An enterprise is complex that it comprises multiple views such as strategy/version n, strategy/version n+1, concept, analysis, design, implementation, structure, behavior and input/output data views. Accordingly, an enterprise is defined as a set of interacting components forming an integrated whole of that enterprise's multiple views. Since structure and behavior views are the two most prominent ones among multiple views, integrating the structure and behavior views is a method for integrating multiple views of an enterprise system. In other words, structure-behavior coalescence (SBC) is a single model (model singularity) approach which results in the integration of multiple views. Therefore, it is concluded that the SBC architecture is so proper to model the multiple views of an enterprise system. In this book, we use the SBC architecture description language (SBC-ADL) to describe and represent the enterprise architecture of purchasing management. An architecture description language is a special kind of system model used in defining the architecture of an enterprise. SBC-ADL uses six fundamental diagrams to formally grasp the essence of an enterprise and its details at the same time. These diagrams are: a) architecture hierarchy diagram, b) framework diagram, c) component operation diagram, d) component connection diagram, e) structure-behavior coalescence diagram and f) interaction flow diagram. Enterprise architecture is on the rise. By this book's introduction and elaboration of the enterprise architecture of purchasing management, all readers may understand clearly how the SBC-ADL helps architects effectively perform architecting, in order to productively construct fruitful enterprise architectures.
About the Author: Dr. William S. Chao is the CEO & founder of SBC Architecture International(R). SBC (Structure-Behavior Coalescence) architecture is a systems architecture which demands the integration of systems structure and systems behavior of a system. SBC architecture applies to hardware architecture, software architecture, enterprise architecture, knowledge architecture and thinking architecture. The core theme of SBC architecture is: "Architecture = Structure + Behavior." William S. Chao received his bachelor degree (1976) in telecommunication engineering and master degree (1981) in information engineering, both from the National Chiao-Tung University, Taiwan. From 1976 till 1983, he worked as an engineer at Chung-Hwa Telecommunication Company, Taiwan. William S. Chao received his master degree (1985) in information science and Ph.D. degree (1988) in information science, both from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA. From 1988 till 1991, he worked as a computer scientist at GE Research and Development Center, Schenectady, New York, USA. Dr. William S. Chao has been teaching at National Sun Yat-Sen University, Taiwan since 1992 and now serves as the president of Association of Enterprise Architects, Taiwan Chapter. His research covers: systems architecture, hardware architecture, software architecture, enterprise architecture, knowledge architecture and thinking architecture.