Using EA to Develop a Content Model

[BeeBee66]

Hi,
We are starting a new project for the implementation and deployment of a records and archives management (RAM) system.  We would like to use EA to map business processes for each business area as we roll out the system and to develop a content model.

Modelling the business processes should be fairly straight forward but we are unsure how best to develop the content model and how to represent this in EA.  Essentially it will be a 4-level hierarchy representing Area, Sub-area, Process and Content Type.  Ideally we'd like to model the associated metadata at each level.

Has anyone else used EA to develop a similar model and if so what approach did you take to do it?

Thanks for your help.

Brad

[Thelonius]

Hi Brad

You may be looking for a data reference model. E.g., a hierarchical taxonomy of classes of content of all types, relevant to your business domain, products, services, etc.

There is a range of generic "industry" reference models for information.

By "content" - are you in an industry that has "content" that is more interesting than plain old "information" in the form of letters, forms, files, etc.

What do you call "content"? If you're in police / legal domain, drugs and money confiscated as legally admissable evidence must be represented and managed as "content". If you're in media, video and audio content is "content".

Vendors of COTS CMS typically provide a content structure that you must extend and map to your processes.

[BeeBee66]

Thanks for your response.  We've already developed a business classification scheme that identifies a hierarchy of functionally based information including records, documents, digital, media, etc.

I work for Murdoch University so our "content" is quite broad.  It can be "traditional" administrative information such as the ones you mentioned, but it could include a plethora of things related to partners, research, teaching, courses, etc from areas as diverse as veterinary science, law, theology, engineering and health science.

Our intention is to develop process models for specific business areas and develop a content model that supports those business processes.

thanks for your help.

Brad

[Thelonius]

Brad

You're in luck. I'd be reaching out to people in the AU tertiary educational consortium and asking them what they use. Sharing and collaboration across AU universities quite good, with some unis leading.

Organisation I work for has helped AU universities develop EA capability, including information / data. Lead consultant in that stream is now based in Perth.

DM me if you would like his contact details.