Event Models: The Most Often Missed Model in Enterprise Architecture

Join us live October 15, 2025, at 1:00 PM EDT (UTC-4)

Event Models play a pivotal role in both Enterprise Architecture (EA) and Business Architecture (BA) because they provide a clear, end-to-end visualization of how information triggers and propagates through an organization’s processes and technology.

Unlike traditional process-centric or static component models, Event Models focus on the dynamic flow of events that drive business outcomes, connecting business capabilities, data, and technology in a real-time context. Events drive processes. This orientation enables organizations to become genuinely agile, as it clarifies dependencies, orchestrates cross-functional workflows, and allows rapid adaptation to both anticipated and unforeseen changes.

By modeling “what happens when” rather than just “what exists,” Event Models directly support decision-making, real-time responsiveness, and measurable business impact - key objectives of effective Business Architecture and Enterprise Architecture.

Despite their significance and scalability - often becoming the largest and most detailed maps within a mature Architecture - Event Models are conspicuously absent from most mainstream EA and BA “Frameworks." Historically, some frameworks prioritized hierarchical taxonomies, capability maps, and static views that reflect organizational structures or high-level processes, rather than the fluid, granular flow of events that characterize modern digital enterprises. This omission may be due to legacy thinking, incomplete frameworks, or traditional divides between business and IT. As a result, many organizations continue to miss the strategic value that Event Models offer for aligning business vision with operational agility and fail to have the full benefit of Enterprise Architecture and Business Architecture programs.

Tune in for some key insights into Event Models.

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