Towards the Identification of Process Anti-Patterns in Enterprise Architecture Models

IT processes constitute the backbone of an integrated enterprise architecture (EA). The model thereof sustains the development and management of the EA. Nevertheless, the quality of such models tends to degrade over time due to, e.g. improper modeling practices or ineffective evaluation. In this regard, the knowledge of relevant modeling anti-patterns can help identify, mitigate, and prevent the occurrence of sub-optimal or adverse constructs in the model. In the field of business process modeling (BPM), a plethora of BPM anti-patterns has been defined and compiled in various taxonomies. However, these BPM anti-patterns mostly focus on technical issues, which thus are applicable for evaluating workflows but not EA-level processes. We strongly argue that the concept of process anti-pattern in EA domain can facilitate EA analyses on process-related issues. To address this gap, this paper presents a catalogue of 18 EA process modeling anti-patterns, which we derived from the existing BPM anti-patterns. Our result should serve as food for thought and motivation for future research in this context.