Understanding Reference Models and Their Representation in ArchiMate

What Is a Reference Model?

First, we step back and look at reference architectures, which are described as standardized frameworks that provide reference structures for a specific domain, industry, or field.

A reference model offers a very clear view (often on a page) of the area of interest – reusable artifacts that can be tailored to fit an organization.

Examples of reference model types include:

Business Reference Model (BRM)

Technical Reference Model (TRM)

Information Reference Model (IRM)

Many industry reference models are publicly available, but the real value lies in adapting these models into organization‑specific reference models that foster discussion, reuse, and traceability across architectural domains.

How Do I Represent This in ArchiMate?

Reference models often exist as PowerPoint slides, Visio diagrams, or even Excel spreadsheets, which are great for communication but are isolated artifacts.

In enterprise architecture, reference models are rarely used in isolation – they need to be linked to other areas using standards that bind reference model elements, such as ArchiMate.

A recurring challenge is deciding which ArchiMate concept should represent a particular “block” in a reference model.

This discussion can take days or weeks, but once a consensus is reached, the model should be used consistently. Below we review the three examples mentioned earlier.

Business Reference Model

Essentially it describes the “business on the page,” breaking down parent “areas” into children and grandchildren, and should capture the organization’s roles, providing strong clues for modeling.

For those familiar with ArchiMate, the described “behavior” aligns with business functions.

Microsoft Industry Reference Architecture for Banking

Technical Reference Model

Similar to the business reference model, the TRM usually describes the “infrastructure on the page,” but from a functional perspective rather than low‑level server or processor details.

With this in mind, the focus shifts to infrastructure services and functions (i.e., behavior).

The Cloud Ecosystem Reference Model

Information Reference Model

In the previous two examples we noticed the use of the “behavior” concept, which is common for many reference models. In contrast, “structure” concepts are usually closer to implementation.

The IRM describes the common “information” available within an organization (e.g., the TM Forum SID). From a logical standpoint, using the behavior concept is inappropriate, so we view it as a “passive structure” column describing objects.

Experienced ArchiMate users may decide whether to use Business Objects or Data Objects to represent IRM elements; high‑level concepts like “information” often map best to business objects.

The Information Framework (SID)

Conclusion

Therefore, here are some recommendations for using reference models with ArchiMate.

You can use various ArchiMate concepts to represent elements in the model, but the most important point is to reach a consensus on the standard, apply it consistently, and share the results.

The final takeaway is to present the model to non‑technical stakeholders – remember that architects can create reference models with standardized ArchiMate notation to enable effective impact analysis, yet there is no reason not to output the model in other formats such as “notification‑style” views.