Versions Compared

Key

  • This line was added.
  • This line was removed.
  • Formatting was changed.
Table of Contents
stylenone

Introduction

The Policy domain in Orthogramic establishes the rules, guidelines, and standards that govern your organization’s operations and decision-making. This domain is tightly integrated with other business architecture elements like Capabilities, Value Streams, and Information, ensuring that policies are consistently applied and aligned with strategic goals. By embedding compliance and governance within the business architecture, Orthogramic helps your organization maintain accountability, manage risks, and adapt policies as the business evolves. Explore how the Policy domain supports consistent and effective governance throughout your organization.

What is a Policy in Orthogramic?

In Orthogramic, a Policy serves as a guiding principle that sets the boundaries and constraints for organizational behavior, helping to ensure alignment with strategic objectives and compliance with regulatory and internal standards. Orthogramic treats Policy as a dynamic, integrated element within the business architecture framework, emphasizing its direct influence on decision-making, processes, and capabilities. Unlike BIZBOK, which often handles Policy as a more static, governance-related aspect of business architecture, Orthogramic's approach to Policy is both adaptive and interconnected with other business architecture domains, making it an active driver of organizational alignment and agility.

In Orthogramic, a Policy is closely linked to business architecture domains such as Strategy, Capabilities, Value Streams, and Information. These relationships are explicitly managed through attributes, elements, and sub-elements, ensuring that Policies are not siloed but actively influence other parts of the organization. For example, a Policy in Orthogramic may directly impact how a Capability operates, which processes are allowed, and how Value Streams are structured. This interconnectedness provides a more holistic view of how Policies shape and are shaped by other elements in the business architecture, enabling a consistent and cohesive approach to governance.

One of the key differences between Orthogramic and BIZBOK is the way Policy data is maintained and updated. In BIZBOK, Policies are often seen as documentation-heavy elements that require manual updates and periodic reviews to stay current. This traditional approach can lead to delays in the adaptation of Policies when changes are needed, potentially hindering an organization's ability to remain agile in a fast-changing business environment. Orthogramic, on the other hand, employs automation and advanced analytics to manage and update Policies dynamically. This means that Policies in Orthogramic are constantly monitored and adjusted based on real-time data, ensuring they remain relevant and aligned with organizational needs.

Orthogramic’s use of AI and machine learning allows for predictive insights related to Policy effectiveness and impact. The platform can analyze trends, internal and external factors, and compliance requirements to suggest modifications to existing Policies or highlight areas that may require additional guidance. This proactive approach contrasts with BIZBOK’s more reactive methodology, which often involves manual reviews to identify outdated or irrelevant Policies. Orthogramic’s predictive capabilities help organizations stay ahead of potential compliance risks and adapt Policies in anticipation of changes in the business or regulatory landscape.

Another distinction is Orthogramic’s focus on the operationalization of Policies across the organization. In traditional BIZBOK implementations, Policies may be developed at a strategic level but lack clear connections to day-to-day operations. In Orthogramic, Policies are embedded within business architecture domains in a way that directly influences execution. For instance, Policies are linked to specific processes, capabilities, and workflows, ensuring that they are actively enforced and reflected in organizational behavior. This operational focus allows for a clearer translation of strategic intent into actionable guidelines, making Policies more effective as tools for governance.

Orthogramic also promotes a collaborative approach to Policy management. While BIZBOK typically emphasizes a top-down model where Policies are often created and maintained by senior leadership or business architects, Orthogramic democratizes the process. The platform’s intuitive interface allows users from various departments and roles to engage in Policy creation, review, and refinement. This inclusivity ensures that Policies are not only aligned with high-level strategy but also practical and relevant to the daily realities of different business units, increasing buy-in and adherence across the organization.

The integration of Policies with performance metrics is another area where Orthogramic differs significantly from BIZBOK. In BIZBOK, performance measurement is typically handled separately from Policies, leading to potential gaps between policy objectives and actual outcomes. In Orthogramic, performance indicators are embedded within Policies, allowing for real-time tracking of policy adherence and effectiveness. This provides a continuous feedback loop, enabling organizations to measure how well Policies are being implemented and their impact on business goals. If a Policy is not achieving the desired outcomes, Orthogramic’s analytics can suggest adjustments or highlight areas of non-compliance, ensuring a more agile and responsive approach to governance.

In summary, a Policy in Orthogramic is not just a static set of rules; it is a living, dynamic component of business architecture that interacts with other domains to shape organizational behavior. Unlike BIZBOK’s more traditional, documentation-centric view of Policies, Orthogramic’s approach focuses on adaptability, real-time data integration, and operational relevance. This modern, data-driven methodology empowers organizations to proactively manage Policies, ensuring they are consistently aligned with strategic objectives and responsive to changing conditions. By embedding Policies within the business architecture and linking them to performance metrics, Orthogramic transforms Policies into active tools for driving organizational success.

Page description

Each Policy Detail page provides comprehensive documentation of one organization’s policies, including their purposes, requirements, and compliance metrics. This ensures that policies are up-to-date and adhered to across the organization. It is reached from Business Architecture > Policy.

...

...

Policy attributes

Domain

Attribute

Description

Example

Policy

Title

The name or title of the policy.

Data Privacy Policy

Policy

Description

A detailed explanation of what the policy entails.

Guidelines for handling and protecting personal data.

Policy

Purpose

The intended purpose or function of the policy within the organization.

To ensure compliance with data protection regulations.

Policy

Owner

The individual or team responsible for the policy.

Legal Department

Policy

Organizational Unit

The organizational unit(s) to which the policy is linked.

IT Department

Policy

Requirements

Specific conditions or criteria to be met under the policy.

Encrypt all personal data, limit access to authorized personnel

Policy

Compliance Metrics

Measures to ensure adherence to policies.

Number of data breaches, compliance audit results

Policy

Review Frequency

How often the policy is reviewed and updated.

Annually

Policy

Approvals

Individuals or groups that must approve the policy.

CIO, Legal Counsel

Policy

Related Policies

Policies that are related or linked to this policy.

Information Security Policy, Data Retention Policy

Policy

Compliance and Standards

Regulatory requirements and standards the policy must adhere to.

GDPR, CCPA

Policy

Risks

Potential risks associated with the policy and its implementation.

Non-compliance fines, reputational damage

Policy

Improvement Opportunities

Areas where the policy can be enhanced or improved.

Regular training on data protection for all employees

Policy

Strategic Alignment

How the policy aligns with the organization's strategic goals and objectives.

Supports the strategic goal of maintaining customer trust

Policy

Parent

A high-level capability that encompasses multiple sub-capabilities or child capabilities. It represents a broad area of business functionality.

Customer Management

Policy

Child

A specific capability that falls under a broader parent capability. It represents a more granular aspect of business functionality.

Customer Onboarding