Service-Oriented Enterprise Engineering: A Modeling Discipline Based on the Viable Systems Approach (vSa) for Strategic Sourcing Decision-Making

Strategic sourcing, as a critical area of strategic management, is centered on decision-making towards achieving value-driven targets. Many companies face challenges in obtaining the benefits associated with effective strategic sourcing decision-making. Enterprise modeling can contribute to strategic sourcing decision-making by helping in the conceptualization, design and exploration of multiple strategic options for better decision-making. In this article, the authors explore a solution approach that refines the existing Enterprise Engineering (EE) modeling discipline into a Service-oriented Enterprise Engineering (SoEE) modeling discipline, by founding it on the novel application of the Viable Systems Approach (vSa) towards strategic (sourcing) decision-making. The proposed modeling discipline provides (1) the systemic viewpoints to interpret complex sourcing phenomena; and (2) the outside-box models to specify the value-driven interactions of an enterprise (as a system) with other actors. Finally, to operationalize the modeling discipline the authors introduce the conceptual basis (C.A.R.S) of a modeling language to apply the SoEE viewpoints and develop the related models for supporting strategic sourcing decision-making. The paper elaborates on preliminary ideas presented at the SoEA4EE 2013 workshop.