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

• Mixing abstraction levels: Detailed processes alongside strategic capabilities

• Using Association as default: When specific relationship type applies

• Over-modeling: Every detail captured, creating maintenance burden

• Wrong element type: Using Process when Function is correct

• Missing services layer: Direct connections bypassing service abstraction

• View-centric thinking: Creating elements for single view, not reusing

• 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