Developing Baseline and Target Business Architecture

Developing Baseline and Target Business Architecture - TOGAF 10 Foundation Guide

Introduction

Developing Baseline and Target Business Architecture is a critical phase in the TOGAF ADM (Architecture Development Method) that establishes the foundation for enterprise transformation. This guide will help you understand this essential concept for TOGAF 10 Foundation certification.

What is Baseline and Target Business Architecture?

Baseline Business Architecture represents the current state of your organization's business operations, processes, structures, and capabilities. It documents how the business currently operates, including:

• Organizational structure and roles
• Current business processes
• Existing capabilities and competencies
• Current technology enablement
• Resource allocation and utilization

Target Business Architecture defines the desired future state of the business. It describes:

• Desired organizational structure
• Optimized business processes
• Future capabilities and competencies
• Improved technology enablement
• Strategic business objectives and goals

Why is This Important?

Strategic Alignment: Baseline and Target architectures bridge the gap between current state and strategic vision, ensuring all architectural decisions support business objectives.

Change Management: Understanding the baseline helps identify what needs to change, making transformation more manageable and measurable.

Gap Analysis: By comparing baseline to target, organizations can identify specific gaps in processes, capabilities, and technology that need to be addressed.

Risk Identification: Clear baseline documentation helps identify risks and dependencies in current operations before making changes.

Stakeholder Communication: These architectures provide clear communication tools for executives, managers, and teams about where the organization is and where it's going.

Investment Justification: Demonstrating the difference between baseline and target helps justify architecture initiatives and IT investments.

How Does It Work in the ADM Cycle?

Phase A: Architecture Vision establishes the high-level target state, which guides the detailed baseline and target development.

Phase B: Business Architecture is where baseline and target business architectures are formally developed. This includes:

1. Develop Baseline: Document current state business processes, organizational structure, capabilities, and services
2. Develop Target: Define desired future state based on strategic objectives and business requirements
3. Analyze Gaps: Identify differences and required changes
4. Define Roadmap: Plan the transition from baseline to target

Subsequent Phases: Information, System, and Technology architectures use the business architecture baseline and target to inform their own development.

Key Components to Develop

Organizational Charts: Document reporting structures, roles, and responsibilities in both baseline and target states.

Business Process Models: Map current and desired processes using standard notations like BPMN.

Capability Maps: Show what capabilities exist (baseline) and what's needed (target).

Value Streams: Document how value is created and delivered in both states.

Business Services: Define services provided by the business in baseline and target states.

Business Functions: Identify key functions and how they operate currently versus desired state.

Practical Steps to Develop Baseline and Target Business Architecture

Step 1: Stakeholder Engagement

• Interview key business stakeholders
• Conduct workshops to understand current operations
• Gather input on strategic direction for target state

Step 2: Current State Analysis

• Document existing business processes in detail
• Map organizational structure and roles
• Identify current capabilities and competencies
• Note existing pain points and inefficiencies

Step 3: Target State Definition

• Align target with strategic business objectives
• Define desired processes and improvements
• Plan organizational changes if needed
• Identify required new capabilities

Step 4: Gap Analysis

• Compare baseline and target architectures
• Identify specific gaps in processes, capabilities, and structure
• Prioritize gaps by business value and impact
• Assess implementation challenges

Step 5: Documentation and Communication

• Create clear visual representations
• Document assumptions and rationale
• Communicate findings to stakeholders
• Obtain approval and buy-in

Common Artifacts and Deliverables

Business Process Models (Baseline and Target): Visual representations showing current and desired processes.

Organizational Model: Charts showing reporting structures in both states.

Business Capability Map: Matrix showing capabilities, their maturity, and required improvements.

Value Stream Mapping: Visualization of value creation in both baseline and target states.

Stakeholder Map: Identification of key stakeholders and their involvement.

Gap Analysis Document: Detailed comparison of baseline and target with identified gaps.

Exam Tips: Answering Questions on Developing Baseline and Target Business Architecture

Tip 1: Remember the Purpose Always keep in mind that baseline and target business architectures are about understanding current state and defining desired future state. Exam questions often test whether you understand why this analysis is done.

Tip 2: Understand the Relationship Know that baseline shows current state and target shows desired future state. The gap between them drives the architecture work. Don't confuse these concepts.

Tip 3: Connect to Strategic Objectives Target business architecture should always align with organizational strategy and business objectives. If a question asks about target state, consider whether it addresses strategic goals.

Tip 4: Phase B Context Remember that detailed baseline and target business architecture development happens primarily in Phase B of the ADM. While Phase A establishes the vision, Phase B provides the detailed work.

Tip 5: Gap Analysis is Key Many questions test understanding that gap analysis compares baseline and target. The gaps identified drive subsequent work in other architecture domains.

Tip 6: Stakeholder Involvement Exam questions often emphasize that developing baseline and target architectures requires significant stakeholder engagement. Current state can only be understood by those doing the work; future state requires strategic input.

Tip 7: Iterative Nature Understand that baseline and target architectures may be refined multiple times as deeper analysis occurs and stakeholder understanding evolves.

Tip 8: Not Just IT Remember that business architecture is about business, not technology. Baseline and target focus on business processes, organizational structure, and capabilities—not systems or technology initially.

Tip 9: Documentation Requirements Exam questions may ask about what needs to be documented. Know that both baseline and target should be fully documented with clear visual representations and supporting narratives.

Tip 10: Practical Application When answering scenario-based questions, think about what you'd actually need to document to show current operations and desired future state. This practical thinking helps answer application-level questions correctly.

Tip 11: Assumption Identification Understand that developing target architectures involves making assumptions about future capabilities, technology, organizational changes, and business environment. Questions may ask about managing these assumptions.

Tip 12: Review Common Patterns Familiarize yourself with common business architecture patterns for baseline and target development. These might include process standardization, organizational restructuring, capability building, or service reorientation.

Sample Exam Questions

Question: Which of the following best describes the primary purpose of developing a baseline business architecture?

A) To define the desired future state of the business
B) To document the current state of business operations and capabilities
C) To identify technology requirements
D) To allocate IT budgets

Answer: B - Baseline architecture documents current state

Question: When developing the target business architecture, what is the most important consideration?

A) Current technology capabilities
B) IT department preferences
C) Alignment with strategic business objectives
D) Available IT budget

Answer: C - Target should align with strategy

Question: What is the primary benefit of comparing baseline and target business architectures?

A) To reduce IT costs
B) To identify gaps and required changes
C) To improve employee satisfaction
D) To eliminate all legacy systems

Answer: B - Gap analysis drives transformation planning

Key Takeaways

• Baseline architecture = current state; Target architecture = desired future state
• Gap analysis between them identifies what needs to change
• Development happens primarily in Phase B of the ADM
• Target must align with strategic business objectives
• Requires significant stakeholder engagement and input
• Produces clear, documented, visual representations
• Drives all subsequent architecture work in other domains
• Focuses on business, not technology initially
• Iterative and refined throughout the ADM cycle

Conclusion

Developing baseline and target business architectures is foundational to the TOGAF ADM approach. By clearly understanding the current state and defining a desired future state aligned with business strategy, organizations can make informed architectural decisions. For your TOGAF 10 Foundation exam, remember that these architectures serve as the bridge between business strategy and technology implementation, and they require thorough stakeholder engagement and clear documentation. Focus on understanding the purpose, components, and relationship between baseline and target, and you'll be well-prepared for exam questions on this topic.