What are Organizations?
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Within an Organization, an organization unit represents a sub-division or entity within an organization that focuses on specific functions, processes, or objectives to contribute to overall organizational goals. These units often act as operational or strategic building blocks, enabling the organization to deliver value effectively.
Domain relationships
Each organisation unit plays a unique role in enabling, consuming, or supporting business architecture domain elements such as capabilities, services, information assets, and policies. To promote clarity and traceability, Orthogramic introduces a standard model of relationship roles that define how a unit interacts with these elements. This section summarises the organisation unit’s key relationships, helping identify dependencies, ownership, and governance responsibilities across the organisation. See https://orthogramic.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/OM/pages/285016368 for full details.
Organization attributes
Attribute | Description | Example |
| The name or title of the Organization | Office of Railroad Safety |
Description | A detailed explanation of what the Organization entails | Regional safety oversight office responsible for inspections and enforcement of federal railroad safety regulations in the Northeast corridor |
Structure | The Organization structure of the company | 5 Regional Offices - 8 Technical Divisions |
Roles | The roles within the Organization | Regional Administrator, Chief Safety Inspector, Track Specialist, Signal Engineer, Hazmat Inspector |
Mission Statement | The mission of the Organization | Reduce railroad-related accidents and incidents through proactive inspections and data-driven safety programs |
Vision Statement | The vision of the Organization | Zero train accidents and employee injuries through technology-enabled safety systems and predictive maintenance |
Values | The core values guiding the Organization | Safety First, Data-Driven Decisions, Continuous Improvement |
Strategic Goals | Long-term goals that align with the mission and vision | Reduce accident rate by 25% over 5 years, 100% implementation of PTC, 98% track inspection compliance |
Stakeholders | Key Stakeholders of the Organization | Class I Railroads, Short Lines, State DOTs, Labor Unions, Equipment Manufacturers |
Governance | The governance framework and policies | 49 CFR Parts 200-299 Compliance Framework |
Legal Structure | The legal structure of the Organization | Federal Agency - DOT Operating Administration |
Geographic Presence | Locations and geographic reach of the Organization | 8 regions covering 140,000 miles of track |
Size | The size of the Organization in terms of employees revenue etc | 847 field inspectors, $2.3B annual budget |
Culture | The culture within the Organization | Data-driven safety culture with 94% employee engagement |
History | The history and milestones of the Organization | Est. 1966, implemented PTC mandate 2008, achieved 99.6% compliance 2023 |
Strategic Initiatives | Key Initiatives to drive strategic goals | Digital Track Inspection Program, Grade Crossing Safety Initiative 2025 |
Organization unit element
Sub-Element | Description | Example |
| The name or title of the Organization unit | Track and Rail Infrastructure Division |
Description | A detailed explanation of what the Organization unit entails | Oversees track safety standards and inspection programs across the national rail network |
Purpose | The intended purpose or function of the Organization unit within the Organization | Maintain Class 1-5 track safety standards compliance |
Owner | The individual or team responsible for the Organization unit | Director of Track Safety |
Higher-Organization Unit | The Organization or Organization unit above in the Organization hierarchy | Office of Railroad Safety |
Sub-Organization Units | Sub-Organization units directly below this Organization unit in the Organization hierarchy | Track Geometry Program, Rail Defect Detection, Bridge Safety Unit |
Roles | Specific roles within the Organization unit | Senior Track Inspector, Rail Integrity Specialist, Bridge Safety Engineer |
Processes | Key processes carried out by the Organization unit | Track Geometry Car Operations, Ultrasonic Rail Testing, Bridge Load Rating |
Performance Indicators | Metrics used to measure effectiveness and efficiency | 98.7% track inspection compliance rate, 2.4 defects per 100 track miles |
Dependencies | Other units processes or systems that the unit depends on | Signal Systems Division, Railroad Operations Unit |
Related Units | Organization units that are related or linked | Grade Crossing Safety Unit, Hazmat Transportation Division |
Risks | Potential risks associated with operations | Track buckling in extreme heat, delayed maintenance schedules |
Improvement Opportunities | Areas for enhancement or improvement | Implement AI-based defect detection, increase inspection frequency |
Strategic Alignment | Alignment with strategic goals and objectives | Contributes to 25% accident reduction goal through enhanced inspections |
Domain relationships
Example: Office of Railroad Safety (USA)
Domain Entity name | Domain entity type | Relationship Role | Description |
Workforce Planning | Capability | Owning unit | Responsible for workforce planning policies and systems across the FRA. |
HR Support | Services | Providing unit | Offers recruitment and onboarding services to all technical divisions. |
Track Inspection | Information | Consuming unit | Relies on technical inspection data for workforce deployment forecasting. |
Rail Safety Regulation | Policy | Dependent unit | Applies and enforces regulation developed by Policy and Legal. |
Digital Track Maintenance | Performance | Supported unit | Benefits from technology-enabled maintenance KPIs managed by Engineering. |
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