Business Service/Function Catalog: Artifact of Business Architecture (Phase B)

The Business Service/Function Catalog is a document that provides a functional decomposition of an organization’s services and functions in a form that can be filtered, reported on, and queried. This catalog serves as a supplementary tool to graphical Functional Decomposition diagrams and can be used to identify the capabilities of an organization, determine the scope of change initiatives, and understand the level of governance applied to its functions. The Business Service/Function Catalog contains metamodel entities such as Organization Unit, Business Function, Business Service, and Application Service.

• The Business Service/Function catalog is a document that provides a detailed list of the functions and services offered by a business. It is a supplementary tool to graphical Functional Decomposition diagrams, which breaks down complex functions into smaller, more manageable components.
• The Business Service/Function catalog is typically used to identify the capabilities of an organization and to understand the level of governance applied to its functions. This decomposition can be used to identify the new capabilities required to support business change or to determine the scope of change initiatives, applications, or technology components.

The catalog contains four types of metamodel entities:

1. Organization Unit: This entity represents the different departments or units within the organization that provide specific services or functions.
2. Business Function: This entity represents the specific functions or processes performed within each organization unit.
3. Business Service: This entity represents the services offered by the organization to its customers or stakeholders.
4. Application Service: This entity may be included optionally and represents the technology components that support the organization’s functions and services.

The Business Service/Function catalog can be filtered, reported on, and queried, making it a valuable tool for analyzing an organization’s capabilities and identifying areas for improvement.

Example:

For example, the Course Development function is responsible for creating and updating course materials, while the Online Course Delivery service is responsible for delivering these courses to the students. The LMS Administration service is responsible for managing the Learning Management System, while the LMS application service represents the technology component that supports this service.

This table provides a clear and concise overview of the different entities in the Business Service/Function Catalog. The first column lists the organization unit, while the second column lists the different business functions, services, and application services offered by the Education Services Department. The different services and functions are listed in a bullet point format within each cell for easy readability.

Summary

The Business Service/Function Catalog is an essential tool for businesses to gain insight into their capabilities and improve their services. By providing a detailed breakdown of the different functions and services offered by the organization, the catalog helps identify areas for improvement, new capabilities required to support business change, and determine the scope of change initiatives, applications, or technology components. With a comprehensive overview of the organization’s services and functions, businesses can better understand their strengths and weaknesses, make informed decisions, and improve their overall performance.