CHOOSE: Towards a metamodel for enterprise architecture in small and medium-sized enterprises

Enterprise architecture (EA) is a coherent whole of principles, methods, and models that are used in the design and realization of an enterprise's organizational structure, business processes, information systems, and IT infrastructure. Recent research indicates the need for EA in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), important drivers of the economy, as they struggle with problems related to a lack of structure and overview of their business. However, existing EA frameworks are perceived as too complex and, to date, none of the EA approaches are sufficiently adapted to the SME context. Therefore, this paper presents the CHOOSE metamodel for EA in SMEs that was developed and evaluated through action research in an SME and further refined and validated through case study research in five other SMEs. This metamodel is based on the essential dimensions of EA frameworks and is kept simple so that it may be applied in an SME context. The final CHOOSE metamodel includes only four essential concepts (i.e. goal, actor, operation, object), one for each most frequently used EA focus. As an example, an extract is included from the specific model that was created for the SME used in our action research. Finally, the CHOOSE metamodel is evaluated according to the dimensions essential in EA and the requirements for EA in an SME context.