Business Function Framework Overview and
Business Architecture Repository Demonstration
Veterans Health Administration (VHA), Office of Informatics and Analytics
(OIA), Strategic Investment Management (SIM), Business Architecture (BA),
Business Reference Architecture (BRA)
Donna Marcum, BRA Unit Lead
March 13, 2014
Agenda
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VHA Business Architecture Alignment
VHA Business Reference Architecture Unit
VHA Business Function Framework overview
VHA Business Architecture Repository overview and
demonstration
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VHA Business Architecture Alignment
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VHA Business Architecture Alignment (cont.)
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VHA Business Reference Architecture Unit
Roles:
• Provides the Business Function Framework (BFF) /
Business Reference Model (BRM) which is used as the
context for categorizing, planning and aligning business
processes, information models and business
requirements and other business primitives
• Maintains the VHA Business Architecture Repository
(BAR) in order to support sound IT and program
decision-making by providing impact reports generated
by aligning primitives under stringent mapping
guidelines
• Supports development of Service Oriented Architecture
(SOA) including preparing the architectural environment
for vertical, horizontal and other analytical views,
especially to identify redundancies
Key Products:
• VHA BFF / BRM
• Quarterly update of the BAR (primitives, mappings and
impact reports)
• Integrated DoD/VA Business Reference Model (iBRM),
developed as part of the iEHR Initiative
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VHA
Business
Architecture
VHA
Business
Driven
Strategy
Business
Information & Data
VHA Business Reference Model
(Business Function Framework)
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VHA Business Function Framework Overview
The VHA Business Function
Framework (BFF) is a
business reference model
that represents the VA
business functions necessary
to deliver health care
VHA BFF
OneVA Segment Architecture View
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VHA Business Function Framework Overview (cont.)
 VHA BFF
comprises one
Segment-level
component and
seven Line of
Business-level
components
 VHA BFF
describes all
VHA business
functions but it
does not include
organizations,
programs,
processes or
applications
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What’s the Value of the VHA BFF?
The BFF provides:
 A comprehensive view of VA health care business
functions
 A way to categorize and prioritize VHA activities
 A bridge between the VHA’s strategy and its technology
resources
 A hub for VHA business architecture components, linking
multiple internal and external artifacts/products
 Support for collaborative efforts with agency partners
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VHA BFF is aligned to a wide range of key products
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VHA Business Architecture Repository Release Overview
 The VHA Business Architecture Repository (BAR) Release is a
Microsoft Excel workbook published on a quarterly basis, located on
a VHA BA SharePoint website
 The VHA BAR Release consists of multiple components:
‒ Table of Contents
‒ Release Notes (tab descriptions and
changes since the last release)
‒ Glossary of Terms
‒ Lists
‒ Direct Mappings
‒ Derived Relationships
‒ Informational Documents
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VHA Business Architecture Repository Release Overview (cont.)
VHA BAR December 2013 Release Table of Contents
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Navigating the VHA BAR
Click on any of the links in the VHA BAR
Release Table of Contents to access lists,
direct mappings, derived relationship reports
and informational documents
Click on any of the tabs in the VHA BAR Release to
access the table of contents, release notes, glossary,
direct mappings, derived relationship reports and
informational documents
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What’s the Value of the VHA BAR?
 The VHA BAR Release serves as a single
access point to multiple Business
Architecture products and artifacts,
including: VA/VHA Strategies, VHA
Program Inventory, VHA IT Projects, VHA
applications, architectural mappings and
informational documents like the VHA
BFF Supplement
 The VHA BAR Release demonstrates
relationships between VHA Business
Architecture artifacts and supports
business analysis, reporting and decision
making
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VHA BAR Demonstration
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Questions
Email the BRA Team at VHA10P2ESIMBABRA@va.gov
Or contact Donna Marcum at Donna.Marcum@va.gov
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