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
IMPORTANT: Not all Zachman perspectives can be extracted from code analysis.
| Row | Perspective | Code Extraction | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Planner | Cannot extract | Requires strategic context, executive input |
| 2 | Owner | Cannot extract | Requires business documentation, stakeholder interviews |
| 3 | Designer | Partial | Can infer structure; design rationale missing |
| 4 | Builder | Strong | Technologies, specs visible in code |
| 5 | Subcontractor | Strong | Configurations, implementations in code |
| 6 | User | Limited | Requires runtime data, deployment configs |
What This Means
- Rows 4-5: This plugin can analyze code and extract useful information
- Rows 1-3: This plugin can guide structured interviews and documentation review, but cannot generate content from code alone
- Row 6: Requires access to running systems and operational data
Using the Matrix
For Coverage Checking
Use the matrix as a checklist to ensure documentation completeness:
What How Where Who When Why
Planner [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]
Owner [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]
Designer [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]
Builder [x] [x] [x] [ ] [ ] [ ]
Subcontr [x] [x] [x] [ ] [ ] [ ]
User [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]
For Specific Analysis
To analyze a specific cell:
- Identify the row (stakeholder perspective)
- Identify the column (interrogative)
- Determine if code extraction is possible
- If rows 1-3: Guide human input gathering
- If rows 4-6: Analyze codebase for relevant information
Cell Examples
Row 4 (Builder) Examples
| Column | Question | Code Analysis Can Find |
|---|---|---|
| What | What data structures? | Models, schemas, types |
| How | How is it built? | Algorithms, patterns |
| Where | Where does it run? | Deployment configs |
| Who | Who maintains it? | Git history, CODEOWNERS |
| When | When does it execute? | Schedulers, triggers |
| Why | Why this approach? | ADRs, comments |
Row 1 (Planner) Examples - Require Human Input
| Column | Question | Requires |
|---|---|---|
| What | What are business entities? | Business glossary |
| How | What are core processes? | Process documentation |
| Where | Where do we operate? | Business geography |
| Who | What is the org structure? | Org chart |
| When | What are business cycles? | Business calendar |
| Why | What are strategic goals? | Strategy documents |
Wizard Mode
If you're unsure which row/column to use:
Step 1: Who's the audience?
- Executives → Row 1 (Planner)
- Business managers → Row 2 (Owner)
- Architects → Row 3 (Designer)
- Developers → Row 4 (Builder)
- Implementers → Row 5 (Subcontractor)
- Operations → Row 6 (User)
Step 2: What question?
- About data/things → Column 1 (What)
- About processes → Column 2 (How)
- About locations → Column 3 (Where)
- About people/roles → Column 4 (Who)
- About timing/events → Column 5 (When)
- About goals/rules → Column 6 (Why)
Practical Application
Minimum Viable Coverage
For most projects, ensure at least:
- Row 3, Column 1-2 (Designer: What & How) - Architecture diagrams
- Row 4, Column 1-2 (Builder: What & How) - Technical specs
- Row 4, Column 6 (Builder: Why) - ADRs
Comprehensive Coverage
For enterprise-scale work:
- All cells for rows 3-5
- Key cells for rows 1-2 (with stakeholder input)
Memory References
For detailed limitations, see references/zachman-limitations.md.
For the complete matrix, see references/zachman-overview.md.
Version History
- v1.0.0 (2025-12-05): Initial release
- Zachman Framework 3.0 matrix documentation
- Critical limitation: code extraction capabilities by row
- Wizard mode for row/column selection
- Practical application and minimum viable coverage
Last Updated
Date: 2025-12-05 Model: claude-opus-4-5-20251101
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