Using a Business Ontology for Structuring Artefacts: Example - Northern Health

Situation

Northern Health has undergone significant changes to its overall structure; as services previously offered by different organizations are now housed under a single banner. Not only has the structure of the organization changed, but the range of duties and the institutional priorities and services have also changed. Northern Health is undertaking an ambitious transformation agenda with regards to hospital service modernization efforts needed to meet government / organization commitments. In 2014, Northern Health decided to invest in building their concepts based on the discussed Business Ontology, which has an integrated enterprise modelling, engineering and architectural standard approach. In the fall of 2014, the integrated portfolio/program business ontology concept was successfully used to (1) capture and tailor the Northern Health value chain and to (2) define the business model and (3) operating model. The outcome of this effort led to (1) the creation of a Northern Health quality and improvement framework and the creation of Northern Health Reference Content, which is based on the Business Ontology. Through the tailoring of the Business Ontology, the following deliverables were developed: (1) an overview of Northern Health Forces/Drivers and Strategy, (2) integrated plans, (3) a view of Northern Health Value Chain, (4) a Business model of Northern Health, (5) an Operating Model, (6) the Northern Health Process Model, and (6) the Service Model, (7) the functional system map and (8) the reporting/decision making model. All, to provided insight into the as is situation and the to be transformation potential.