Enterprise Modeling with Conventions

This paper investigates the use of modeling conventions for enterprise models. With the help of Archi, a tool supporting the ArchiMate standard, we have enhanced the enterprise modeling process with semantic modeling conventions that support assessment of enterprise models during their design. For enterprise architects who want more from Archi-Mate than just drawing pictures, this paper proposes to use a language and a tool, Ampersand, to impose and verify modeling conventions in ArchiMate models. Unlike informal languages, Ampersand allows enterprise architects to signal where an ArchiMate model violates their own modeling conventions, so they can fix the model accordingly. It allows enterprise architects to enhance their ArchiMate models with semantic modeling conventions that are verified by Ampersand. This paper contains a case study that demonstrates the approach. The authors also share their experience with modeling with semantic conventions.