Enterprise Transformation through Aspects and Levels: Zachman Bayesian Approach

The Zachman Framework allows a whole enterprise approach to quality by structuring the Bayesian consideration of quality measures throughout the health system enterprise and its multidimensional aspects. The idea is to summarize the state of quality at the health care enterprise level by considering the state of quality at the business, system, technology, and component and operations levels. In addition, the areas of processes, networks, organization, timing, motivation and inventory are considered within the 36-cell Zachman Framework as customized for healthcare enterprises. Bayesian inference may also be employed to update quality distributions in limited and particular areas of the enterprise where quality information is not available; in these cases, a temporary yet reasonable inference may be draw based upon quality performance measures available in complementary and incommensurate areas of the enterprise. Analyses are conducted which show correlation impacts and the importance of interrelationships throughout a healthcare enterprise. The collection and collocation of quality measures allows ready tests for the coherence and consistency of enterprise improvement campaigns. For example, the framework supports the determination of whether the enterprise is driven by functional sections, or whether it is more characterized by strata as a hierarchical organization. (C) 2011 Published by Elsevier B.V.