Business Function

Intro

A Business Function is a grouping of related activities with a common purpose. In EA, functions provide a stable lens for organising responsibilities and services.

Key points:

• Stable grouping independent of org structure
• Clarifies ownership and service scope
• Common use cases: operating model design, service catalogues, capability alignment, cost allocation
• Pitfall: confusing functions with departments or processes

Examples:

• Finance function delivering budgeting and reporting
• HR function covering hiring, payroll, and development
• IT function providing platforms and support

In practice:

Map functions to capabilities in Business Architecture work.

Related terms: Capability; Process; Operating Model

FAQs:

Q: Function vs capability?
A: Functions organise work; capabilities describe what the business can do.

Q: Function vs department?
A: Departments are org units; functions are purpose‑based groupings.

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