Zachman

Zachman is a surname most commonly associated with John A. Zachman, an American information systems architect who developed the Zachman Framework for enterprise architecture. First published in 1987 while he was at IBM, the framework provides a formal method for organizing artifacts of an enterprise's architecture.

The Zachman Framework is a two-dimensional classification scheme arranged as a matrix with six columns and six rows. The columns correspond to six basic questions—What, How, Where, Who, When, and Why—covering the data, function, network, people, time, and motivation aspects of an enterprise. The rows represent different perspectives and levels of abstraction: Planner's Scope, Owner's Enterprise Model, Designer's System Model, Builder's Technology Model, Sub-contractor's Detailed Representations, and the Functioning Enterprise.

It is widely used in enterprise architecture as a taxonomy and reference model to ensure comprehensive coverage and traceability of architectural artifacts across stakeholders and life-cycle stages. It has influenced numerous frameworks and methodologies, though it is sometimes described as abstract or non-prescriptive.

John Zachman later co-founded Zachman International, a firm offering education, training, and certification related to the framework and its applications. The framework remains a foundational reference in discussions of enterprise architecture and information systems planning.