Using Enterprise Objects Overview

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When you create an iGrafx repository, enterprise object folders are created to hold the various types of enterprise data you can create. You may use any iGrafx desktop modeler (such as FlowCharter) to create relationships between enterprise objects, but must have an Architect user license to create enterprise objects within the repository. (See Creating Enterprise Objects.) For example, you may want to indicate how requirements or business rules support a process or activity.

You may also use the graphical modeler to "Describe" which diagrams in your repository provide a visual representation of enterprise objects such as processes.

Once you have created, related, and visually described your enterprise objects using the repository and graphical modelers, you may also synchronize your enterprise data in the repository with Enterprise Modeler for further analysis and reporting.

Creating Relationships Between Enterprise Objects

After creating enterprise objects, you can relate the enterprise objects to each other. Creating relationships between objects allows you to perform impact analysis, RACI reporting, performance and risk management, and many other sorts of reporting. For example, specifying which resources are Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, or Informed for a process, and which resources support the process, allows powerful RACI and impact reporting. Indicating which processes support strategies, goals, and performance indicator (PI) measurements related to the process, enables performance management like that found in the Balanced Scorecard. Relating risks and controls to processes allows for risk management and governance.

Visualizing Enterprise Objects Using Describes Relationships from a Diagram

Once you have created enterprise objects in your repository, and potentially after creating relationships between those objects, you may use a diagram—or shape within a diagram—to visually describe an enterprise object. This allows you to use a graphical representation of your enterprise object to visualize the enterprise objects and even relationships that you have defined, and follow relationships from described objects.

Visualizing your enterprise objects allows you understand their relationship to the process landscape and to each other. In addition, by visualizing the relationship between enterprise objects, and particularly of the process landscape, you can help the enterprise understand and use important processes, and analyze and report on the enterprise by capturing performance indicators, risks, and other information.

Basic Reporting on Enterprise Objects

iGrafx Enterprise Modeler can be used to perform impact analysis, process alignment, gap analysis, performance reporting, RACI reporting, and more. In addition to being a report generator, Enterprise Modeler allows you to use knowledge gained from your analysis to create or edit enterprise objects directly, and ensure those changes are visible in the iGrafx repository.

Each time you synchronize the repository with Enterprise Modeler, changes to the repository enterprise objects folders appear in the Enterprise Modeler folders, and vice-versa, in a merge operation that respects new objects or relationships created in a repository through a desktop modeler or the web, or through Enterprise Modeler. This ensures the objects you are analyzing and reporting on are the latest from the enterprise repository, and the objects in the repository have any updates made in Enterprise Modeler .

Enterprise Modeler is a component of the iGrafx platform, and has its own set of documentation available from the Enterprise Modeler Help menu. You may also install Enterprise Modeler Server to provide concurrent editing of models with Enterprise Modeler.

Advanced Reporting on Enterprise Objects

Advanced reporting on enterprise objects is available in the Reporting section of the iGrafx platform. See the iGrafx Platform documentation for more information.