I stumbled across this as a form of analyzing data. You look up on Wikipedia for details if you don't know what it is.
Here is a Ppt show about it. http://people.emich.edu/wkhorshee/is660/ecommerce/Z3.ppt
I was going to post this in 18F section since I'm looking at it as data analysis processing. But just as with anything posted there only SF guys seem to post there. I want input from people that have used this in other industries and facets.
Thanks for the input.
I have some experience with the Zachman Framework. A few years ago I was leading a project where we brought John Zachman in to teach us to use his Framework. We followed up with a consulting engagement with his firm to mentor us through the process. (BTW – I’m not a spokesman for Zachman and I don’t sell any Zachmany things. These are just opinions based on my experience going through the Zachman training and then utilizing the framework).
Here’s the short answer (BLUF) …
Zachman is a framework that shows which information you need to fully understand an organization. SNA is a tool to help gather some of the information needed for Zachman.
Here’s some more detail …
Zachman isn't really a way analyze data. It's a method used to classify information that describes an “enterprise”. For Zachman, an enterprise is any organization with a defined purpose. That could range from a multi-national bank to a mom and pop grocery to a loosely affiliated group of international terrorists. Zachman's premise is if, for a given organization, you have all the information associated with every cell in the framework, you have a complete understanding of that organization.
The information specified in rows 1 and 2 describes the structure and purpose of the organization. The information specified in rows 3 and 4 describes how the organization operates. Row 5 is an inventory of real things in the organization (equipment by serial number, names of people associated with roles, etc.)
It’s unlikely you’ll ever have all the information you want. The more information you have associated with a cell in the framework, the more depth of knowledge you have about the organization. The more cells you have information for, the more breadth of knowledge you have about that organization. Places where information is limited or non-existent show gaps in knowledge.
Row 2 of Zachman is all about relationships. Location relationships, organizational relationships, functional relationships, relationships between important entities.
In a business environment, you would just ask what those relationships are. If you are unable to ask what those relationships are, or if no one is willing to tell you what those relationships are, you need to be able to infer them somehow.
From my perspective, that’s where SNA comes in. SNA is one tool for inferring those relationships, the strength of those relationships, and the connectivity of those relationships that you need for Zachman row 2.