Christian Business Reference Architecture Explained

A reference architecture is a document or set of documents an interested party can refer to as a blueprint for developing a new entity based on the architecture (Muller, 2020:4). An ‘architecture’ is “…the fundamental organisation of a system embodied in its components, their relationships to each other and to the environment and the principles guiding its design and evolution” (Hilliard, 2000:10).

Reference architectures can be used for building new software applications that incorporate the known “lessons learned” by the community (Avgeriou, 2003:1). Similar to the Rational Unified Process (RUP) that created a configurable process for software engineering (Anwar, 2014:9), a reference architecture is a configurable way to construct an entity that builds on best-of-breed projects (Fremantle 2015: Online), allowing those in the future to avoid the mistakes of the past by learning from what others have done right in their implementations, choices which have coalesced into best practices (Mueller 2020:19). This researcher has drawn the reference architecture concept from the software engineering world and applied to privately held businesses owned by Christians.

A ‘business reference architecture’ (BRA) identifies the purpose for the business’s existence, its’ core functions and processes, and the nature of the interaction between these elements (Gharajedaghi, 2011:181). In the opinion and experience of this researcher, a business reference architecture can assist the business owner in understanding the business that is both configurable and adaptable to the owner’s needs.

A BRA combines the concepts of a reference architecture and a business architecture to aid the business owner in understanding the various disciplines involved in a process formation, an implementation, or cause-effect relationships. For example, when a healthcare business needs to implement a new Electronic Medical Records (EMR) system, the implementation will probably involve the following disciplines:

Clinical services.
Compliance.
Accounting.
Scheduling.
Training.
Information technology.
Cybersecurity.
Information management.
Records retention.

A reference architecture will help all the disciplines involved understand the breadth and scope of all that is needed from each discipline and what the inputs and outputs should be to give the organisation a successful implementation. When used correctly, reference architectures may help teams avoid errors and delays by avoiding common mistakes others eluded through the use of the architecture (Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development, 2023: Online).

What a Reference Architecture is not

A reference architecture differs from capabilities, standards, and business architectures and is neither a ‘capability’ nor a ‘standard.’ These concepts are expanded upon below:

A reference architecture is not a capability: A capability is an ability or a capacity to achieve a specific purpose or outcome (The Open Group, 2018:2). A reference architecture surfaces that which implementers should consider as they use their capabilities to further the organisation’s goals. A reference architecture does not assume any particular capabilities by the implementer. It merely informs the implementer of what needs to be considered as the implementer implements a new technology or process.
A reference architecture is not a standard: Similarly, a reference architecture is not a matrix of standards. A standard is a clear definition of a level of quality or attainment. Standards can exist within each component of the architecture to inform the implementer of the desired quality level that should be achieved as the implementer is implementing each part of the reference architecture. However, the standards do not originate within the reference architecture; they are layered on top of it.
A reference architecture is not a business architecture, though it is similar to it: When a reference architecture is applied to creating a business model, it may be confused with a business architecture. A business architecture describes how “an organisation uses its essential competencies for realising its strategic intent and objective” (The Open Group, 2016:5). The reference architecture in this research paper does not inherently assume that the elements presented within it represent essential competencies which every business must possess. Instead, the reference architecture in this research paper merely alerts the business owner that these elements must be considered as the owner constructs an optimal business model and core processes for achieving the aims of the proposed enterprise.

The Concept of a Christian Business Reference Architecture.

The BRA I have developed over the last fifteen years is based on the Christian faith and is titled Christian Business Reference Architecture (CBRA).¹ I have used the CBRA to run several businesses.

This CBRA has not been formally published (yet) but has been used informally by this researcher to run several different businesses, including:

A software training business.
A business that sourced products out of Asia then warehoused them in Minneapolis and then distributed those products across the United States.
A firearm range with retail sales.
A home care business that provides medical and non-medical care to over 600 patients.

The CBRA has been personally helpful to this researcher in managing and growing businesses over the last twenty years.

Perspectives on Christian Business Reference Architecture

Visceral to the CBRA is the character and persona of the business owner. It is the observation and personal experience of this researcher that most problems in privately held businesses result from the owner’s (or leader’s) personal dysfunction. The owner’s mental and emotional dysfunction becomes imprinted on the business and results in distortions and dysfunctions in the culture, processes, and even the products and services of the business.

Remediating those dysfunctional results is usually viewed as a business problem rather than a personal problem which only the owner can address. The upper two layers of the CBRA deal with the owner’s persona, focusing on spiritual, mental, and emotional health.

Using a simplified version of the CBRA

I have developed a “skinny” version of the CBRA that is represented here:

Admittedly, this “skinny” version lacks any reference to the Christian faith, but it can still be useful for those who like the idea of a reference architecture but don’t want the complexity of the full version.

Flexiblity of a Reference Architecture

It is not assumed that every business will implement every part of the BRA at the same intensity or at a similar quality level. For example, a business that delivers health care to seniors will have very different complexities in the finance and treasury area than a business that teaches grade-school children how to play basketball. Both will need a measure of accounting, but the capabilities needed for healthcare accounting will far exceed those needed in the basketball training business. The BRA can be helpful to both businesses, but how much attention is paid to each part of the architecture will be different across different businesses.

Using a reference architecture as a diagnostic tool:The BRA surfaces the natural ebb and flow of undercurrents inherent within business model changes because a change in one area will affect a change in other areas. More art than science, the BRA can help surface those cause-effect relationships at a business model level simply by asking, “If a change is made in this area, how will that change affect other areas of the business?” Like a mobile hanging over a baby’s crib, when a change is made in one part of a business, the BRA will help the owner understand how that change will affect other parts of the business.
The BRA is agnostic relative to specific management models. The BRA leaves to the owner decisions about which strategy and tactics to employ as the owner manages the business. The BRA is agnostic in methods of developing management strategies or tactics. For example, the owner could use the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) to implement management practices or use a different system, such as the OGSM model to achieve similar ends. The BRA will support the EOS, OGSM, or many other strategies and operational models. Selection of a model for managing the operations of a business, developing the long-term and short-term goals of the business and mitigating risk are all left to the discretion of the business owner.

Bill English, Publisher
Bible and Business

Sources:

Avgeriou, P. 2003. Describing, Instantiating, and Evaluating a Reference Architecture: A Case Study. Journal of Computer Science (no page numbers or volume information given)

Fremantle, P. 2015. A Reference Architecture for the Internet of Things. [Online]. Available at: https://wso2.com/whitepapers/a-reference-architecture-for-the-internet-of-things/ [Accessed 04/10/2023]

Gharajedaghi, Jamshid. 2011. Systems Thinking: Managing Chaos and Complexity – A Platform for Designing Business Architecture, New York: Morgan Kaufmann.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development. 2023. What is a Reference Architecture? [Online]. Available from: https://www.hpe.com/us/en/what-is/reference-architecture.html [Accessed 04/03/2023]

Hilliard, R. 2000. Recommended Practice for Architectural Description of Software-Intensive Systems. [Online]. Available from: http://standards.ieee.org, 2000 – pdfs.semanticscholar.org [Accessed 04/07/2023].

Muller, G. 2020. A Reference Architecture Primer. University of South-Eastern Norway-NISE (Version 0.6)

The Open Group. 2016. Open Business Architecture (O-BA) – Part I. Reading, United Kingdom.