zachman-analysis

# Zachman Analysis

## When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when you need to:

- Analyze architecture from a specific stakeholder perspective
- Ensure complete coverage across different viewpoints
- Check which architectural aspects are documented
- Understand what questions each perspective asks

**Keywords:** zachman, viewpoint, perspective, interrogative, what, how, where, who, when, why, planner, owner, designer, builder

## Zachman Framework 3.0 Overview

The Zachman Framework is a **6x6 ontology** for classifying enterprise architecture artifacts. It's a classification schema (taxonomy), not a methodology.

**Key insight:** TOGAF tells you *how* to create architecture. Zachman tells you *how to organize* what you create.

## The Matrix

### Columns (Interrogatives)

Each column answers a fundamental question:

| Column | Interrogative | Focus | Artifacts |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **What** (Data) | Things of interest | Data models, entity lists |
| 2 | **How** (Function) | Processes and transformations | Process flows, use cases |
| 3 | **Where** (Network) | Locations and distribution | Network diagrams, site maps |
| 4 | **Who** (People) | Roles and responsibilities | Org charts, RACI matrices |
| 5 | **When** (Time) | Events and schedules | Timelines, event models |
| 6 | **Why** (Motivation) | Goals and constraints | Business drivers, rules |

### Rows (Perspectives)

Each row represents a stakeholder level with increasing detail:

| Row | Perspective | Audience | Level |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **Planner/Executive** | Board, C-suite | Scope/Context |
| 2 | **Owner/Business** | Business managers | Business model |
| 3 | **Designer/Architect** | Solution architects | Logical design |
| 4 | **Builder/Engineer** | Developers, engineers | Physical design |
| 5 | **Subcontractor/Technician** | Implementers | Detailed specs |
| 6 | **User/Operations** | End users, operators | Running system |

## Critical Limitation: Code Extraction Capabilities