Intro to business architecture terms
- damian.hickey
The Orthogramic Metamodel uses a structured set of terms to describe how an organisation works, what it delivers, and how it adapts to change. Each term is defined precisely to support clarity, automation, and traceability.
This guide introduces key terms in plain language and explains how they relate to one another in practice.
Core terms and definitions
Term | Definition |
|---|---|
Domain | A category of knowledge used to describe a part of how the business operates (e.g. Strategy, Capability, Organization, Policy). Each domain has a consistent structure and schema. |
Attribute | A property that describes a characteristic of a domain element (e.g. title, purpose, owner). |
Element | A key part or sub-section within a domain (e.g. a Capability has Components, Processes, and a Function). |
Sub-element | A further breakdown within an element that describes detailed content (e.g. a Capability Process includes Inputs, Outputs, and Performance Metrics). |
Key domains explained
Domain | Primary elements | Description |
|---|---|---|
Strategy | Business Objective | High-level goals and strategic direction. |
Capabilities | Component, Function, Process | Organisational abilities that deliver value. |
Value stream | Value Stream Stage | End-to-end sequences that create stakeholder value. |
Initiatives | Program, Project | Discrete bodies of work that implement strategy. |
Policy | Policy Attribute | Governance statements that guide decisions. |
Performance | KPI (Key Performance Indicator) | Measures of effectiveness and outcome achievement. |
Information | Information Component | Business-critical data assets and their use. |
Stakeholder | Stakeholder Requirement | Needs, concerns, and influence of internal/external actors. |
Product | Product Feature | Offerings delivered to the market or stakeholders. |
Service | Service Feature | Service-level components that support value delivery. |
Organisation | Organisation Unit | Structural entities that perform and govern work. |
Customer | Customer Segment, Experience Attribute | Entities receiving and influencing value delivery. |
Channel | Distribution Network, Integration Element | Pathways for delivering products and services. |
Market | Market Segment, Competitive Profile | External operating environment and positioning. |
Finance | Budget, Financial Objective | Financial planning, funding, and value tracking. |
Risk | Risk Type, Control, Mitigation | Uncertainties and controls relevant to objectives. |
Supply chain | Supplier Network, Logistics Flow | Upstream and downstream value contributors. |
Sustainability | Environmental, Social, Governance Metric | ESG considerations and impact frameworks. |
Innovation | Innovation Pipeline, Idea Evaluation | New thinking and emerging opportunity domains. |
People | Role, Skill, Workforce Structure | Human capability, roles, and workforce design. |
Technology | Application, Infrastructure, Standards | Digital assets, platforms, and architectural layers. |
Relationship and structure terms
Term | Definition |
|---|---|
Inter-unit domain relationships | Defines how different organizational units interact with the same capability, service, or domain artefact (e.g. one unit owns a capability, another consumes it). |
Relationship role | The type of connection a unit has to a domain element (e.g. owning unit, providing unit, consuming unit, custodian, governing unit). |
Trigger | An external or internal event that causes the business to respond (e.g. a new regulation, customer feedback). |
Rationale | A reason for action, often linked to a trigger and connected to specific strategies, initiatives, or policies. |
Strategic Response Model (SRM) | A structured way to link triggers, rationales, and the organisational responses across domains. |
Governance | The oversight structures and processes that ensure decisions are consistent with strategy and compliant with rules. |
Example of how terms relate
A Trigger (e.g. regulatory change) leads to a Rationale for change.
The Strategic Response Model defines how the business will respond—via Initiatives, Policy updates, or changes to Capabilities.
The affected Capabilities are owned by specific Organization Units, which may be supported or influenced by others via Inter-unit domain relationships.
Success is tracked via Performance KPIs, and relevant Stakeholders are kept informed.
All elements are structured, versioned, and traceable via the JSON schema definitions of each domain.
Related content
The Orthogramic Metamodel license: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 (CC BY-SA 4.0), ensuring it remains open, collaborative, and widely accessible.