Editing Zachman Framework (section)

{{short description|Structure for enterprise architecture}}
{{COI|date=March 2015}}
{{use mdy dates|date=July 2022}}
[[File:The Zachman Framework of Enterprise Architecture.jpg|thumb|360px|The Zachman Framework of enterprise architecture]]
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:ZachmanFrameworkv3.jpg|thumb|right|Zachman Framework V3.0. Used with Permission from the Author]] -->The '''Zachman Framework''' is a structured tool used in [[enterprise architecture]] to organize and understand complex business systems. It acts as an [[Ontology (information science)|ontology]], providing a clear and formal way to describe an enterprise through a two-dimensional grid. This grid combines two key perspectives: the basic questions of [[Five Ws|What, How, When, Who, Where, and Why]], and the process of turning abstract ideas into concrete realities, known as [[Reification (fallacy)|reification]]. These reification stages include identification, definition, representation, specification, configuration, and instantiation.<ref name=":0">{{cite web |year=2008 |title=John Zachman's Concise Definition of The Zachman Framework |url=https://zachman-feac.com/zachman/about-the-zachman-framework |publisher=Zachman International}}</ref> While influential in shaping enterprise architecture, the framework is often considered theoretical, with limited direct adoption in fast-paced industries like technology, where agile methods are preferred.

Unlike a [[methodology]], the Zachman Framework does not prescribe specific steps or processes for gathering or using information.<ref name=":0" /> Instead, it serves as a [[Conceptual model|schema]] to categorize architectural artifacts—such as design documents, specifications, and models—based on who they are for (e.g., business owners or builders) and what they address (e.g., data or functionality).<ref>[https://download.microsoft.com/download/6/1/C/61C0E37C-F252-4B33-9557-42B90BA3E472/EAComparisonV2-028.PDF ''A Comparison of the Top Four Enterprise Architecture Methodologies''], Roger Sessions, Microsoft Developer Network Architecture Center,</ref>

The framework is named after its creator [[John Zachman]], who first developed the concept in the 1980s at [[IBM]]. It has been updated several times since,<ref name="The Zachman Framework Evolution">{{cite web |date=April 2009 |title=The Zachman Framework Evolution |url=https://zachman-feac.com/resources/ea-articles-reference/175-the-zachman-framework-evolution |publisher=Zachman International}}</ref> with version 3.0 being the most current.