Capabilities Inventory and Attributes - Classification Attributes for the Capabilities Inventory
Capabilities Inventory and Attributes
Chapter 9. Classification Attributes for the Capabilities Inventory
Executive Summary: Chapter Overview
IF4ITThe Bottom Line
Core Concepts
| Concept | Definition & Strategic Role |
|---|---|
| Capability Level | Shows where a capability sits in the hierarchy and supports filtering by granularity. |
| Business Classification | Maps capabilities to industry-specific, core business, or IT domains. |
| Regulatory Sensitivity | Highlights capabilities that require stronger compliance-oriented governance attention. |
Quick Q&A
Question: How do classification attributes improve usability?
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Classification attributes position each Capability within the enterprise taxonomy — its level in the hierarchy, its broad business classification, and any regulatory characteristics that govern its handling.
| Attribute Name | Maturity | Description and Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Capability Level | Crawl | Description — The depth level of this Capability in the Capability Hierarchy, expressed as an integer. Root-level Capabilities are Level 0; their direct children are Level 1; and so on. Benefit(s) — Enables filtering the capability map at different levels of granularity. Source — Manual Examples — 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 Notes — At Run maturity, derived from the Parent Capability Path — level equals path segments plus one. The IF4IT recommended baseline is Levels 0 through 4, with Level 4 typically being leaves. The framework imposes no hard depth limit — enterprises that require deeper decomposition into function-level or sub-function-level detail are free to extend the hierarchy as deep as their analytical needs require. Conversely, enterprises with a smaller operational footprint may stop at Level 2 or Level 3 if deeper decomposition adds no governance value. |
| Business Classification | Crawl | Description — The broad business domain to which this Capability belongs, drawn from the IF4IT recommended top-level decomposition. Benefit(s) — Enables portfolio-level analysis by capability type. Aligns the inventory with the recommended three-branch top-level structure of the Capability Hierarchy. Source — Manual Examples — Industry-Specific, Core Business, Information Technology (IT) Notes — Valid values: Industry-Specific │ Core Business │ Information Technology (IT). This attribute corresponds directly to the three Level 1 branches of the recommended Capability Hierarchy. Industry-Specific Capabilities are abilities that define what kind of enterprise the organization is. Core Business Capabilities are abilities every enterprise needs to function regardless of industry. Information Technology (IT) Capabilities are abilities required to acquire, deliver, operate, and govern the technology that supports the enterprise. |
| Regulatory Sensitivity | Walk | Description — The degree to which this Capability touches regulated data, processes, or activities subject to external compliance oversight. Benefit(s) — Surfaces Capabilities whose governance must accommodate regulatory considerations alongside business considerations. Drives selective application of compliance controls. Source — Manual Examples — None, Standard, Elevated, Highly Regulated Notes — Valid values: None │ Standard │ Elevated │ Highly Regulated. Distinguishes Capabilities that incidentally handle some regulated data from Capabilities that exist substantially to satisfy regulatory requirements. |
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