Modeling Virtual Organization Architecture with the Virtual Organization Breeding Methodology

TL;DR

This paper introduces the Virtual Organization Breeding Methodology (VOBM), a tailored enterprise architecture approach for virtual organizations based on TOGAF and concepts from the ECOLEAD project, including VBE and VO creation schemas.

Contribution

It develops a new EAM methodology specifically designed for virtual organizations, integrating VBE concepts and providing an architecture development process.

Findings

VOBM defines VBE and VO architectures in a service-oriented environment.

Provides an architecture development method for virtual organizations.

Includes preliminary tools and methods for implementing VOBM.

Abstract

While Enterprise Architecture Modeling (EAM) methodologies become more and more popular, an EAM methodology tailored to the needs of virtual organizations (VO) is still to be developed. Among the most popular EAM methodologies, TOGAF has been chosen as the basis for a new EAM methodology taking into account characteristics of VOs presented in this paper. In this new methodology, referred as Virtual Organization Breeding Methodology (VOBM), concepts developed within the ECOLEAD project, e.g. the concept of Virtual Breeding Environment (VBE) or the VO creation schema, serve as fundamental elements for development of VOBM. VOBM is a generic methodology that should be adapted to a given VBE. VOBM defines the structure of VBE and VO architectures in a service-oriented environment, as well as an architecture development method for virtual organizations (ADM4VO). Finally, a preliminary set of tools and methods for VOBM is given in this paper.