Process map
Enterprise architecture management (EAM)
What is a process map?
Within the context of Enterprise Architecture Management (EAM), the Process Map serves as the foundational Business Architecture layer, bridging the gap between strategic objectives and the IT infrastructure that enables them. It provides a structured, high-level overview of an organization's operational architecture, illustrating how different activities interact to deliver value. To achieve clarity and targeted governance, this map categorizes all business activities into three distinct entities. Management Processes define the strategic direction, ensure regulatory compliance, and control the overall health of the company. Core Processes represent the primary value chain, focusing on activities that directly create products or services for external customers. Finally, Support Processes provide the essential internal services, applications, and resources needed to keep the core and management operations running smoothly.
Examples
Define the management, core, and service processes as Versio.io instances of your process map. Versio.io generates a process map from these process instances.
Figure: Process map example
Link the management, core and service processes in Versio.io to instances from the operational level of your IT operations. Typical use cases for this include:
- Applications
- IT services
- Processes
- Service level objectives (KPIs)
- Protection requirement assessments
This allows you to use the topology to establish a connection between the management and operational levels.
- Which application or which KPI is necessary for the execution of a specific management process?
- Which IT services support the execution of which processes from the process map?
- Who is responsible for the operational execution of one or more processes from the process map?
Figure: Process map with relation to other manage and operational instances
Attributes overview
General attributes
These attributes apply to all process entities (Management, Core, and Support) to ensure consistent governance and lifecycle management.
| Attribute | Description | Allowed Values / Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Name | The concise and clear title of the process. | Free text |
| Description | A brief summary explaining the purpose and scope. | Free text |
| Owner | The specific role or individual accountable for the process. | User / Role reference |
| Status | The current lifecycle stage of the process documentation. | Draft, Active, Archived |
| Next Review Date | The deadline by which the owner must review and update the process to ensure it remains current. | Date (YYYY-MM-DD) |
Entity: Management Process
Attributes specific to processes responsible for strategic direction, governance, and control.
| Attribute | Description | Allowed Values / Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Strategic Target | The overarching business objective this process supports. | Free text |
| Risk Class | Assessment of potential impact if the process fails. | Low, Medium, High |
| Compliance Relevance | Regulatory frameworks the process must adhere to. | NIS2, ISO 9001, ISO 27001, GDPR, SOX |
| Reporting Cycle | Frequency of performance reviews. | e.g., Monthly, Quarterly |
| Primary KPI | The main Key Performance Indicator used to measure the success or health of this process. | Free text (e.g., "Zero compliance breaches") |
Entity: Core Process
Attributes specific to value-adding processes that deliver products or services to external customers.
| Attribute | Description | Allowed Values / Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Customer Segment | The specific external target group consuming the output. | Free text |
| Value Contribution | Tangible, measurable output delivered to the customer. | Free text |
| Critical SLAs | Mandatory quality, speed, or performance thresholds. | Free text |
| Lead Time | Total time required from initial trigger to final delivery. | e.g., Hours, Days |
| Revenue Relevance | Indicates if the process directly generates financial income. | Yes, No |
| Frequency | How often this process is executed within a given timeframe. | e.g., 100x/Day, Monthly, Per Transaction |
Entity: Support Process
Attributes specific to processes that provide internal services, infrastructure, or resources.
| Attribute | Description | Allowed Values / Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Internal Customer | Internal departments or processes relying on this service. | Department / Process reference |
| Service Costs | Financial expense (e.g., calculated per user/transaction). | Numeric value |
| Cost Centre | The accounting department or budget unit assigned. | Free text / Code |
| Availability Requirement | Expected uptime or responsiveness to prevent disruptions. | e.g., 99.9%, 24/7, 8x5 |
| Service Level Objective (SLO) | The specific, measurable target for internal service delivery performance. | e.g., Resolution < 4h, Response < 15m |