Using ArchiMate language for CBP

The ArchiMate language is being used to describe the CBP method because it has already contained a set of strategic concepts and the notation to present the capability concept has been proposed. Furthermore, ArchiMate language is also one of the most well known EA modeling language in the world. Therefore, we would like to use ArchiMate language to validate the proposed CBP method in this study.

Figure 19 shows the Abstract syntax (metamodel fragment) for strategy and value-related concepts. It reveals the relations between the behavior element, capability, resource and the goal(Iacob et al., 2012). According to this metamodel fragment, Azevedo et al proposed to use the capability and resource concepts as the addition of ArchiMate language. (Azevedo et al., 2013)

Chapter 2: Literature review

Translating Strategy into Implementation via Capability-based planning 28

Figure 19 : Abstract syntax (metamodel fragment) for strategy and value-related concepts (Iacob et al., 2012)

Since Aldea et al. proposed to use the concept of Goal to represent the mission, vision, strategy and objective. (Aldea et al., 2014) Therefore, according to the metamodel that presented in Figure 19, she constructed the Capability-based planning extension metamodel in ArchiMate language, which is illustrated in Figure 20. Except for using the concepts from the ArchiMate core and the other two language extension, Aldea et al. also added the concept of capability, capability increment and metric in this metamodel, which could help the organization to model CBP by using ArchiMate language:

 Capability: As mentioned before, Capability is defined as the ability (of a static structure

element, e.g., actor, application component, etc.) to employ resources to achieve some goals(Iacob et al., 2012) In Figure 19, Iacob et al. claimed that the capability could be realized by the behavior elements. In order to represent this relation in ArchiMate, Aldea proposed to use the ArchiMate core to describe the behavior element. And the core elements could be aggregated to the plateau to represent the architecture of the capability in certain time.

 Capability increment: In any certain point of time, the capability can be represented as

a capability increment. (The Open Group, 2011) It is a version of capability, which could help the user to know the transition of the capability.

 Metrics: It is defined as the extent, quantity, amount or degree of something, as

Translating Strategy into Implementation via Capability-based planning 29

Figure 20 : Capability-based planning extension metamodel (Aldea et al., 2014)

According to the added concepts that proposed in the CBP extension metamodel, the CBP could be modeled by ArchiMate language, the resource, capability notation and the capability increment could be defined. And the possible relations between these concepts of the resource and capability extension aspect are shown on Figure 21. And the definitions of the relations that could exist between these concepts are presented in Table 2.

Figure 21 : Possible relations between the resource and capability extension

Table 2 : Possible relations in the resource and capability extension (The Open Group, 2013)

Relationships Definition Notation

Association

The relationship between objects without any other specific relationship.

Chapter 2: Literature review

Translating Strategy into Implementation via Capability-based planning 30

processes, functions, or interactions and the access to interfaces by roles,

components, or collaborations.

Assignment

Linking units of behavior with active elements that perform them, or roles with actors that fulfill them.

Aggregation

Indicating that an object groups a number of other objects.

Composition An object is composed of one

or more objects

Triggering

It describes the temporal or causal relationships between processes, functions,

interactions, and events.

Specialization An object is a specialization

of another object.

According to these added concepts and their relations, we could use the ArchiMate language to model the capability and link the capability to the existing ArchiMate concepts. Furthermore, to use different relationship notation to express the relations between different capabilities, which could help us to model the Capability Map concept that defined in the previous section.

Summary

This chapter presents the basic concepts and the key techniques that will be mostly discussed in this research. Since the goal of this research is to define a Capability-based planning (CBP) method to facilitate the strategy implementation, the literature review is divided into four sections, which include strategy implementation, relationship between strategy and capability, CBP and Enterprise Architecture. For each section, the definitions of the key concepts and the common techniques are discussed, which could provide the theoretical support or/and used by the method that will be created in this research.

Translating Strategy into Implementation via Capability-based planning 31

3. Capability-based planning Method Design

The foundational question for strategic management is how an organization can achieve and sustain its competitive advantage. To answer this question, Teece et al. referred the competitive advantage as ―dynamic capabilities‖. With the dynamic capabilities approach, the question can be refined as how an organization can develop its capabilities to adapt and capitalize on rapid changing environment. ( Teece, Pisano & Shuen, 1997)

The term ―capabilities‖ in ―dynamic capabilities‖ emphasizes the key role of strategic management in appropriate skills, resources, and functional competences toward changing environment. (Teece & Pisano, 1994) Therefore, planning, developing and providing the suitable capabilities are important for an organization to formulate and implement its strategy. The organization can apply the Capability-based planning (CBP), which focuses on the planning, engineering, and delivery of strategic business capabilities to the enterprise (The Open Group, 2011), to support the strategic management process and help the organization to link its capabilities with its strategies.

3.1 Capability-based Planning Method

In the document ‗Guide to Capability-Based Planning‘, CBP has been defined as the method for identifying the levels of capability needed to achieve the strategy. With the scenarios, CBP explicitly connects capability goals to strategic requirements. Based on the goals, the defense department can do the holistic assessment of the defense capability and hence the development of robust force options within the available budget to meet the range of contingencies expected by government. (TTCP, 2004)

Comparing with the definition from the defense perspective, The Open Group defines CBP is focusing on the planning, engineering and delivery of strategic business capabilities to the enterprise. It is business-driven and business-led and combines with the requisite efforts of all lines of business to achieve the desired capability.(The Open Group, 2011) From the Enterprise Architecture perspective, capabilities are directly derived from the corporate strategic plan and used for satisfying the enterprise goals, objectives, and strategies. However, a capability could be in different performance/maturity level in certain time, which requires time to deliver it to the enterprise. It requires the CBP should also involve the tool for identifying the level of capability and then the organization can make the plan for improving the capability.

In conclusion, similar to the definition from the TTCP, the CBP method that defined by The Open Group is also including the concept of linking capabilities with the strategic requirements, assessing the level of capability and making the plan to deliver the capability. Therefore, Aldea stated the CBP as the methodology was focused on planning the improvement (over time) of a series of capability that will help achieve specific business outcomes. And based on the descriptions above, Aldea defined the CBP into three major phases, which involves Map, Access and Plan. (Aldea, 2014) And the method is shown on Figure 10 in chapter 2.3.2.

This method reveals that in CBP, Map, Plan and Assess can affect each other. Although the relationships between all the phases in this method are iterative, the method still follows a