Apply Zachman Framework perspective analysis with honest limitations. Analyze architecture from specific row/column perspectives.
Use this skill when you need to:
Keywords: zachman, viewpoint, perspective, interrogative, what, how, where, who, when, why, planner, owner, designer, builder
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.
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]
To analyze a specific cell:
| 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 |
| 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 |
If you're unsure which row/column to use:
For most projects, ensure at least:
For enterprise-scale work:
For detailed limitations, see references/zachman-limitations.md.
For the complete matrix, see references/zachman-overview.md.
Date: 2025-12-05 Model: claude-opus-4-5-20251101