Insight from a comparison of TOGAF ADM and SAM alignment processes

Abstract Information systems are cornerstones of modern organizations. They not only support business processes but can also provide a strategic advantage. As a result Business/IT Alignment becomes essential and is generally supported by Enterprise Architecture based approaches. These approaches generally provide top-down “execution strategy” processes whereas the Strategic Alignment Model (SAM) provides alternative processes. Therefore, the objective of this paper is to compare the TOGAF ADM (Architecture Development Method) with alignment processes underlying the SAM. First, the SAM underlying processes are formalized in the form of basic operations. Second, mappings between the SAM and TOGAF ADM are provided in order to compare both alignment processes. On this basis, the limits of the TOGAF ADM are outlined.