Configure Workspace for Meta Model v4

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Before making any Meta Model configuration changes, make sure you have thoroughly assessed your current configuration and detected a clear use case for implementing the whole or parts of the Meta Model v4.

Overview

Admin users of a workspace with the Meta Model v3 can configure their Meta Model to align their workspace with Meta Model v4. Broadly, you do the following changes to align with Meta Model v4:

• Rename existing Fact Sheet type names: Rename User Group, Project, and Process Fact Sheet types to Organization, Initiative, and Business Context, respectively.
• Introduce new Fact Sheet type: Create a new Fact Sheet type named Platform and define its relationships with other Fact Sheet types.
• Add Fact Sheet subtypes: Add new Fact Sheet subtypes to Organization, Initiative, Business Context, Application, and Interface and additional subtypes to IT Component.
• Introduce new subsections and fields: Add a new subsection and the necessary fields to the Business Capability Fact Sheet to capture the business capabilities' current and target maturity levels.
• Standardize Fact Sheet color and order: Align the colors following LeanIX standards and arrange Fact Sheets in the recommended order. This standardization helps all workspace users follow LeanIX standard documentation and instructions effectively.

In the following sections, detailed instructions for implementing the aforementioned changes will be provided. To have an overview of key changes from Meta Model v3, see Delta to Meta Model v3.

Rename Three Existing Fact Sheet Types

A few of the existing Fact Sheet types need to be renamed to align with Meta Model v4.
They are:

• User Group → Organization
• Project → Initiative
• Process → Business Context

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Note

Renaming happens in the translations of the Fact Sheet. Therefore, there will be no impact on the existing integrations.

To rename the Fact Sheet types, follow these steps:

1. Navigate to Administration > Meta Model Configuration, and choose the Fact Sheet type you want to rename.
2. Click Edit at the top right corner of the page to reveal the right-side panel.
3. On the right-side panel, click on the Manage Translation tab indicated with the globe icon.
4. Depending on the Fact Sheet that is being renamed, fill in the following values in the Singular and Plural fields. Also, add Help text for better context.

5. Click Show changes, and then Apply. The Fact Sheet type is renamed.

Introduce New Fact Sheet Type - Platform

In the Meta Model v4, Platform is a new Fact Sheet type. To introduce the new Fact Sheet type, summarily, you do the following:

1. Create a new Fact Sheet type named Platform.
2. Add sections for Strategic Support and Implementation in the newly created Platform Fact Sheet.
3. In the Strategic Support section, create relations to the Business Capability, Initiative, and Objective Fact Sheet types and fill in the necessary fields.
4. In the Implementation section, create relations to the Application and IT Component Fact Sheet types and fill in the necessary fields.

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Note to users using the optional Tech Platform Fact Sheet in Meta Model v3.

If you are using the optional Tech Platform Fact Sheet type in Meta Model v3, the simplest way to transition to Meta Model v4 is by editing the existing Tech Platform Fact Sheet type.

By following the instructions detailed in the sections below, add the necessary relations to other Fact Sheet types. You can retain the "Tech Platform" title; there's no obligation to change the name, especially if your organization is accustomed to the previous terminology.

Comprehensive Walkthrough for Each Step:

1. Create a New Fact Sheet Type

i. Navigate to Administration > Meta Model Configuration, and click on New Fact Sheet type.

ii. Fill in the Fact Sheet details using the provided values below:

iii. Click Create,

A new Fact Sheet type named Platform is created.

2. Add Sections - Strategic Support and Implementation

Add new sections - Strategic Support and Implementation in the newly created Fact Sheet.

i. Upon selecting any existing section, the + Add section button will appear; click on it.

ii. On the right-side panel, for the field Key, fill in the relevant unique ID depending on the section type you are creating, and click Create:

iii. Go to the Manage Translation tab (Glob icon) on the right-side panel. Under the field Label, fill in the relevant value depending on the section type you are creating:

iv. Click Show changes and Apply.

The Strategic Support and Implementation sections are added to the Platform Fact Sheet.

3. Create Relations to Business Capability, Initiative, and Objective

i. In the newly created Strategic Support section, click on the + Add relation button.

ii. Depending on the Fact Sheet type to which the relation is being established, on the right-side panel, fill in the following values to the corresponding fields:

iii. Click Create

iv. Go to the Manage Translation tab (Globe icon) on the right-side panel, and depending on the Fact Sheet type to which the relation is being established, fill in the following values to the Label and Help Text fields:

v. After entering the values, click Show changes, and then Apply to apply the changes.

Relations to Business Capability, Initiative, and Objective Fact Sheet types are created.

4. Create Relations to Application and IT Component

i. In the newly created Implementation section, click on the + Add relation button.

ii. Depending on the Fact Sheet type to which the relation is being established, fill in the following values to the corresponding fields on the right-side panel:

iii. Click Create

iv. Go to the Manage Translation tab on the right-side panel, and depending on the Fact Sheet type to which the relation is being established, fill in the following values to the Label and Help Text fields:

v. After entering the values, click Show changes, and then Apply to apply the changes.

Relations to Application and IT Component Fact Sheet types are created. With this, you have successfully added the new Platform Fact Sheet type.

Add Fact Sheet Subtypes to Several Fact Sheet Types

Introduce new Fact Sheet subtypes to Organization, Initiative, Business Context, Application, and Interface and additional subtypes to IT Component. Not all subtypes are necessary; evaluate their implementation based on compelling use cases and your organization's specific needs.

To introduce Fact Sheet subtypes, follow these steps:

1. Navigate to Administration > Meta Model Configuration, and select the relevant Fact Sheet type for which subtype is being added.
2. Select the Name & Description section, and click on the + Add field button.
3. In the Key field, enter “category” as the unique ID.
4. Set the appropriate field width from the Width drop-down field. As a best practice, using M (4/12) is recommended.
5. In the Values field, enter the unique ID for the subtype being created. Refer to the table at the end of this section for the Unique ID values. You can create multiple subtypes at once by clicking '+' icon and adding additional fields.
6. Click Create to add the field.

7. Head to the Manage Translation tab (Globe icon) on the right-side panel. In the Label field, enter “Subtype.”
8. Input the appropriate subtype translations into the Field values. Subtype translations for all the subtypes are provided in the table below.
9. After entering the values, click Show changes, and then Apply to apply the changes.

You might already be using “category” as a unique ID in some of your Fact Sheet types. In such cases, simply identify the field and add additional subtype values. At the same time, rename the field to “Subtype“ from the Manage Translation tab of the right-side panel.

It's recommended to create a direct relation between Business Applications and other subtypes through a self-referencing relation. This relation will help to model how Microservices and Deployments indirectly support Business Capabilities through Business Applications. For more information, see Self-Referencing Relations.

Introduce New Subsections and Fields to Business Capability

In the Meta Model v4, a new subsection called Maturity has been introduced to capture the business capabilities' current and target maturity levels. To add the new subsection to your Meta Model v3, summarily, do the following:

1. Add a subsection named “Maturity” and provide the necessary translations.
2. Within the newly created subsection, introduce new Fact Sheet fields for Current Maturity, Target Maturity, Strategic Importance, and Maturity Description.

1. Add the Subsection for Maturity in the Business Capability Fact Sheet

To add a new subsection, follow these steps:

i. Navigate to Administration > Meta Model Configuration, and choose the Business Capability Fact Sheet.

ii. Select the Information section in the Fact Sheet. Once selected, a + Add subsection button will appear; click on it.

iii. On the right-side panel, fill in “maturity” as the unique ID for the field Key and click Create.

iv. Go to the Manage Translation tab (Globe icon) on the right-side panel. Fill in the following values to the Label and Help Text fields:

v. Click Show changes and then Apply.

The new subsection ‘Maturity’ is created.

2. Add New Fact Sheet Fields in the Maturity Subsection

In the Maturity subsection, introduce four new fields - Current Maturity, Target Maturity, Strategic Importance, and Maturity Description.

To add new fields in the Maturity subsection, follow these steps:

i. In the newly created Maturity subsection, click on the + Add field button.

ii. Depending on the Fact Sheet field you are creating, on the right-side panel, fill in the following values to the corresponding fields:

iii. For the Current Maturity, Target Maturity, and Strategic Importance fields, choose an appropriate icon, and color, and set the icon display order to ‘Descending.’

iv. Click Create to create the field.

v. Go to the Manage Translation tab (Globe icon) on the right-side panel. Depending on the Fact Sheet field you are creating, refer to the tables below and fill in the appropriate values to the Label, Field values, and Help text:

For the Current Maturity field, refer to the table below.

For the Target Maturity field, refer to the table below.

For the Strategic Importance field, refer to the table below.

For the Maturity Description field, refer to the table below.

vi. In the final tab of the right-side panel, toggle Include in views and Show in filters for the Current Maturity, Target Maturity, and Strategic Importance fields.

vii. Click Show changes, and then Apply to finish adding the new Fact Sheet field.

Standardize Fact Sheet Colors and Order

It is recommended to align the colors following LeanIX standards and also arrange Fact Sheets in the given order. This standardization helps all workspace users follow LeanIX standard documentation and instructions effectively.

Change the Fact Sheet Color

To change the color of the Fact Sheets, follow these steps:

1. Navigate to Administration > Meta Model Configuration, and select a Fact Sheet that you want to update.
2. Click Edit at the top right corner of the Fact Sheet.
3. In the right-side panel, click on Color.
4. In the overlay that appears, click on the RGB button, and click through the color format options until you get the HEX value input field.

5. Enter the HEX value corresponding to the Fact Sheet type. HEX values for all the Fact Sheet types are given in the table above.
6. Click Show changes. The Fact Sheet color is updated.

Reorder Fact Sheets

To change the order of the Fact Sheets, follow these steps:

1. On the Meta Model Configuration page, click Change order in the upper-right corner.
2. Rearrange Fact Sheets following the standard order by dragging and dropping. The order of the Fact Sheets is given in the table above.
3. Click Save order.

The order of Fact Sheets is updated.