In TOGAF, a viewpoint is a specification of the conventions for constructing and using a particular kind of architecture view. It defines the perspective from which a view is created and utilized, ensuring that the architecture addresses the concerns of various stakeholders effectively. This guide explores the key aspects of viewpoints in TOGAF, their purpose, and how they are used to communicate with stakeholders, along with practical examples.
Understanding Viewpoints
Definition
A viewpoint in TOGAF is essentially the perspective or vantage point from which you observe and analyze a system. It determines what you see and how you interpret the architecture, based on the concerns and interests of different stakeholders.
Example:
- Scenario: A financial institution is developing a new customer onboarding system.
- Implementation: The institution defines a viewpoint for customer experience, focusing on how the system interacts with customers and addresses their needs and concerns.
Purpose
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Communication with Stakeholders:
- Viewpoints are used to communicate with stakeholders by presenting information in a form that each stakeholder can relate to and understand. This ensures that the architecture addresses their specific concerns and interests.
Example:
- Scenario: A healthcare provider is implementing a new electronic health record (EHR) system.
- Implementation: The provider uses viewpoints to communicate with different stakeholders, such as doctors, nurses, and administrators, presenting information relevant to their roles and concerns.
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Addressing Specific Concerns:
- Viewpoints address specific concerns about a system-of-interest, ensuring that the architecture meets the needs and expectations of stakeholders.
Example:
- Scenario: A manufacturing company is upgrading its IT infrastructure.
- Implementation: The company defines viewpoints to address concerns related to system performance, scalability, and integration with existing systems.
Stakeholders and Viewpoints
Stakeholders are individuals or groups with an interest in the system being developed. The minimum set of stakeholders for a system includes users, system and software engineers, operators, administrators, managers, and customers. Viewpoints are tailored to address the concerns of these stakeholders.
Example:
- Scenario: A retail company is developing a new customer loyalty program.
- Implementation: The company defines viewpoints for customers, marketing managers, and IT engineers, ensuring that the loyalty program addresses the concerns and interests of each stakeholder group.
Views vs. Viewpoints
Views
- Definition: An architecture view is what you see from a particular viewpoint. It is a representation of the system from the perspective of a specific stakeholder or group of stakeholders.
- Characteristics: Views are specific to the architecture for which they are created and are used to communicate and verify that the system addresses stakeholder concerns.
Example:
- Scenario: A software development company is creating a new enterprise application.
- Implementation: The company develops views for different stakeholders, such as a data flow diagram for engineers and a user interface mockup for end-users, ensuring that the application meets their specific needs.
Viewpoints
- Definition: Architecture viewpoints are generic and can be stored in libraries for reuse. They define the conventions and guidelines for creating views.
- Characteristics: Every architecture view has an associated architecture viewpoint that describes it, at least implicitly.
Example:
- Scenario: A global corporation is establishing an enterprise architecture practice.
- Implementation: The corporation develops a library of viewpoints that can be reused across different projects, ensuring consistency and efficiency in the architecture development process.
Taxonomy of Architecture Views
The taxonomy of architecture views is an organized collection of all architecture views pertinent to an architecture. It provides a structured approach to managing and utilizing views and viewpoints.
Example:
- Scenario: A government agency is developing a new citizen services portal.
- Implementation: The agency establishes a taxonomy of architecture views, organizing them based on stakeholder concerns and interests, ensuring that the portal meets the needs of all stakeholders.
Viewpoint Library
A viewpoint library is a collection of the specifications of architecture viewpoints contained in the Reference Library portion of the Architecture Repository. It provides a resource for reusing viewpoints across different projects and architectures.
Example:
- Scenario: A financial institution is implementing a new risk management architecture.
- Implementation: The institution uses a viewpoint library to access predefined viewpoints for risk assessment and compliance, ensuring that the architecture meets regulatory requirements and stakeholder concerns.
ADM and Viewpoints
Setting the Scope
- Understanding which stakeholders and views need to be developed is crucial in setting the scope of the engagement. This ensures that the architecture addresses the concerns and interests of all relevant stakeholders.
Example:
- Scenario: A healthcare provider is developing a new patient management system.
- Implementation: The provider identifies the stakeholders and views that need to be developed, ensuring that the patient management system addresses the concerns and interests of doctors, nurses, administrators, and patients.
Selecting Reference Models and Viewpoints
- Selecting reference models, viewpoints, and tools is essential for developing views that address stakeholder concerns effectively.
Example:
- Scenario: A manufacturing company is upgrading its IT infrastructure.
- Implementation: The company selects reference models and viewpoints that address concerns related to system performance, scalability, and integration, ensuring that the IT infrastructure meets business needs.
Ensuring Stakeholder Concerns are Covered
- Ensuring that all stakeholder concerns are covered is crucial for the success of the architecture. This may involve creating new models or augmenting existing models to address concerns that are not covered.
Example:
- Scenario: A retail company is implementing a new customer loyalty program.
- Implementation: The company ensures that all stakeholder concerns are covered by developing views that address customer engagement, marketing strategies, and IT infrastructure requirements.
Diagrams and Viewpoints
- Diagrams present the Business Architecture information from a set of different perspectives (viewpoints) according to the requirements of the stakeholders.
Example:
- Scenario: A software development company is creating a new enterprise application.
- Implementation: The company uses diagrams to present the Business Architecture from different viewpoints, ensuring that the application meets the needs and concerns of all stakeholders.
Conflict Resolution
Performing trade-off analysis to resolve conflicts among different views is essential for ensuring that the architecture meets the needs and expectations of all stakeholders.
Example:
- Scenario: A global corporation is implementing a new data governance framework.
- Implementation: The corporation performs trade-off analysis to resolve conflicts among different views, ensuring that the data governance framework meets the needs and expectations of all stakeholders.
Architecture Governance
Architecture Viewpoints and Views list all the viewpoints and views that should be addressed by the architecture practice. The identified architecture practice stakeholders guide the development of this definition.
Example:
- Scenario: A financial institution is establishing an enterprise architecture practice.
- Implementation: The institution lists all the viewpoints and views that should be addressed by the architecture practice, ensuring that the architecture meets the needs and concerns of all stakeholders.
Conclusion
Viewpoints in TOGAF provide a structured approach to communicating with stakeholders and addressing their concerns effectively. By defining perspectives and conventions for creating views, viewpoints ensure that the architecture is understood and verified by all stakeholders. This comprehensive guide, along with practical examples, illustrates the key aspects and benefits of viewpoints in TOGAF, enabling organizations to develop architectures that meet the needs and expectations of all stakeholders.