Practise vocabulary for business capability modelling: capabilities, heat maps, maturity levels, and capability-to-system mapping.
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A ___ capability represents what an organisation does (not how it does it), expressed as a stable business function.
A business capability is an abstraction of what a business does — 'Customer Relationship Management', 'Order Fulfilment', 'Risk Assessment'. It's stable (capabilities don't change as often as processes or systems) and technology-neutral.
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A capability ___ map organises all business capabilities into a hierarchical structure, typically arranged as a grid or tree.
A Business Capability Map (BCM) visualises all capabilities in a hierarchy (Level 1: domains, Level 2: capabilities, Level 3: sub-capabilities). It provides a common vocabulary for business-IT conversations, independent of org structure or systems.
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A ___ map overlays data (performance, investment, risk, maturity) on the capability map using red/amber/green colour coding.
A heat map overlays quantitative data on the BCM: red = low maturity/high cost, green = performing well. Heat maps drive architecture prioritisation — investing in capabilities that are critical but underperforming.
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Capability ___ assessment rates each capability on a scale (typically 1-5) from initial to optimising, helping identify improvement priorities.
Capability maturity assessment (using CMM-like scales) rates how well each capability is performed: Level 1 (ad hoc), Level 2 (managed), Level 3 (defined), Level 4 (measured), Level 5 (optimised). This drives targeted improvement investment.
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The primary use of a business capability map in enterprise architecture is to have ___ conversations with both business and IT stakeholders.
The BCM provides a shared vocabulary: business leaders and IT architects can discuss 'investing in the Order Fulfilment capability' without confusing 'capability' (what) with 'system' (which software) or 'process' (how). This alignment reduces miscommunication.
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PR Description
Subject: Refactor User Authentication Service - Improved Security & Scalability
During the code review, I noticed a lack of explicit definition for 'User Access Management' within the service. We need to clearly articulate this capability to ensure consistency across our microservices and align with the broader business strategy. Which phrasing best reflects the intended meaning in this PR description?
The correct answer highlights 'User Access Management' as the key capability being addressed. This demonstrates understanding that the PR isn't just about technical improvements (like rate limiting), but directly relates to a defined business function. The other options focus on specific technical tasks without connecting them back to the broader capability – a common mistake when discussing capabilities in a development context. It's crucial to frame changes within the lens of what the business *needs*.
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PR Description
Subject: Refactor User Authentication Service - Improved Security & Scalability
During the code review, I noticed a lack of explicit definition for 'User Access Management' within the service. We need to clearly articulate this capability to ensure consistency across our microservices and align with the broader business strategy. Which phrasing best reflects the intended meaning in this PR description?
The correct answer highlights 'User Access Management' as the key capability being addressed. This demonstrates understanding that the PR isn't just about technical improvements (like rate limiting), but directly relates to a defined business function. The other options focus on specific technical tasks without connecting them back to the broader capability – a common mistake when discussing capabilities in a development context. It's crucial to frame changes within the lens of what the business *needs*.
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PR Description
Subject: Refactor User Authentication Service - Improved Security & Scalability
During the code review, I noticed a lack of explicit definition for 'User Access Management' within the service. We need to clearly articulate this capability to ensure consistency across our microservices and align with the broader business strategy. Which phrasing best reflects the intended meaning in this PR description?
The correct answer highlights 'User Access Management' as the key capability being addressed. This demonstrates understanding that the PR isn't just about technical improvements (like rate limiting), but directly relates to a defined business function. The other options focus on specific technical tasks without connecting them back to the broader capability – a common mistake when discussing capabilities in a development context. It's crucial to frame changes within the lens of what the business *needs*.
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PR Description
Subject: Refactor User Authentication Service - Improved Security & Scalability
During the code review, I noticed a lack of explicit definition for 'User Access Management' within the service. We need to clearly articulate this capability to ensure consistency across our microservices and align with the broader business strategy. Which phrasing best reflects the intended meaning in this PR description?
The correct answer highlights 'User Access Management' as the key capability being addressed. This demonstrates understanding that the PR isn't just about technical improvements (like rate limiting), but directly relates to a defined business function. The other options focus on specific technical tasks without connecting them back to the broader capability – a common mistake when discussing capabilities in a development context. It's crucial to frame changes within the lens of what the business *needs*.
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During a Slack discussion about the new API endpoint, Sarah says, 'We need to ensure consistent error handling across all calls. It's crucial for debugging and monitoring.' Which capability is she primarily referring to?
Sarah's comment focuses on ensuring data remains valid and reliable. 'Data Integrity' directly addresses this concern—the ability to maintain the accuracy and consistency of information within a system. 'Performance Monitoring' is about speed, 'Security' is about protection, and 'Error Handling' is a *result* of good capability design, not the capability itself.
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In the PR description for this feature, the developer writes: 'This change introduces a new logging mechanism to track user activity. This will allow us to gain insights into how users are interacting with the application and identify potential issues.' Which capability is most directly addressed by this statement?
The description highlights tracking user activity to gain insights. 'Data Analytics' encompasses the collection and analysis of data for understanding trends and patterns – this is precisely what's being implemented here. 'User Experience' focuses on usability, 'Operational Monitoring' is broader than just analytics, and 'Security' isn't the primary focus.
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Mark replies to a message saying: 'We should model the ability for users to manage their profile information. This includes updating contact details and preferences.' Which capability does Mark's statement describe?
Mark is talking about the core function of users controlling their own account details. 'Identity Management' is a broader term that encompasses user authentication and authorization, but Mark's focus is specifically on profile data. 'Data Privacy' relates to how personal information is handled, while 'Content Management' deals with managing application content.
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The team is conducting a capability assessment for 'Payment Processing.' The assessment scores the capability as a '3' (Developing). This indicates that…
A '3' rating on a typical 1-5 scale indicates that the capability is in an intermediate state—it's not fully optimized and requires attention. A score of '1' would represent initial stages, while '4' or '5' suggest maturity. The infrequent usage option doesn't relate to the assessment itself.
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"I'm working on mapping out our key business capabilities related to customer onboarding. We need a clear understanding of each step in the process to identify bottlenecks and improve efficiency." What is the primary purpose of this update?
The speaker's focus is on defining the 'business processes,' specifically customer onboarding. This aligns with capability modelling – understanding *what* an organization does. The other options represent different types of work that wouldn't directly relate to mapping out business capabilities.
What does the "Business Capability Modelling Vocabulary" exercise cover?
Practise vocabulary for business capability modelling: capabilities, heat maps, maturity levels, and capability-to-system mapping.
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This exercise has 14 questions. Each one gives instant feedback with an explanation, so you can see exactly why an answer is right or wrong.
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