Title: Promoting business-IT alignment through agent metaphor-based software technology

Authors: D. Venkatesan; S. Sridhar

Addresses: Department of Information Technology, Bharathidasan Institute of Technology, Anna University Chennai, Tiruchirapalli, India ' Department of Information Science and Technology, Anna University Chennai, India

Abstract: Business-IT alignment (BITA) addresses the nature of connection between business activities, enterprise architecture (EA) and software technology. Luftman's strategic alignment maturity model suggests usage of matured IT standards and approaches. This work examines improving IT approaches to EA modelling with an emphasis on improved CASE automation in EA practice. This work uses Zachman framework (ZF) as a representative EA technology and compares the capability of UML and agent oriented models to provide ZF grid cell models with various EA diagram kinds using criterion such as maintain the syntactic and semantic continuity across grid cell models of each columns of ZF. This work argues the 'agent oriented modelling' technology provides better business model aligned modelling taxonomy and model diagram kinds that improves maintainability and CASE automation in ZF leading to improved EA practice environment. Agent abstraction is also shown to satisfy the information requirements of manufacturing industry oriented ISO 19440/19439 standards.

Keywords: enterprise architecture; enterprise architecture framework; EAF; business model alignment; business-IT alignment; BITA; model driven development; MDD; Zachman framework; ZF; enterprise integration; EI; information system design; agent-oriented software.

DOI: 10.1504/IJITM.2021.114164

International Journal of Information Technology and Management, 2021 Vol.20 No.1/2, pp.178 - 206

Received: 11 Apr 2017
Accepted: 26 Nov 2017

Published online: 12 Apr 2021 *

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