The Capabilities Architectural Vertical Slice (Vertical Slice for short) shows the Business Process' architectural requirements. It does this by specifying the capabilities that each architectural layer requires of the layer below. It also shows the architectural elements that provide these capabilities.
Capabilities represent functionality that is required by one thing and supplied by another and come in three flavors. The hierarchy goes like this –
Business Capabilites are required by External Actors (customers, trading partners, etc.) and are provided by the enterprise. These represent why the enterprise is in business and what it provides for its constituents..
Application Capabilities are required by Business Processes for automation and are provided by Business Apps.
Infrastructure Capabilites are required by Business Applications to operate and are provided by IT Software.
Specifying in terms of capabilities provides two benefits.
You will be able to see all of the architectural assets that provide a given capability, presenting opportunities to reduce duplication.
The specification will be more stable over time. That fact that a given Business Process requires some Business Application may change over time. But that fact that it requires the Application Capabilities supplied by the application does not.
The following diagram shows an example Vertical Slice using Capabilities.
Vertical Slice Diagram with Capabilties
All of the elements on this diagram were created under the appropriate architectural view and then added to the diagram. The following subtopics provide a top down description the connections among the elements. In order for the SQL views to recognize a Vertical Slice diagram, the diagram must have a stereotype of Vertical Slice - Capabilities. You set the diagram's stereotype by double clicking on the diagram background to bring up its properties dialag, and then select the appropriate stereotype from the Stereotype drop down.
Diagram Matrix
The background of the diagram is the (EA)<sup>2</sup> Vertical Slice, Capabilities matrix, which will save you a lot of time setting the up the general look of the diagram. The diagram itself, along with the matrix, is generated whenever you import a Business Process Package via XML.
Roadmap
At the top left of the diagram you will see a Roadmap Phase. This shows that the elements on this diagram represent the key architectural elements that will be required during this phase of the Roadmap. It may take more than one diagram to capture everything that is needed. You may break the diagrams down according to each top level activity or by some other means of your choosing. As long as you put the same Roadmap Phase on each diagram, the (EA)<sup>2</sup> SQL views will treat all of the diagrams as if they were the one.
Business Architecture External Roles
These are the external roles (and actors) that do business with the enterprise. They require the Business Capabilities provided by the enterprise.
Business Capabilities and Internal Roles
These are the capabilities provided by the Business Process and offered to the External Roles/Actors.
Business Process and Activities
The Busines Proceses are decomposed into top level Activies, as shown on the diagram. You can drill down into their activity diagrams to see the details of the process. If the diagram gets too crowded, you can put the Activities on separate Vertical Slice diagrams. The (EA)<sup>2</sup> SQL views will combine them as long as they all have the parent Business Process on the diagram as well.
The Business Activities have tagged values to show the Business Capabilities they provide and the App Capabilities they require. This allows specifying the functionality provided and required by the Activity without tying the Activity directly to other architectural elements that may change over time.
The Activities are connected to the Business Capabilties in the Vertical Slice diagram to show which Business Capabilities they provide in the context of the Vertical Slice and its Roadmap Phase(s). Likewise, the Activities are connected the Business Software / EDB Schemas. These connectors (EA2 Provides App Capability) have App Capability tags that show what capabilities the element is providing to the Activity in the context of the Vertical Slice and its Roadmap Phase(s). Refer to (EA)<sup>2</sup> Life-cycles for more information on life-cycles of elements, connectors, and Roadmaps.
Business Software and Enterprise DB Schemas
These are the Application and Data Architecture elements that are needed to realize the Business Process. If there is a Roadmap Phase on the diagram, then these realizations are for the duration of the Roadmap Phase. The elements in this layer are connected to the Business Activities by EA2 Provides App Capability. Use the Quicklinker to ensure getting the correct connector with its life-cycle tags. .
