Understanding the ArchiMate Motivation View: Unveiling the WHY, WHOM, and WHAT

In the intricate world of enterprise architecture (EA), understanding the motivation behind change is crucial. The ArchiMate Motivation View, also known as the Goals View, allows us to explore the WHY, WHOM, and WHAT of demand. Let’s dive into this powerful viewpoint and discover how it sheds light on the driving forces behind architectural decisions.

1. What Is the Motivation View?

• The Motivation View captures the reasons and drivers that guide changes in an enterprise architecture.
• It answers fundamental questions:
  • WHY is this change needed?
  • WHOM does it impact?
  • WHAT are the goals and outcomes?
• When appropriate, it can also associate a Value to illustrate the concrete benefits of the demand.

2. Elements in the Motivation View:

• The ArchiMate Motivation View leverages elements such as:
  • Stakeholder: Represents individuals, teams, or organizations with interests in the architecture’s effects.
  • Driver: External or internal conditions motivating an organization to define goals and implement necessary changes.
  • Assessment: Evaluations of drivers, often using techniques like SWOT analysis.
  • Goal: Describes desired outcomes.
  • Principle: Guides decision-making.
  • Requirement: Specifies necessary conditions.
  • Constraint: Imposes limitations.

Let’s summarize the example that describe the relationships between stakeholders, drivers, and assessments in the context of the ArchiMate Motivation View:

1. Stakeholders:
   • Chief Marketing Officer (CMO): Concerned with the driver “Market Share.”
   • Chief Executive Officer (CEO): Concerned with drivers “Market Share” and “Profitability.”
   • Chief Financial Officer (CFO): Concerned with the driver “Profitability.”
2. Drivers:
   • Market Share: A key concern for both the CMO and CEO.
   • Profitability: A concern for the CEO and CFO. Composed of two sub-drivers:
     • Revenue
     • Costs
3. Assessments:
   • “Market Share Is Declining”: Associated with the driver “Market Share.”
   • Assessments may influence each other:
     • “Market Share Is Declining” → “Revenue Is Declining” → “Profitability Is Declining.”

In summary, the Motivation View helps us understand the WHY behind architectural changes by examining stakeholders’ concerns, drivers, and their impact on outcomes.

3. Multipurpose Application:

• The Motivation View serves various purposes:
  • Depicting organizational strategies.
  • Defining business cases.
  • Describing requirements for specific development targets.
• Stakeholders from diverse backgrounds (managers, developers, etc.) can understand it without deep knowledge of ArchiMate.

4. Valuable Precedence:

• Create a Motivation View for every demand for change:
  • Before taking any “build or buy” actions.
  • To ensure clarity, alignment, and informed decision-making.

In summary, the ArchiMate Motivation View empowers architects to uncover the WHY behind architectural shifts, ensuring that every change is purposeful and well-informed.