VPEC-T Enterprise Architecture Mind Map (click to enlarge)

[source: Steve Nimmons]

VPEC-T is a Systems Thinking framework with 5 dimensions (Values, Policy, Events, Content and Trust).

VPEC-T is useful in the context of Enterprise Architecture, particularly in terms of exploring the full breadth of the Information System and related challenges.

Architectural Frameworks such as TOGAF will be very familiar to Enterprise Architects, VPEC-T perhaps less so. How then does VPEC-T’s dimensions knit together with familiar and traditional architectural concepts such as the views produced in the TOGAF ADM?

A high-level view is given in the MapMap above.

The PEC Dimensions

Unsurprisingly (and recognised in the book “Lost in Translation”) the PEC dimensions of Policy, Events and Content have a close mapping against Enterprise Architecture concerns such as Governance, Codification, Business Architecture, Information Architecture, Application Architecture, Technical Architecture, Security Architecture, and Integration Architecture.

The mappings below are intentionally high-level and therefore non-exhaustive. The purpose is to highlight the mapping between VPEC-T and high level architectural concepts.

The Policy Dimension maps naturally to:

• Governance
• Information Architecture in terms of Data Retention policies, Information Handling Models etc.
• Security Architecture in terms of security policy and legislation, Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability requirements and business continuity
• Business Architecture in terms or organisational design and roles and responsibilities.

The Events Dimension Maps Naturally To:

• Integration Architecture (SOA, REST etc.)
• Event Driven Architecture
• Information Architecture (Real-time analytics, Complex Event Processing, Pattern Based Strategy)
• Security Architecture – Protective Monitoring, SIEM, Fraud Detection, Alerts
• Strategy in terms of external events and reaction to market forces.

The Content Dimension Maps Naturally To:

• Codification (Patterns, Anti-Patterns, Reference Architecture and Principles)
• EA Artefacts (Models, Meta-Models, Semantics)
• Security Architecture (Protective Markings, Information Handling Models, Aggregation, Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability)
• Information Architecture (Canonical, Logical, Physical Data Models, Data Flows, Formats, Brokering, Transformation, Taxonomy, Big Data, Data Dictionary, Data Quality, BI)
• Technical Architecture concerns such as storage, scalability, sizing, availability, device independence, mobile access, consumerisation
• Strategy – reporting strategy, KPIs, tolerances

The V & T Dimensions

The Values and Trust dimensions are equally useful.

The Values Dimension Maps Naturally To:

• Values Analysis (Value Stream Analysis, Value Network Analysis etc.)
• Strategy (Ethics, Sustainability)
• Governance
• Target Operating Model (how do we want to do business and what do we stand for)
• Business Architecture – organisational design, corporate values and behaviours and how this affects the People and Process dimensions of the Information System.

The Trust Dimension Maps Naturally To:

• Security Architecture (Trust Domains, Identity Management, Registration, Enrolment, Authentication, Authorisation, Non-repudiation, digital signatures)
• Business Architecture (optimising organisational design, Social Network Analysis)
• Technical Architecture (Delivering Security Enforcing Functions in the infrastructure and application designs)
• Risk Management
• Data Architecture (data quality, provenance etc.)
• Stakeholder and Communications Management

The Beauty of VPEC-T

VPEC-T has many virtues. I think some of the most important are:

1. It maps naturally onto all of the principal Enterprise Architecture concerns (as described above)
2. It is simple to tailor for small / large problem domains
3. Problem solving is easily geared towards a particular dimension. This is a useful for gaining new perspective on old problems, or tackling system weaknesses
4. It focuses thinking on ‘soft’ and ‘hard’ aspects of problems. This ensures holistic Information Systems thinking, not just Information Technology ‘solutioning’
5. It is intuitive and has a shallow learning curve.

Further Reading and Thanks

Thanks to Nigel Green (VPEC-T co-creator) for providing comments on an early draft of the MindMap.

Some other resources for further study:

• http://taotwit.posterous.com/vpec-t-a-thinking-framework-presented-to-scio (by Nigel Green)
• http://ingenia.wordpress.com/2010/07/10/using-vpec-t-and-archimate/
• http://ingenia.wordpress.com/2010/12/08/how-to-elaborate-a-business-model-with-enterprise-architecture/
• http://servicefab.blogspot.com/2010/06/chris-bird-applying-p-e-c-sabre.html (PEC led Design, by Chris Bird)
• http://servicefab.blogspot.com/2006/08/problem-with-processes.html (the blog post that eventually gave birth to VPEC-T and Lost in Translation).