Steinsohn, Luisa (2026) Designing Information Systems Architecture for Circular Economy: Extending TOGAF Architecture Development Method Phase C for Enterprise Architects. Master thesis, Sustainable Entrepreneurship (SE).
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Abstract
The transition toward a Circular Economy (CE) requires fundamental organizational and technological transformation, including the redesign of Information Systems Architecture (ISA). However, existing Enterprise Architecture frameworks, and specifically the TOGAF Architecture Development Method (ADM), provide no explicit guidance for embedding CE requirements into ISA design. This gap leaves enterprise architects without the methodological support when translating circularity objectives into Data and Application Architecture decisions within ISA. This study identifies the architectural artifacts, design principles, and practices needed within TOGAF ADM Phase C to enable CE in organizations. Drawing on the Theory Building from Cases as its methodological orientation, nine semi-structured expert interviews were conducted with enterprise architects, IT consultants, and CE researchers, complemented by practitioner-generated diagrams. The findings result in the CE-ISA model that integrates CE requirements across five dimensions: Motivation, Information Systems Architecture, Interorganizational Structure, Enabling Conditions, and Key Principles. Nine new artifacts are proposed within Information Systems Architecture (TOGAF ADM Phase C), alongside eight architectural design principles. A central finding is that CE-enabling ISA does not require fundamentally new architectural concepts, but rather purposeful recombination of existing principles toward circularity as an explicit design goal. Organizational preconditions consistently emerged as more significant barriers than technical complexity.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Master) |
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| Name supervisor: | Kilian, S.K. |
| Date Deposited: | 02 Jul 2026 08:16 |
| Last Modified: | 02 Jul 2026 08:16 |
| URI: | https://campus-fryslan.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/875 |
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