### ArchiMate The modelling language. Every element has a layer, and every layer has a colour convention — reading the colours is the fastest way to spot a mis-layered model. | Layer | Colour | Core elements you've met so far | |---|---|---| | **Motivation** | Purple/violet | Stakeholder, Driver, Assessment, **Goal**, Outcome, Principle, Requirement, Constraint, Meaning, **Value** | | **Strategy** | Tan / khaki | Resource, **Capability**, Course of Action, **Value Stream** | | **Business** | Yellow | Business Actor, Business Role, **Business Function**, Business Process, Business Service, Business Object, Business Event | | **Application** | Blue | Application Component, Application Service, Application Function, Data Object | | **Technology** | Green | Node, Device, System Software, Technology Service, Artifact, Network | | **Implementation & Migration** | Pink | Work Package, Deliverable, Plateau, Gap | Rough mapping: Motivation + Strategy ≈ the *Goals & Strategy* layer; Business ≈ *Business*; Application ≈ *Applications & Systems* (with Data Objects ≈ *Data & Information*); Technology ≈ *Network & Infrastructure*. #### 6.1 Relationships † | Relationship | Notation | Means | Typical use | |---|---|---|---| | **Composition** | filled diamond | Whole–part; the part cannot exist without the whole | Nesting L2 capabilities inside L1 | | **Aggregation** | hollow diamond | Grouping; parts can exist independently | Loose collections | | **Assignment** | line, ball at source | An active element performs behaviour | Role → Process | | **Realization** | dashed, hollow triangle | A more concrete element realises a more abstract one | Process realises a Service; Capability realises a Goal | | **Serving** | solid, open arrowhead | One element provides its functionality to another | **Capability serves Value Stream stage** | | **Access** | dotted, small arrow | Behaviour reads/writes a data object | Process accesses Business Object | | **Influence** | dashed, open arrow, optional +/− | One element affects another, possibly negatively | Goal → Goal in a goal hierarchy | | **Association** | plain line | Unspecified relationship | The safe fallback when you're unsure | | **Triggering** | solid arrow | Temporal/causal sequence | Process → Process | | **Flow** | dashed arrow | Transfer of something between elements | **Value Stream stage → stage** | | **Specialization** | hollow triangle | Is-a-kind-of | Element taxonomy | **Heuristic for choosing:** ask what the relationship *asserts*. If it asserts structure → composition/aggregation. If it asserts "this enables that" → serving or realization. If it asserts "this causes/affects that" → triggering, flow or influence. If you can't say, use **Association** rather than guessing precisely wrong — the W4 brief explicitly permits Association and treats Influence/Realization as a bonus. ---