The Seven IT4IT Value Streams
For the second decomposition, a split is made with the Digital Product as an abstract entity in a set of data objects that form the essence of the Digital Product Backbone. This is complemented with seven new value streams that, together, explain how to define and manage the delivery of digital value.
A value stream is a representation of an end-to-end collection of value-adding activities that create an overall result for a customer, stakeholder, or end user. For more detailed treatment of the definition of value streams; see the TOGAF Series Guide: Value Streams [G178].
As shown in The IT4IT Value Streams, the complete set of value streams depicts the various ways in which an organization orchestrates its capabilities to create stakeholder value through Digital Products. The value stream has a direct linkage to an organization’s business model (specifically to the value proposition). As an organization translates its business model to an operating model, those value stream stages can be translated into digital delivery processes as well as related data objects, tools, integrations, etc.
This document defines the following seven value streams: Evaluate, Explore, Integrate, Deploy, Release, Consume, and Operate.
These value streams are briefly introduced and described in the following sections.
Evaluate
The Evaluate value stream is about the continuous assessment and evaluation of the entire Digital Product Portfolio to optimize the alignment of the Product Portfolio with the business strategy, including the identification of new Digital Product opportunities that support business and technology objectives.
The Evaluate value stream is described formally in Evaluate Value Stream.
Explore
The Explore value stream continuously explores new features and/or future directions of a Digital Product aligned with strategic direction and business needs. It ensures the Product Design evolves to facilitate innovation and optimize business outcomes.
The Explore value stream is described formally in Explore Value Stream.
Integrate
The Integrate value stream continuously designs and builds new Product Releases and makes them ready for deployment to the market or the business. The Product Release is not limited to software development; this value stream is also applicable for the development of infrastructure building blocks and workplace services. The Product Release may be as large as an entire new product or as small as a hotfix or a patch.
The Integrate value stream is described formally in Integrate Value Stream.
Deploy
The Deploy value stream deploys a Product Release into a production/operating environment (creating a new instance or updating/removing an existing instance). The scope of this value stream includes many different strategies for deploying Product Releases.
The Deploy value stream is described formally in Deploy Value Stream.
Release
The Release value stream provides consumers with digital Service Offers that represent a new instance of a Digital Product or a change (including decommissioning) to an existing instance. A Service Offer defines how to subscribe to a Digital Product and all other lifecycle interactions the instance will have with its consumers, stakeholders, and support. The Service Offer can be made available for consumption through a self-service portal or through Application Program Interfaces (APIs).
The Release value stream is described formally in Release Value Stream.
Consume
The Consume value stream is triggered when an entitled human or system actor accepts a Service Offer related to a Digital Product. The value stream should support customer self-service and is not limited to a single engagement channel. It orchestrates the actions required to fulfill consumption of the offered service to ensure that the desired Digital Product is delivered within the agreed terms.
The Consume value stream is described formally in Consume Value Stream.
Operate
The Operate value stream manages the continuous operations of a deployed instance of a Digital Product in a continuous manner. It is responsible for maintaining availability and performance within the boundaries of agreed Service Contracts. The scope of this value stream includes managing any compliance and security aspects of running Digital Product Instances and underlying systems.
The Operate value stream is described formally in Operate Value Stream.