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Representation and analysis of enterprise models with semantic techniques: an application to ArchiMate, e3value and business model canvas

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Abstract

Enterprise models assist the governance and transformation of organizations through the specification, communication and analysis of strategy, goals, processes, information, along with the underlying application and technological infrastructure. Such models cross-cut different concerns and are often conceptualized using domain-specific modelling languages. This paper explores the application of graph-based semantic techniques to specify, integrate and analyse multiple, heterogeneous enterprise models. In particular, the proposal described in this paper (1) specifies enterprise models as ontological schemas, (2) uses transformation mapping functions to integrate the ontological schemas and (3) analyses the integrated schemas with graph querying and logical inference. The proposal is evaluated through a scenario that integrates three distinct enterprise modelling languages: the business model canvas, e3value, and the business layer of the ArchiMate language. The results show, on the one hand, that the graph-based approach is able to handle the specification, integration and analysis of enterprise models represented with different modelling languages and, on the other, that the integration challenge resides in defining appropriate mapping functions between the schemas.

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Acknowledgments

This work was partially funded by FCT, Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, through projects UID/CEC 50021/2013 and DataStorm EXCL/EEI-ESS 0257/2012, and by the European Commission under the Seventh Framework Programme for research and technological development and demonstration activities under Grant Agreement No. 269940 (TIMBUS project, http://timbusproject.net/).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. IST, University of Lisbon, Av. Rovisco Pais 1, 1049-001, Lisboa, Portugal

    Artur Caetano, João Pombinho, José Borbinha & Miguel Mira da Silva

  2. INESC-ID, Rua Alves Redol 9, 1000-029, Lisboa, Portugal

    Artur Caetano, Gonçalo Antunes, João Pombinho, Marzieh Bakhshandeh, José Granjo, José Borbinha & Miguel Mira da Silva

  3. NOS Comunicações, Rua Actor António Silva 9, 1600-404, Lisboa, Portugal

    João Pombinho

  4. Screen Interaction AB, Arne Beurlings Torg 3, 164 40, Kista, Stockholm, Sweden

    José Granjo

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  1. Artur Caetano
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  2. Gonçalo Antunes
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Correspondence to Artur Caetano.

Appendix

Appendix

Fig. 14
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The ArchiMate business layer model of ePharmacare

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The ArchiMate business layer model of a pharmacy within the ePharmacare network

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The business model canvas of ePharmacare

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The business model canvas of a pharmacy within the ePharmacare network

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Fig. 18
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Answers to competency questions 1–6

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Fig. 19
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Answers to competency questions 7–9

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Caetano, A., Antunes, G., Pombinho, J. et al. Representation and analysis of enterprise models with semantic techniques: an application to ArchiMate, e3value and business model canvas. Knowl Inf Syst 50, 315–346 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10115-016-0933-0

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