Archimate: Again an Example Of the Benefits Of Structured Requirements Gathering!

Recently the Dutch Archimate Group has donated the ownership of Archimate to The Open Group. Archimate is another good example of the benefits of explicit requirements.

Archimate is an architecture language that integrates the whole of principles, methods, and models. Archimate includes visualization techniques that clearly demonstrate business domains and their relations. Archimate is used in the design and realization of organizational structure, information systems, and infrastructure.

The question is why we would need another analysis and design technique. Archimate is being developed, because of the integration of the separate components. More interesting is to try to comprehend what the drivers are behind Archimate. Today total and fast adaptation to changing conditions is required for organizations. So the Isst-situation, the Soll-situation and impact analysis need to be performed fast and accurate. So an Archimate description can help.

Fortunate this applies to all structured approaches, and the usage of Archimate is not really discrimination. To provide you with some of benefits of gathering structured business requirements:

• A better channel of communication to the customer during analysis and build phases, for higher levels of customer satisfaction.
• More accurate task and project estimation due to more complete and accurate requirements capture.
• Visibility into high-risk architectural issues earlier in the build phase, allowing you to take preemptive action.
• A much improved ability to adjust for feature modification and implement new priorities mid-cycle without jeopardizing the time-line.

And the benefits of business requirements management:

• Better quality project results;
• Lower project costs;
• Earlier consumption of benefits;
• More flexibility;
• Less risks;
• More successes to celebrate.

So my advice is to use some form of structured gathering of business requirements, and if your choice is Archimate: OK with me!

Do you want to discuss business requirements gathering or business requirements management? Or do you want to implement Archimate in your organization? Or do you want to know if your structured requirements gathering implementation business case balances, and will have a satisfactory Return On Investment (ROI)?