Ontological Analysis of Advanced Capability Modeling in ArchiMate: A First Step Towards Language Revision

Rodrigo Fernandes Calhau; João Paulo A. Almeida; Giancarlo Guizzardi

doi:10.1007/978-3-031-79059-1_6

Ontological Analysis of Advanced Capability Modeling in ArchiMate: A First Step Towards Language Revision

Rodrigo Fernandes Calhau
, João Paulo A. Almeida
, Giancarlo Guizzardi^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › Academic › peer-review

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Abstract

In order to support capability management, the field of Enterprise Architecture proposes methods and notations to model enterprises and their capabilities. ArchiMate is one of such notations and includes constructs to support capability mapping and other capability management tasks. However, the notation lacks some fine-grained distinctions that are required to understand intricate phenomena involving capabilities, including capability interaction and the emergence of capabilities. In this work, we perform an ontological analysis of the language’s support for capability modeling based on a well-founded ontology of capabilities aligned with the Unified Foundational Ontology (UFO). Through this ontological analysis, we identify some issues outlining possible improvements for ArchiMate. This is a first step towards language redesign, which may include the proposal of language patterns and/or the revision of language constructs.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Enterprise Design, Operations, and Computing. EDOC 2024 Workshops
Subtitle of host publication	iRESEARCH, MIDas4CS, Doctoral Consortium, Joint CBI–EDOC Forum and Other Joint CBI-EDOC Events, Revised Selected Papers
Editors	Monika Kaczmarek-Heß, Kristina Rosenthal, Marek Suchánek, Miguel Mira Da Silva, Henderik A. Proper, Marianne Schnellmann
Place of Publication	Cham, Switzerland
Publisher	Springer
Pages	82-100
Number of pages	19
ISBN (Electronic)	978-3-031-79059-1
ISBN (Print)	978-3-031-79058-4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-79059-1_6
Publication status	Published - 9 Feb 2025
Event	28th International Conference on Enterprise Design, Operations, and Computing, EDOC 2024 - Vienna, Austria Duration: 10 Sept 2024 → 13 Sept 2024 Conference number: 28

Publication series

Name	Lecture Notes in Business Information Processing
Publisher	Springer
Volume	537 LNBIP
ISSN (Print)	1865-1348
ISSN (Electronic)	1865-1356

Conference

Conference	28th International Conference on Enterprise Design, Operations, and Computing, EDOC 2024
Abbreviated title	EDOC 2024
Country/Territory	Austria
City	Vienna
Period	10/09/24 → 13/09/24

Keywords

2025 OA procedure
Capabilities
Emergence
Ontological analysis
ArchiMate

Access to Document

10.1007/978-3-031-79059-1_6

ArticleFinal published version, 0.99 MBLicence: Taverne

Cite this

Calhau, R. F., Almeida, J. P. A., & Guizzardi, G. (2025). Ontological Analysis of Advanced Capability Modeling in ArchiMate: A First Step Towards Language Revision. In M. Kaczmarek-Heß, K. Rosenthal, M. Suchánek, M. M. Da Silva, H. A. Proper, & M. Schnellmann (Eds.), Enterprise Design, Operations, and Computing. EDOC 2024 Workshops: iRESEARCH, MIDas4CS, Doctoral Consortium, Joint CBI–EDOC Forum and Other Joint CBI-EDOC Events, Revised Selected Papers (pp. 82-100). (Lecture Notes in Business Information Processing; Vol. 537 LNBIP). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-79059-1_6

Calhau, Rodrigo Fernandes ; Almeida, João Paulo A. ; Guizzardi, Giancarlo. / Ontological Analysis of Advanced Capability Modeling in ArchiMate : A First Step Towards Language Revision. Enterprise Design, Operations, and Computing. EDOC 2024 Workshops: iRESEARCH, MIDas4CS, Doctoral Consortium, Joint CBI–EDOC Forum and Other Joint CBI-EDOC Events, Revised Selected Papers. editor / Monika Kaczmarek-Heß ; Kristina Rosenthal ; Marek Suchánek ; Miguel Mira Da Silva ; Henderik A. Proper ; Marianne Schnellmann. Cham, Switzerland : Springer, 2025. pp. 82-100 (Lecture Notes in Business Information Processing).

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abstract = "In order to support capability management, the field of Enterprise Architecture proposes methods and notations to model enterprises and their capabilities. ArchiMate is one of such notations and includes constructs to support capability mapping and other capability management tasks. However, the notation lacks some fine-grained distinctions that are required to understand intricate phenomena involving capabilities, including capability interaction and the emergence of capabilities. In this work, we perform an ontological analysis of the language{\textquoteright}s support for capability modeling based on a well-founded ontology of capabilities aligned with the Unified Foundational Ontology (UFO). Through this ontological analysis, we identify some issues outlining possible improvements for ArchiMate. This is a first step towards language redesign, which may include the proposal of language patterns and/or the revision of language constructs.",

keywords = "2025 OA procedure, Capabilities, Emergence, Ontological analysis, ArchiMate",

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note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2025.; 28th International Conference on Enterprise Design, Operations, and Computing, EDOC 2024, EDOC 2024 ; Conference date: 10-09-2024 Through 13-09-2024",

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Calhau, RF, Almeida, JPA & Guizzardi, G 2025, Ontological Analysis of Advanced Capability Modeling in ArchiMate: A First Step Towards Language Revision. in M Kaczmarek-Heß, K Rosenthal, M Suchánek, MM Da Silva, HA Proper & M Schnellmann (eds), Enterprise Design, Operations, and Computing. EDOC 2024 Workshops: iRESEARCH, MIDas4CS, Doctoral Consortium, Joint CBI–EDOC Forum and Other Joint CBI-EDOC Events, Revised Selected Papers. Lecture Notes in Business Information Processing, vol. 537 LNBIP, Springer, Cham, Switzerland, pp. 82-100, 28th International Conference on Enterprise Design, Operations, and Computing, EDOC 2024, Vienna, Austria, 10/09/24. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-79059-1_6

Ontological Analysis of Advanced Capability Modeling in ArchiMate: A First Step Towards Language Revision. / Calhau, Rodrigo Fernandes; Almeida, João Paulo A.; Guizzardi, Giancarlo.
Enterprise Design, Operations, and Computing. EDOC 2024 Workshops: iRESEARCH, MIDas4CS, Doctoral Consortium, Joint CBI–EDOC Forum and Other Joint CBI-EDOC Events, Revised Selected Papers. ed. / Monika Kaczmarek-Heß; Kristina Rosenthal; Marek Suchánek; Miguel Mira Da Silva; Henderik A. Proper; Marianne Schnellmann. Cham, Switzerland: Springer, 2025. p. 82-100 (Lecture Notes in Business Information Processing; Vol. 537 LNBIP).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › Academic › peer-review

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Calhau RF, Almeida JPA, Guizzardi G. Ontological Analysis of Advanced Capability Modeling in ArchiMate: A First Step Towards Language Revision. In Kaczmarek-Heß M, Rosenthal K, Suchánek M, Da Silva MM, Proper HA, Schnellmann M, editors, Enterprise Design, Operations, and Computing. EDOC 2024 Workshops: iRESEARCH, MIDas4CS, Doctoral Consortium, Joint CBI–EDOC Forum and Other Joint CBI-EDOC Events, Revised Selected Papers. Cham, Switzerland: Springer. 2025. p. 82-100. (Lecture Notes in Business Information Processing). doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-79059-1_6