In the Value Added Chain Diagram, VACD, there are two different types of chevron symbols that I have seen for a function. Can someone provide some insight as two what the difference is between the two symbols and when/why you would use one over the other? Thanks!
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by Alexander Cherednichenko
Posted on Fri, 01/20/2012 - 16:25
In practice, two different symbols on VACD model may be used for visual separation of processes, which are situated on different level of specification. For example, lower symbol may be used for processes of the first level (core processes) and upper symbol for processes of the second level (subprocesses)
There is no difference in the symbol except the shape (all attributes are identical for example). What I do as one of the first things in a Methods and Conventions workshop is to agree on one of the two and remove the other one from the filter to avoid confusion with clients.
Although this thread is kinda old, I just had the same question, and found in practice, that I cannot connect the second type of symbol to a Organizational unit, but I can do that with the first object.
my answer is just about the same one as Roland's 5 years ago. In your conventions workshop you decide on the method, what to depict in which model type at what level. And if you are missing a connection type you desperately want, either modify the model type to allow it (or maybe it's just a matter of allowing the connection in the filter), or derive a model type from VACD (named with the terminology of your metamodel, e.g. "Level 1 process" or whatever) and allow the connection there. You might go as far as defining your own derived model types for every artefact in your method. Especially in the Enterprise Architecture part of modelling this is a strong tool, because application system type diagrams tend to be used for multiple stakeholders. If you give each type of stakeholder his individual derived model type you can differentiate them in the method filter and everybody gets a sensible model type name and more importantly, only the symbols and connections he needs for his viewpoint.
