The Best TOGAF Software

Enterprise Architecture is a means to transform fragmented applications and processes (both manual and automated) into an integrated environment, which result in optimized processes that can respond to change and the accomplishment of business strategies. Unmanaged complexity in IT landscape leads to greater cost and less flexibility. Typical issues include lack of standards, redundant applications, multiple platforms, and inconsistent data. All these hinder an organization's ability to respond to business and economic changing environment.

Alignment of Business Strategy with IT Initiatives

Business transformation is driving a change in the relationship between IT and the business. Internal and external forces are requiring organizations to be more responsive to customer needs and achieve operational and technological efficiencies.

IT professionals traditionally only had to focus on the technology architecture. Organizations increasingly require IT professionals to gain a more thorough understanding of the business to ensure that technology solutions adequately support business requirements, vision and strategy. Incorporating TOGAF® methods facilitates an understanding of the business and achieves IT results that help drive business value in order to eliminate barriers between technology capabilities and business strategy.

What is TOGAF?

TOGAF is the short form of The Open Group Architecture Framework. TOGAF provides detailed method and a set of supporting tools for developing an enterprise architecture. The Open Group's Architecture Framework, TOGAF, is a globally recognized standard for developing enterprise architecture.

The comprehensive framework includes techniques and a set of supporting tools to provide organizations with the capability to ensure all architectural components are aligned to the strategic direction of the business. It is a method for developing and managing the lifecycle of an enterprise architecture, and forms the core of TOGAF.

The Benefits of TOGAF

  • Better overview of the business landscape and reduced business complexity.
  • Ensure that everyone speaks the same language.
  • Clearer understanding of how the architecture constrains the business.
  • A widely-used open standard that complements others standards, and could seamlessly integrate them in a broad and holistic way.
  • Save time and money, and utilize resources more effectively.
  • Clearer exposition of the costs, benefits, and risks associated with different plans of action.
  • Achieve demonstrable return on investment (ROI).
  • Opportunity to develop shared, or common architectural components.

TOGAF ADM Framework

TOGAF is a framework for Enterprise Architecture. It defines the Architecture Development Method (ADM) and supporting tools to address complexities, so that organizations can define the way to operate their businesses and design the processes and infrastructure critical to their current and future operations (enterprise architecture), which guides the evolution of their foundation for execution.

The ADM cycle describes an incremental and iterative method for designing Business, Data, Applications, and Technology architectures. It progresses from high-level concept diagrams, to detailed domain architectures, all the way to the development of solution architectures, architecture roadmaps and implementation plans.

TOGAF ADM

Why We Need a Software for TOGAF

Enterprise Architecture is essential to every business, yet it's not easy to master. Have you ever thought that you would be able to learn Enterprise Architecture if only you had a tutor on whom you could call whenever you wanted? Visual Paradigm is here to help. Equipped with an intuitive ADM process navigator, to develop Enterprise Architecture with Visual Paradigm is just like having a tutor sitting next to you, guiding you through the instructions, talking you through the samples. All you need to do is to follow the on-screen instructions, fill-in some forms, draw some ArchiMate® diagrams (3.0), and that's it, the deliverables will be there for retrieval.

TOGAF ADM is the process to developing an enterprise architecture, while Visual Paradigm features a process navigator that guides you through the execution and completion of TOGAF ADM. Broadly speaking, Visual Paradigm features/facilitates the following:

  • An ADM process navigator that guides you through the development of enterprise architecture with TOGAF ADM, activity by activity, step by step
  • Guide you through the creation of deliverables and artifacts, with clear instructions
  • Generate deliverables upon the completion of a ADM phase
  • Automatic archiving of deliverables in an Architecture Repository
  • Helps you understand TOGAF by providing you with samples
  • Provides the tools and diagrams you need in analysis and documentation, which includes ArchiMate 3 diagrams and viewpoints (The Open Group certified), Implementation Plan Diagram, Migration Roadmap, Maturity Analysis, PERT Chart, RACI Chart, Implementation Factor Assessment & Deduction Matrix, Consolidated Gaps, Solutions, & Dependencies Matrix, etc.

ArchiMate 3 Meets TOGAF ADM

The ArchiMate, a standard introduced by The Open Group, is an open and independent modeling language for Enterprise Architecture that is supported by certified ArchiMate tool such as Visual Paradigm. The latest ArchiMate 3 provides instruments to enable Enterprise Architects to describe, analyze, and visualize the relationships among business domains in an unambiguous way.

TOGAF describes the process of developing and managing an enterprise architecture, but it doesn't contain a defined modeling language structure. The TOGAF framework and the ArchiMate 3 modeling language is a powerful combination. ArchiMate 3 is meant to be complimentary to the TOGAF content framework and architecture development process. It can be used to describe all aspects of the EA in a coherent way. Deliverables in the architecture process are more effective when based on an approach that combines formal models with powerful visualization capabilities.

ArchiMate diagram

Purposes of ArchiMate for TOGAF ADM

The new version of the ArchiMate 3 has been created to respond to a number of requirements:
  • Increasing demand for relating business strategy with business and IT operations
  • Technology innovations that mix IT and the physical world
  • Usage in new domains; e.g., manufacturing, logistics
  • Improved consistency and comprehensibility
  • Improved alignment between Open Group standards, notably with the TOGAF Framework

Choices of Tooling in the Market

If you Google around for Enterprise Architecture tooling you will probably uncovered two alternatives:

  1. Established EA tools with very high price tag, yet they only provide a tree-like structure of repository that contains a set of templates you to edit yourselves.
  2. The second alternative would be some drawing tools, such as Visio that requires excessive management and juggling of information between multiple applications.

Although businesses are aware of the advantages of an EA practice, it has never been an easy task to build an Enterprise Architecture. A problem many organizations face is inability to identify the place to start, and how to get started. The immaturity of Enterprise Architecture results in gaps and hurdles in the early stages that can stop businesses progressing further with the scheme. In 2007, Gartner found that 40% of Enterprise Architecture initiatives would be stopped and a later survey in 2015 indicates that 70% of businesses were looking to either start, or restart an Enterprise Architecture program.

Visual Paradigm Guide-through

Visual Paradigm Guide-Through Process vs JIT Process

Visual Paradigm helps your team to kick-start any size of IT projects with automated guide-through process, with step-by-step instruction, input references and samples. You can develop deliverables incrementally and collaboratively with your team members with our project management platform. It will surely enhance and streamline the entire process with automated task management and notifications with task manager in both desktop and/or over the cloud environment.

Visual Paradigm offers two types of process management product: The Guide-Through Process and the Just-In-Time Process.

  1. Typically, The Guide-through Process target for well-defined and widely used methodologies that people tend to follow it step by step without the needs to customize it.
  2. While Just-in-Time Process aims to be used to automate more dynamic process or framework instead of a methodology, while could be easily adjusted or customized to deal with different nature of problems.

Guide-Through Process

Visual Paradigm Guide-Through Process support the automation and management of open standards as methodologies by a sequential series of well-defined phase such as requirement definition, planning, building, testing and deployment in software development. Each of these phases consists of steps and deliverables to finish a particular goal of a project or initiative. Each of the steps is typically consist of model, tools and techniques for facilitating the development of some requirement deliverables. There are various methodologies or open standards that exists today with the efforts of industry professionals and academia, PMBOK end etc.)

  • Structure TOGAF ADM into phases, activities and steps, and embedded with instructions, samples and input references
  • Progress Indicator that shows you where you are and the status of completion for phases, activities and steps
  • Perform analysis, diagramming and work incrementally and generate deliverable and report automatically
  • Automatically transcribe data from one step to another for further actions or perform different forms of analysis
  • Carry forward of deliverable as input reference from one step to another
  • Assign activity or deliverables as task for different members with time schedule and role to the task manager automatically
  • Seamlessly integrate EA, Project Management process with Agile software development process and toolset
  • TOGAF ADM Process Guide-through
    The TOGAF ADM Process Navigator. It covers the nine ADM phases. Double click on a phase to start working on it.
  • Activities of ADM Phase B
    Activities of an ADM phase. Each phase contains a set of activities required to perform in order to produce the corresponding deliverables.
  • Visualizing the impacted organization units
    Performing an activity. This example shows the use of ArchiMate 3 in representing the organization units being impacted by the architecture initiative.
  • Description of level of impacts
    Automatic transformation of data. In this example, the impacted units are extracted from the ArchiMate 3 diagram. You can then fill-in the description of impact in a table.
  • Clear instructions
    All activities contains clear instruction. Even with you are not familiar with TOGAF, you can still perform the activities required.
  • Comprehensive samples
    Besides instructions, you can also get help by reading the samples we provided. Learning is not needed!
  • Performing Architecture Maturity Assessment
    We provide a wide range of Enterprise Architecture tools to support your EA needs. Maturity Analysis is one of them.
  • Generated TOGAF ADM Deliverable
    Generate TOGAF ADM deliverable once your've completed the activities.
  • Visualizing Governance Structure with ArchiMate
    Another sample use of ArchiMate 3. Besides modeling architecture, you can also draw an ArchiMate 3 diagram to represent a governance structure.
  • Form-filling deliverable composer
    Besides drawing diagrams, some activities require you to fill-in forms in order to produce deliverable. 'Request for Architecture Work' is one of the examples.
  • Performing Gap Analysis
    Gap Analysis with ArchiMate 3. Look at the bottom right. It's a color legend that enables you to effective apply color code to elements in diagram.
  • Modeling Baseline Architecture Model
    A typical use of ArchiMate 3 Diagram in Enterprise Architecture is for developing the architecture model. Here is a Baseline Business Architecture Model.
  • Modeling Target Technology Architecture Model
    The development of Target Technology Architecture Model is an activity of TOGAF ADM Phase D: Technology Architecture.
  • Using Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) in representing work elements and work packages
    Draw a Work Breakdown Structure to represent the structuring of work as well as to derive and obtain a list of work packages.
  • Visualizing Architecture Roadmap with ArchiMate
    The Architecture Roadmap involves visualizing transition architectures as plateau and the association of work packages with gaps.
  • Transition timeline
    Transition Timeline shows the time frame of architecture activities. It also allows you to indicate the investment points and major milestones.
  • Putting files into Architecture Repository
    Architecture Repository is where deliverables being archived. While deliverables are automatically archived, you can also put a file into a drawer (in the Architecture Repository) manually.

Just-In-Time Process - TOGAF Template

Just-in-Time Process targets for a dynamic and loose process which provides structure and direction on a preferred way to do something without being too detailed or restrictive. In essence, JIT process can be composed by selecting the appropriate pre-defined / custom Work Items in a just-in-time and just enough manner. It provides a powerful process map that is flexible enough to adopt to changing conditions or to be customized for your company for different project domains.

Thus, in addition to the benefits of what Guide-Through Process can offer listed above, JIT process map empowers your team the maximum flexibility for tailoring the TOGAF framework into different solutions for fitting different size of projects for variety of problems.

  • EA with TOGAF, Phase-by-Phase, Activity-by-Activity
    The TOGAF ADM ADM Process Map. It covers the nine ADM phases. Double click on a work item to start working on it.
  • Tailored Process - Scalable and Ad-Hoc
    Tailor your own Just-in-Time TOGAF ADM by re-locating, adding and removing work items.
  • Form-based TOGAF Deliverables
    An easy-to-use form-filling interface for you to complete TOGAF ADM simlply by form-filling. Information entered will be automatically archived as document file (i.e. TOGAF deliverable).
  • Work Items that Aids Analysis
    Perform analysis activities (e.g. Maturity Analysis) within a work item. This example shows the creation of capability heatmap using ArchiMate.
  • Deliverables Generation
    Information you entered in forms will be generated as deliverable(s). You may customize the outcome to suit your need.
  • Deliverables Auto-Archived
    The ArchiMate Repository is there to store all the deliverables generated automatically throughout the whole Just-in-Time process.
  • Learn it and Use it Just-in-Time
    Inline, step-by-step guide-through instructions together with samples for each step you need to perform. Learning is not needed.
  • Process Tailoring with Custom Diagrams and Text
    A full set of generic work items are provided, enabling the acquisition and storage of diagrams and text throughout a custom process.
  • Task Management for Process Activities
    Assign task for each of the work items to Tasifier, the Task Manager platform and work collaboratively with your teammates.

Watch the video below to learn how Just-in-Time TOGAF works.

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