Business Architecture Reference Model for SMEs: A Case of Cloud-Enabled Business Transformation

Cloud computing is creating fundamental changes to the ways businesses are structured. While it is crucial to understand its technological aspects, in order to fully realize its potential, it is equally important to strategically align business architecture with this disruptive technology model. Looking at the cloud computing evolutions in both technology and business levels, in this paper proposes the use of a multi-disciplinary Business Architecture Reference Model to interlink cloud technology fundamentals with core strategic concepts from management, organization and architecture sciences. It aims to facilitate and guide SMEs business transformation toward strategically adapting, orchestrating, and managing cloud-based business services as part of their business operation and structure. The usability and efficacy of the adapted architecture reference model has been empirically evaluated by applying it to a small Australian company.