Enterprise (glossary)
(1) one or more
(ISO 15704 2000)
(2) An organization (or cross organizational entity) supporting a defined
(CIO Council 1999)
(3) the term enterprise can be defined in one of two ways. The first is when the entity being considered is tightly bounded and directed by a single executive function. The second is when organizational
(MOD 2004)
(4) A complex, (adaptive) socio-technical system that comprises interdependent resources of people, processes, information, and technology that must interact with each other and their environment in support of a common mission. (Giachetti 2010)
Source
(1) ISO 15704. 2000. Industrial Automation Systems -- Requirements for Enterprise-Reference Architectures and Methodologies. Geneva, Switzerland: International Organization for Standardization (ISO), ISO 15704:2000.
(2) CIO Council. 1999. Federal Enterprise Architecture Framework (FEAF). Washington, DC, USA: Chief Information Officer (CIO) Council.
(3) MOD. 2004. Ministry of Defence Architecture Framework (MODAF), version 2. London, UK: U.K. Ministry of Defence.
(4) Giachetti, R. E. 2010. "Design of Enterprise Systems: Theory, Architecture, and Methods." Boca Raton, FL, USA: CRC Press, Taylor and Francis Group.
Discussion
Definition (1) above is the SEBoK preferred definition. The focus of this definition is on purpose rather than structure, and the enterprise may be either enduring or transient, and either formally or informally constituted and governed. The simplest case of enterprise could be an individual and the largest a national or international undertaking.
Definition (2) is compatible with definition (1) and provides additional insight relevant to the practice of "
Definition (3) highlights the fact that the word "enterprise" is sometimes used synonymously with "business". However in the SEBoK the term
Definition (4) highlights the socio-technical nature of the enterprise and its ability to be adaptable to changing circumstances.