Introduction to Zachman Framework

The Zachman framework was the brainchild of John Zachman in 1987, becoming a widely used approach for engineering Enterprise Architecture. It was published in the system journal of IBM under the name -- A framework for information systems architecture. Zachman worked for IBM from 1964-1990, serving as one of the founding developers of IBM’s Business Systems Planning (BSP).

The basic idea behind the Zachman framework is that the same complex item can be described for different purposes in different ways, using different types of descriptions. The framework provides 36 necessary categories for completely describing anything, especially complex things like manufactured goods. The 36 categories are made up of six rows and six columns taking the form of a two-dimensional matrix.

The six rows of the framework are:

The columns represent the interrogatives or questions that are asked of the enterprise.

Rules of the Zachman Framework

Zachman defines 7 rules for using his framework.

How and Where is the Zachman Framework Used?

In today’s complex business environments, many large organizations have great difficulty responding to change. Part of this difficulty is due to a lack of internal understanding of the complex structure and components in different areas of the organization, where legacy information about the business is locked away in the minds of specific employees or business units.

The Zachman framework provides a means of classifying an organization’s architecture. It is a proactive business tool, which can be used to model an organization’s existing functions, elements, and processes while helping manage business change. The framework draws on Zachman’s experience of how change is managed in complex products. John Zackman stresses that the framework can extend to the entire enterprise architecture, and is not just restricted to information architecture.

John Zachman sees the framework as being used as:

Putting the Zachman Framework into Practice.

The logical point to begin within the Zachman framework would be at the top left of the two-dimensional matrix and work your way down across the table. The relevant business information or models used to represent a specific area of the business may already exist in business plans, project schedules, system specifications, procedure guidelines, or other documents.

As you go through the matrix, there will be gaps that need to be filled in where implicit information known to only a single person or a few experts needs to be made explicit and available to a wider audience. There may be instances of overlap or redundancy. The goal is to manage change and reduce redundancies and overlaps.