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Author Topic: Subject Area Model and Conceptual Data Model  (Read 20462 times)

Modesto Vega

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Subject Area Model and Conceptual Data Model
« on: April 07, 2015, 03:36:31 am »
I am modelling a Subject Area Model and a Conceptual Data Model with EA12, something I have done before. However, I have always struggled finding a stereotype to model a Subject Area, I don't mind creating my own. The closest I have come up to is a Package but somehow I am not happy with it. So I will welcome any suggestions.

By the way, a Subject Area, is an area of interest to a business or organisations, it typically consists of business processes and data entities. Marketing and HR are 2 typical subject areas, as it is Facility Management.

The reason why I like using EA for this is because of how easy it is to maintain and output dependency matrices.


qwerty

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Re: Subject Area Model and Conceptual Data Model
« Reply #1 on: April 07, 2015, 08:57:37 am »
It sounds like you should have a look into BPMN. I think that a (stereotyped) package is just fine, but maybe BPMN has something more appropriate.

q.

Modesto Vega

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Re: Subject Area Model and Conceptual Data Model
« Reply #2 on: April 07, 2015, 06:16:12 pm »
Thanks for the reply.

In BPMN 2 an Activity is the closest to a subject area. This also applies to UML and Strategic Modeling. However, I am not entirely sure that all subjects areas can be modeled as an Activity. In fact, I am not even sure if, in a real business, a Subject Area is an Activity (but this a little bit academical).

A subject area model diagram is very similar, in my mind, to a Value Chain diagram available under "Strategic Modelling". But I find that diagram somehow limited because it forces Primary Activities to be arrow like and only allows for 1 row of Primary Activities.

In my mind, the solution entails using a diagram similar to a Value Chain diagram, but more complex, without using arrow like activities, allowing more than 1 row for primary activities, allowing nesting activities, and allowing a variable number of rows per block of activities.

Happy to customize EA but I am not sure how to go about customizing a diagram like the one described in the previous paragraph.

OpenIT Solutions

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Re: Subject Area Model and Conceptual Data Model
« Reply #3 on: April 14, 2015, 01:56:59 am »
Actually I'd suggest having a look at ArchiMate - specifically the motivation extensions. I believe this would cover your requirement. See the link below for a good overview:

http://theopengroup.org/archimate/2.0/ArchiMate2_intro.pdf