Domain analysis with archetype patterns based Zachman Framework for enterprise architecture

The software factories approach is one of a number of the automated software development methods, which promise greater gains in productivity and predictability by making application assembly more cost effective through systematic reuse and by enabling the formation of supply chains. In our research work on archetypes based development we investigate methods and applications of business archetypes and business archetype patterns (originally described by Arlow and Neustadt) in the development of software factories. In the current paper we describe and explain the Zachman Framework (ZF) from the archetype patterns perspective, explain how we use this archetype patterns based ZF in domain analysis and compare the ZF based approach with Dines Björners domain facets based approach. The business domain in our studies consists of a clinical laboratory. Our research is based on Laboratory Information Management System developments for the Clinical and Biomedical Proteomics Group, University of Leeds, UK. Our studies show, that ZF with archetypes and archetype patterns helps developers to better understand business domains, to design more robust and cost effective enterprise applications through systematic reuse of archetypal components by enabling supply chains of product families and to explain solutions to domain experts.