Task: Capture Common Vocabulary

This task is used to capture common vocabulary in a glossary. This vocabulary starts with business terminology, however other common and important terms are also defined, names for entities, processes, tasks, locations, roles and actors, and system components to name just a few.

Purpose

Communications is an all-important aspect of any project, but this is especially true when defining IT architectures. A common well-understood set of terms must be used, as defined within this task.

Relationships

Roles	Primary: Enterprise Architect	Additional: Business Unit or Project Architect Domain Architect	Assisting: Architecture Support Business Expert IT Expert
Inputs	Mandatory: Architecture Glossary	Optional: None	External: Business Goals Business Mission Business Model Business Motivation Model Business Objective Business Strategy Business Vision IT Strategy Policies and Laws
Outputs	Architecture Glossary

Steps

Agree on Common Term

Important in the development of the IT architecture is to agree on a common vocabulary using the businesses common terms and expressions. They should also be used consistently in all textual descriptions of the business. They are documented in a glossary.

Common terms are the the terms used when talking about the business. Each term is typically described as a noun, with a definition and are typically singular, "order" and "task". All stakeholders should agree on definitions for the terms.

Review Term

The glossary is checked for clarity and consistency. There is no need to review in detail.

Properties

Predecessor	Define Scope & Context Review Existing Architectures Scan ADs
Multiple Occurrences
Event Driven
Ongoing
Optional
Planned
Repeatable

More Information

Checklists	Architecture Glossary