organization

Folder Structure (By Layer)

Model
├── Strategy
├── Business
├── Application
├── Technology
├── Physical
├── Motivation
├── Implementation & Migration
├── Relations
└── Views

Folder Structure (By Domain)

Model
├── Customer Domain
│   ├── Business
│   ├── Application
│   └── Technology
├── Finance Domain
└── Shared Services

Additional Resources

Reference Files

For detailed viewpoint guidance and framework integration:

• references/viewpoints.md - Complete ArchiMate viewpoints catalog
• references/framework-integration.md - TOGAF, BPMN, IT4IT integration patterns