Capability

Intro

A Capability is what the business needs to do to achieve its objectives. It is stable over time and helps align change with strategy in EA.

Key points:

• Stable building blocks for planning and roadmaps
• Clear link from strategy to processes, data, and applications
• Used for heatmapping, investment planning, and rationalization
• Pitfall: confusing capabilities with org units or processes

Examples:

• Customer Management split into Onboarding, Service, and Retention
• Risk Management assessed for maturity and target state
• Order Fulfilment mapped to supporting apps and data

In practice:

Start with a lightweight capability map, then add ownership, KPIs, and supporting assets.

Related terms: Business Capability; Heatmap; Target Architecture

FAQs:

Q: Are capabilities the same as processes?
A: No, capabilities are “what” you do; processes are “how” you do it.

Q: How granular should capabilities be?
A: 2–3 levels deep is usually enough for planning.

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