A lot of tools are available for drawing and modeling process diagrams, data models, etc. To know whether you can benefit from using Sparx EA, it is important to first know the difference between a diagram and model.
A diagram is a drawing and is used for a specific purpose, such as making a process transparent to detect optimizations or to give new employees insight into the company. An important difference is that in a model relationships are established between different elements. For example, in a model one can link different process diagrams to each other to make the coherence and order of these processes clear. Also, the relationships between activities in a process and the applications used, or the relationships between applications and data can be modeled. Based on the modeled relationships one can investigate where the single-point-of-truth of the data is located and in which processes or applications the data is further used.
Well-known drawing tools such as Visio can help you further when you only want to draw diagrams. Using Sparx EA can be recommended when you want to model your business.
In Sparx EA, you can model many things besides processes, such as applications, integrations between applications, data flows, IT infrastructure to even your business strategy and a business dictionary. For this purpose, Sparx EA uses a lot of standard modeling languages, such as BPMN, Archimate, UML, etc. Elements from any standard can be combined in your model and can be visualized on the same diagram, including the relationships between them.
On top of that, using a project database ensures that collaboration on the same model is possible. When the actors, applications, processes, data, ... are linked, it is possible to use Sparx EA to perform analyses on the models. During an IT selection process, "what if" analyses can be carried out based on these relationships, for example, to determine which processes and actors would be impacted if an old application were to be replaced.
Sparx EA also has a powerful search function that enables you to query the model very quickly. By keeping track of your entire enterprise architecture centrally, silo thinking is broken, which can only benefit the further optimization of the business.
Sparx EA is a beautiful and very comprehensive tool, which is a big plus, but at the same time it can also be a disadvantage: because everything is possible in the tool, a lot can also go "wrong". When starting a new project, there is no guidance from the tool: it is an empty box with a full toolbox. From the model you can only derive what was actually put into it. A well-considered start with modeling can avoid a lot of problems afterwards.
Interested in implementing Sparx EA in your company? Don't hesitate to contact i.deeds. With our many years of (practical) experience, we can guide you and give a quick start to your project.
