ARIS for DODAF/MODAF

Hi,

are you referencing to DODAF 1.0?

BR,

Konstantin

Yes, we started with DODAF 1.0.

I'm not sure why representing IDEF0 would be a major difficulty in ARIS. ARIS supports Inputs & Outputs to a Function. Mechanisms could be represented as software (Application System Type, Module Type, IT Function Type, etc) and/or one of the resource objects. Controls could be represented a few different ways,  I think I would choose objectives. With some custom configuration I would think it possible to produce a reasonable representation of IDEF0 in ARIS. The big difference is that IDEF0 allows "hanging connections", that is one end of the arrow is not connected to anything, whereas ARIS requires objects at both ends. This can be managed through some customization, although the modeler would have to understand how this works. Do you have any specific objections or difficulties that could be addressed here?

I'm not sure what version of ARIS you are using but 7.1 does have some support for tabular data entry through the Matrix Model. Not great support but it is there. Also, you can generate models (including Matrix Models) from other models.

thanks for the inputs, Rick.

U are right that it is possible to customise ARIS to produce reasonable IDEF0-like diagrams. That is exactly what we did.

The challenge we faced is that the effort needed to draw a semantically correct IDEF0 model is tedious and time consuming. A large part of it is due to the difficulty in improving the user interface and layout in ARIS to improve the modeling experience. The specific areas include the following:

The ICOM arrows in IDEF0 are associated with specific edges of each activity node. The function object is not able to support that. Each time the node is shifted or resized, the associations are re-assigned leading to an incorrect diagram. Simple resizing of nodes often leads to crooked arrows that had to be redrawn manually.

Auto synchronisation of models across parent-child diagrams and with the activity node tree are features that we find hard to implement. More specific rules like an output can be a control, input (but not a mechanism or output) to the next node are also difficult to enforce and check with customisation.

Overall, there is a need to improve the ease of creating and updating the IDEF0 models.

As for the table entry, the matrix model does not allow direct data entry into the cell.. an Excel like interface would be ideal.

Any further comments would be most appreciated.

thanks.

 

Hi Han-Chiew,

while you are right regarding the difficulties in implementation of customized solution for auto-synchronization between levels of modelling, I am sure that connection drawing can be handled using a customiozed solution.

On the other side pushing our ARIS Defense Solution 7.1 and by these means being in contact with different govermentantal defense organizations as well as defense suppliers, I wonder why just very few organizations are looking for IDEF0 support and others are pretty happy with process flow support in form of EPC/BPMN/PFC for OV-5 in ARIS....

Re: table entry, certain improvements in the core product are upcoming and that will simplify data entry...

/Konstantin

Is there a way to automate the DODAF 2.0 AV-2 report? The primary content of an AV-2 is textual but some of it is sourced from other artifacts. Can a baseline AV-2 report be auto generated so the components within the ARIS repository only need to managed in a single place?

By the way any reports for DODAF v2.0 ?