System Context

The context viewpoint describes how the Arda system interacts with its environment. In this viewpoint, the complete Arda system is an opaque element; the description centers on the external entities that interact with it.

Context Diagram

External Entities

Arda System : The complete set of products and services offered by Arda Systems to its customers. Decomposed internally into Domains and Modules (see Functional Viewpoint).

Enterprise : A legal entity that does business with Arda Systems and has a contractual agreement to use Arda’s services or to provide services to Arda. An Enterprise acts through Personas or through information systems that interface with Arda’s system. Arda Systems itself is also an Enterprise in the sense that it has personas that act on its behalf.

Persona : A human that interacts with the system on behalf of an Enterprise. Personas are characterized by:

• Access method: desktop, mobile, barcode scanner
• Role: Administrators, Tenant Administrators, Shop Operators, Facility Managers

External System : An information system that interacts with Arda’s system on behalf of an Enterprise through a machine-to-machine API. Two subtypes:

• Server: Provides functionality to Arda System (e.g., Documint for document generation)
• Client: Uses the functionality of Arda System (e.g., a customer’s ERP system)

Application : A human-accessible interface to interact with Arda System. May be a web application, mobile application, or specialized software for devices like barcode scanners.

API : A machine-accessible interface to Arda System. Preferably implemented as REST over HTTP; other protocols may be used when appropriate (e.g., FTP for file transfer).

Key Context Interactions

The Arda system operates at the intersection of:

• Manufacturing and supply chain operations
• Physical and information worlds
• Shop floor devices and enterprise IT systems

User access is through browsers and mobile devices over the public internet. Some devices used to access the system may not be traditional screen-mouse-keyboard based (e.g., barcode scanners).