What is The Zachman Framework?

The Zachman framework developed by John Zachman in 1987 is not a conventional methodology, rather it’s a template that describes how diverse ideas are perceived from equally unique standpoints. The Zachman framework comprises a set of management rules that are further presented to the organizations in a 36-cell table format.

The Zachman framework drives a good architect to explain “Who, What, Where, When, How, Why” to different clientele. The Zachman framework is presented in a 36-cell two-dimensional matrix comprising six columns and six rows. The rows indicate the perspectives while the columns represent the fundamental questions. The matrix is quite comprehensive and describes the representations of enterprises in a detailed and structured manner.

The Zachman framework is quite flexible to work on projects concerning any scope. Zachman prides itself in building relationships between different cells. It essentially isn’t about architecture only but helps organize and manage your IT infrastructure and integrate them into your business like any tool.

The rows and columns that make up the 36-cell matrix of the Zachman framework are as follows:

As mentioned earlier, the rows comprise the perspectives, which are the executive, business management, architect, engineer, technician, and enterprise perspectives.

1. Executive Perspective – This describes the purpose of the enterprise architecture program concerning business strategy. It allows the planner to get information regarding the size and cost of the systems.
2. Business Management Perspective – This describes the concepts in terms of enterprise models, design choices, and business processes adopted by the organization. The business management perspective is a useful tool for owners who want to understand every detail of their business operations. Moreover, the owners also get to know how the different processes interact.
3. Architect Perspective – This describes the system logic recounting how business requirements will be met. The architect is responsible for determining how the software works and then representing the entire business model.
4. Engineer Perspective – This describes how the technology physics concerning the technology solutions will be used to implement system choices. It ensures that the contractor uses specific techniques to address the persistent challenges within a business.
5. Technician Perspective – This component describes the requirements regarding specific modular tooling components. It takes place when a programmer is offered instructions on how to carry forward.
6. Enterprise Perspective – This is the functioning system as viewed by the user in its fully-fledged operational environment.

The columns on the other hand represent the fundamental questions which are; "What, Where, When, Who, and Why."

1. What? – This represents the whole enterprise data that each row would deal with.
2. Where? – This is all about logistics, geographical locations, and interconnections.
3. When? This represents events and business cycles that trigger business activities.
4. How? – This represents the process flows and how the business performs.
5. Who? – This represents the interaction and organizational units between both technology and other individuals.
6. Why – This represents overall strategies and business goals into specific means.

The matrix format represents actors and their relationships with decision criteria.

With all these said, let's now look at Zachman's chief competitor.

What is The TOGAF Framework?

We cannot talk about the TOGAF Framework without highlighting its history. The framework by The Open Group was first published in 1995 and was based on the working principles and approaches of the Technical Architecture Framework for Information Management (TAFIM).

The Open Group Architecture Framework (TOGAF®) is an industry-leading standard for developing, maintaining, and using enterprise architecture. Over 300 member companies of The Open Group's Architecture Forum collaboratively developed it. The TOGAF framework allows enterprise architects to do their jobs faster.

It is important to note that, the enterprise architecture profession exists to help organizations change. Because organizations are multifarious in terms of their core business and challenges met, enterprise architecture helps identify the best way forward.

TOGAF offers a systematic and step-by-step architecture implementation for modernizing companies all over the world. It aids organizations in creating a roadmap or outline for iterative and rapid architecture development. The TOGAF framework is adaptable, open, and allows leading organizations to scale their businesses.

The Architectural Development Method (ADM) which is a critical element of TOGAF attributed to the framework’s massive success. What makes ADM such a huge success is that it is highly adaptable and records according to the user’s unique requirements. There are several distinct stages of ADM in TOGAF, which we are going to summarize below.

TOGAF ADM Phases Summary

1. Preliminary Stage – This defines the concerns, requirements, and principles for any future architecture within an organization.
2. Architecture Vision Phase – This stage involves understanding the problem and choosing an architecture scope and methodology that aligns with stakeholders. It is at this stage that you find out how your stakeholders will judge the fitness of the enterprise architecture. You also test a summary of the target architecture and work to confirm they are interested in proceeding.
3. Business Architecture Phase – Here the framework uses methods to describe an ideal architecture vision. You use the same problem identified, the stakeholders, criteria, and summary. Explore what changes are necessary for the business architecture and assess any changes with stakeholders' key criteria.
4. Information Systems Architecture Phase – With the same information from the previous phases, use this to model the whole application and data architecture. Ensure that you assess changes with stakeholders' key criteria.
5. Technology Architecture Phase – Keep in mind the same steps from the earlier phases. In this phase, the entire description of the system is transformed into architecture implementation. Do not forget to assess stakeholders' key criteria.
6. Opportunities and Solutions Phase – This phase is also informed by the information from previous phases. It defines the essential steps for changing the present-day architecture for targeting the implementation plan. Therefore, in this stage, you gather all changes required in the enterprise architecture and bundle them into work packages. You then find interim value delivery in transition architecture. In this phase you assess the expected value and effort of the work packages with the stakeholder's key criteria.
7. Implementation (Migration) Plan Phase – We cannot reiterate this enough; you should always use the information from previous stages in all subsequent phases. This phase describes the estimated timeline, costs, and roadmap implementation. Take the architecture roadmap and work with planners to assign resources and schedule the work. Ensure that you assess the changes on stakeholders' key criteria. Engage with the stakeholders and find out if they want to proceed with the change.
8. Implementation Governance Phase – In this phase, you assign governance functionalities during distinctive stages of the architecture deployment. Use the changes, value measures, and constraints developed in the enterprise architecture (i.e. Phase B, C, D, and E). Ensure that the change implementers focus on expected value, a similar problem, and are working within all architecture requirements. Report compliance and provide stakeholders with recommendations to reach the expected value whenever there is an issue.
9. Architecture Change Management Phase – This stage provides intense monitoring for business and technology changes. You are required to assess the complete set of changes with the stakeholder’s key criteria. Wherever the project falls short, your organization’s environment changes, or new possibilities arise, we advise you to restart from the first phase while aiming to capture the new opportunity.

The TOGAF framework had been adopted by over 60% of total Fortune 500 businesses because of its extensiveness as of 2016. This figure has obviously ballooned over recent years. It is also praised for its high adaptability, agility, and ability to foster collaboration.