Enterprise architecture patterns for business process support analysis

The field of enterprise architectures lacks architecture patterns that would support analysis of a given enterprise architecture, comparison of different enterprise architecture solutions and provide guidelines for development of a target enterprise architecture based on the analysis of existing enterprise architecture. In this paper, we focus on business process support analysis using information derived from enterprise architecture description. We give a systematic overview of important aspects. We establish and formally define foundational enterprise architecture patterns for business process support analysis. They are implementation independent and enable more efficient qualitative architecture analysis of business process support, which is the basis for achieving more optimal business operation. We have defined the patterns using the standard enterprise architecture language – ArchiMate. They are formalized in a way that enables their implementation in enterprise architecture tools. This is an important characteristic that allows for efficient work by automatic detection of different, more or less suitable, architecture structures. We have derived the patterns based on real-world enterprise architecture descriptions and have used and verified them in enterprise architecture analysis and planning projects for four large organizations. The enterprise architecture analysis patterns address an important research issue in the field of enterprise architectures that has so far not been systematically researched.