Business Reference Model. The BRM forms a key part in delivering expected outcomes and business value to an organization. By using a standard taxonomy to classify functions, investments, programs, services and other elements across the Federal Government, the BRM is useful in identifying opportunities for cost reduction, collaboration, shared services, and solution reuse in agency IT portfolios and intra- and inter-agency collaboration. The DRM’s primary purpose is to promote the common identification, use, and appropriate sharing of data/information across the federal government. The DRM is a flexible and standards-based framework to enable information sharing and reuse via the standard description and discovery of common data and the promotion of uniform data management practices. The DRM provides a standard means by which data may be described, categorized, and shared, and it facilitates discovery and exchange of core information across organizational boundaries. As a reference model, the DRM is presented as an abstract framework from which concrete implementations may be derived. The DRM’s abstract nature will enable agencies to use multiple implementation approaches, methodologies and technologies while remaining consistent with the foundational principles of the DRM. The DRM is closely linked with the other five reference models of the Consolidated Reference Model Framework. At the high level, the DRM relationship and tie-in to the other reference models is illustrated in the following table:
Business Reference Model. A Business Reference Model defines a canonical set of process areas which group business processes according to the primary business function. A process area includes a sequence of processes that are combined to form the value chain of the studied business area. Examples for business reference models are SCOR, VCOR, eTOM or ITIL Meta-Model: A Meta-Model is a model of a modelling language. Applying language therory for levelling languages, the result is a hierarchy of languages, meta- languages, etc. The creation of a Meta-Model is also done by using a modelling language. The model defining the meta-modelling language is the meta-meta model or meta2-model [2]. Model: A Model is an abstract graph-based description of a complex real-world system. Modelling Method / Language: The language for representing a model is described by its meta-model. The concepts of a Modelling method are described by elements such as classes, relationships, attributes and behaviour. A model type describes a concrete Modelling method, e.g. a business modelling method. Linking and relating the model types, forms a set of interrelated Modelling methods which describe a certain domain under consideration [3]. In this document the term Modelling method and Modelling language is used synonymously. Modelling Methodology: A modelling methodology usually consists of a modelling procedure, a modelling method (language) and some modelling techniques. Modelling Procedure: A modelling procedure describes the steps applying the modelling language to create results, i.e. models. Modelling Technique: Modelling techniques are mechanisms and algorithms which allow the work on the models described by the modelling method (language).
Business Reference Model. First, the business reference model describes the lines of business of each agency, and identifies the customers and partners of each agency. The business reference model is a high level view of the federal enterprise architecture based on a hierarchical construct for describing the business operations of the federal government [33]. The basic procedure (to develop this reference model) involves looking at previous efforts that agencies used to identify their functions, and then once the list was formed in its entirety, categorize the functions into designated mutually exclusive business areas.
