Linked.Archi TIME Framework Ontology
type: Ontology
description: Ontology for representing application portfolio fit assessments and Gartner TIME dispositions (Tolerate, Invest, Migrate, Eliminate), including functional fit and technical fit.
issued: 2026-01-12
license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
publisher: Linked.Archi
references: government-modernization
references: enterprise-apps
references: gartner-time-model
references: time
references: bridging-application-disposition-frameworks
references: 43925-application-rationalization-metamodel
references: how-to-assess-and-improve-the-quality-of-your-application-portfolio
preferred namespace prefix: timefw
version info: 0.1.1
imports: core#
definition: This ontology is designed to align with the Linked.Archi meta repository style and can be published with versioned IRIs and Widoco documentation.

Application
type: Class
definition: An application in the application portfolio being assessed with the TIME framework.
subclass of: SoftwareApplication

Business capability
type: Class
definition: A business capability supported by one or more applications. Modeled as a SKOS concept for flexible capability taxonomies.
subclass of: Concept

Technology component
type: Class
definition: A technology component (platform, runtime, database, service, infrastructure, etc.) used by an application.

Person
type: Class
definition: A person (assessor, business owner, IT owner, etc.).
subclass of: Person

Fit assessment
type: Class
definition: A point-in-time assessment of an application's functional fit and technical fit resulting in a TIME disposition. Some organizations also capture cost fitness as a third supporting dimension.
subclass of: Entity

TIME assessment model
type: Class
definition: A scoring model describing scale and threshold used to derive HIGH/LOW fit ratings from numeric scores (e.g., 1..5 and HIGH if >=4).

Fit criterion
type: Class
definition: A criterion used to evaluate functional or technical fit (e.g., capability coverage, maintainability, security posture).

Fit criterion score
type: Class
definition: A scored evaluation of one FitCriterion within a FitAssessment.

Evidence
type: Class
definition: Evidence supporting a fit assessment decision (e.g., security assessment report, vendor roadmap notice, operations metrics dashboard).
subclass of: Entity

supports capability
type: ObjectProperty
definition: Relates an application to a business capability that it supports.
domain: Application
range: Business capability

uses technology component
type: ObjectProperty
definition: Relates an application to a technology component it depends on or uses.
domain: Application
range: Technology component

has fit assessment
type: ObjectProperty
definition: Relates an application to one or more fit assessments over time.
domain: Application
range: Fit assessment
inverse of: assessed application

assessed application
type: ObjectProperty
type: FunctionalProperty
definition: Relates a fit assessment to the (single) application it assesses.
domain: Fit assessment
range: Application

assessor
type: ObjectProperty
definition: Person who performed or recorded the assessment.
domain: Fit assessment
range: Person

business owner
type: ObjectProperty
definition: Relates an application to its accountable business owner.
domain: Application
range: Person

IT owner
type: ObjectProperty
definition: Relates an application to its accountable IT owner.
domain: Application
range: Person

uses assessment model
type: ObjectProperty
definition: Relates a fit assessment to the scoring model used to interpret its scores.
domain: Fit assessment
range: TIME assessment model

has criterion score
type: ObjectProperty
definition: Relates a fit assessment to one or more criterion-level scores.
domain: Fit assessment
range: Fit criterion score

criterion
type: ObjectProperty
type: FunctionalProperty
definition: Relates a criterion score to the criterion being scored.
domain: Fit criterion score
range: Fit criterion

has evidence
type: ObjectProperty
definition: Relates a fit assessment to supporting evidence items.
domain: Fit assessment
range: Evidence

evidence type
type: ObjectProperty
type: FunctionalProperty
definition: Classifies a piece of evidence by type.
domain: Evidence
range: Evidence type

assessment date
type: DatatypeProperty
type: FunctionalProperty
definition: Date when the assessment was performed.
domain: Fit assessment
range: date

valid until
type: DatatypeProperty
type: FunctionalProperty
definition: Optional review-by or expiry date for the assessment.
domain: Fit assessment
range: date

functional fit score
type: DatatypeProperty
type: FunctionalProperty
definition: Numeric functional fit score (typically 1..5). Interpretation depends on the assessment model.
domain: Fit assessment
range: integer

technical fit score
type: DatatypeProperty
type: FunctionalProperty
definition: Numeric technical fit score (typically 1..5). Interpretation depends on the assessment model.
domain: Fit assessment
range: integer

cost fit score
type: DatatypeProperty
type: FunctionalProperty
definition: Numeric cost fitness score (typically 1..5). Some Gartner guidance describes cost fitness as a dimension alongside business and technical fitness when determining a TIME disposition; interpretation depends on the assessment model.
domain: Fit assessment
range: integer

rationale
type: DatatypeProperty
definition: Narrative justification for fit scores and TIME disposition.
domain: Fit assessment
range: string

reference URI
type: DatatypeProperty
type: FunctionalProperty
definition: A link to an evidence source (document, ticket, dashboard, repository, etc.).
domain: Evidence
range: anyURI

source system
type: DatatypeProperty
type: FunctionalProperty
definition: System of record for the evidence (e.g., LeanIX, Jira, ServiceNow).
domain: Evidence
range: string

email
type: DatatypeProperty
type: FunctionalProperty
definition: Email address for a person.
domain: Person
range: string

criterion score
type: DatatypeProperty
type: FunctionalProperty
definition: Numeric score assigned to a criterion (typically 1..5).
domain: Fit criterion score
range: integer

criterion justification
type: DatatypeProperty
definition: Justification for the criterion-level score.
domain: Fit criterion score
range: string

criterion weight
type: DatatypeProperty
type: FunctionalProperty
definition: Optional weighting factor used in aggregating criterion scores.
domain: Fit criterion
range: decimal

scale minimum
type: DatatypeProperty
type: FunctionalProperty
definition: Minimum score on the assessment model scale (e.g., 1).
domain: TIME assessment model
range: integer

scale maximum
type: DatatypeProperty
type: FunctionalProperty
definition: Maximum score on the assessment model scale (e.g., 5).
domain: TIME assessment model
range: integer

high threshold
type: DatatypeProperty
type: FunctionalProperty
definition: Threshold at or above which a score is considered HIGH (e.g., 4).
domain: TIME assessment model
range: integer

TIME disposition
type: Class
definition: Disposition in the Gartner TIME framework: Tolerate, Invest, Migrate, Eliminate.
one of: Tolerate
one of: Invest
one of: Migrate
one of: Eliminate

TIME dispositions
type: ConceptScheme
description: Controlled vocabulary for TIME dispositions.

Tolerate
type: NamedIndividual
type: TIME disposition
type: Concept
definition: Keep as-is; technically acceptable but low functional fit / limited strategic value.
in scheme: TIME dispositions

Invest
type: NamedIndividual
type: TIME disposition
type: Concept
definition: Strategic and healthy; continue investing and enhancing.
in scheme: TIME dispositions

Migrate
type: NamedIndividual
type: TIME disposition
type: Concept
definition: Important to business but technically weak; modernize, replace, or replatform.
in scheme: TIME dispositions

Eliminate
type: NamedIndividual
type: TIME disposition
type: Concept
definition: Low functional fit and low technical fit; retire/decommission.
in scheme: TIME dispositions

Fit rating
type: Class
definition: Abstract rating for functional/technical fit (HIGH or LOW), typically derived from a scoring model threshold.
one of: High
one of: Low

Fit ratings
type: ConceptScheme

High
type: NamedIndividual
type: Fit rating
type: Concept
in scheme: Fit ratings

Low
type: NamedIndividual
type: Fit rating
type: Concept
in scheme: Fit ratings

Fit dimension
type: Class
one of: Functional
one of: Technical
one of: Cost

Fit dimensions
type: ConceptScheme

Functional
type: NamedIndividual
type: Fit dimension
type: Concept
definition: How well the application supports business needs/capabilities.
in scheme: Fit dimensions

Technical
type: NamedIndividual
type: Fit dimension
type: Concept
definition: Technical quality/maintainability/compatibility/operability posture.
in scheme: Fit dimensions

Cost
type: NamedIndividual
type: Fit dimension
type: Concept
definition: Relative cost of maintaining the application (cost fitness), often considered alongside business and technical fitness when segmenting enterprise applications.
in scheme: Fit dimensions

dimension
type: ObjectProperty
type: FunctionalProperty
definition: Associates a fit criterion with the fit dimension it contributes to (FUNCTIONAL or TECHNICAL).
domain: Fit criterion
range: Fit dimension

Assessment status
type: Class
one of: Draft
one of: Approved
one of: Superseded
one of: Rejected

Assessment statuses
type: ConceptScheme

Draft
type: NamedIndividual
type: Assessment status
type: Concept
in scheme: Assessment statuses

Approved
type: NamedIndividual
type: Assessment status
type: Concept
in scheme: Assessment statuses

Superseded
type: NamedIndividual
type: Assessment status
type: Concept
in scheme: Assessment statuses

Rejected
type: NamedIndividual
type: Assessment status
type: Concept
in scheme: Assessment statuses

assessment status
type: ObjectProperty
type: FunctionalProperty
definition: Governance status of the fit assessment.
domain: Fit assessment
range: Assessment status

Evidence type
type: Class
one of: Architecture review
one of: Security assessment
one of: Operations metrics
one of: Cost analysis
one of: Business stakeholder input
one of: Vendor roadmap
one of: Technical debt register
one of: Other

Evidence types
type: ConceptScheme

Architecture review
type: NamedIndividual
type: Evidence type
type: Concept
in scheme: Evidence types

Security assessment
type: NamedIndividual
type: Evidence type
type: Concept
in scheme: Evidence types

Operations metrics
type: NamedIndividual
type: Evidence type
type: Concept
in scheme: Evidence types

Cost analysis
type: NamedIndividual
type: Evidence type
type: Concept
in scheme: Evidence types

Business stakeholder input
type: NamedIndividual
type: Evidence type
type: Concept
in scheme: Evidence types

Vendor roadmap
type: NamedIndividual
type: Evidence type
type: Concept
in scheme: Evidence types

Technical debt register
type: NamedIndividual
type: Evidence type
type: Concept
in scheme: Evidence types

Other
type: NamedIndividual
type: Evidence type
type: Concept
in scheme: Evidence types

Lifecycle state
type: Class
one of: Plan
one of: Build
one of: Run
one of: Retire

Lifecycle states
type: ConceptScheme

Plan
type: NamedIndividual
type: Lifecycle state
type: Concept
in scheme: Lifecycle states

Build
type: NamedIndividual
type: Lifecycle state
type: Concept
in scheme: Lifecycle states

Run
type: NamedIndividual
type: Lifecycle state
type: Concept
in scheme: Lifecycle states

Retire
type: NamedIndividual
type: Lifecycle state
type: Concept
in scheme: Lifecycle states

lifecycle state
type: ObjectProperty
type: FunctionalProperty
definition: Lifecycle state of the application (optional).
domain: Application
range: Lifecycle state

functional fit rating
type: ObjectProperty
type: FunctionalProperty
definition: HIGH/LOW abstraction of functional fit (often derived from the functionalFitScore and assessment model threshold).
domain: Fit assessment
range: Fit rating

technical fit rating
type: ObjectProperty
type: FunctionalProperty
definition: HIGH/LOW abstraction of technical fit (often derived from the technicalFitScore and assessment model threshold).
domain: Fit assessment
range: Fit rating

cost fit rating
type: ObjectProperty
type: FunctionalProperty
definition: HIGH/LOW abstraction of cost fitness (often derived from the costFitScore and assessment model threshold).
domain: Fit assessment
range: Fit rating

TIME disposition
type: ObjectProperty
type: FunctionalProperty
definition: TIME classification outcome for the fit assessment.
domain: Fit assessment
range: TIME disposition

Invest assessment
type: Class
definition: A fit assessment where both functional and technical fit are HIGH.
equivalent class: Class
  intersection of: Fit assessment
  intersection of: Restriction
    on property: functional fit rating
    has value: High
  intersection of: Restriction
    on property: technical fit rating
    has value: High
subclass of: Fit assessment
subclass of: Restriction
  on property: TIME disposition
  has value: Invest

Migrate assessment
type: Class
definition: A fit assessment where functional fit is HIGH and technical fit is LOW.
equivalent class: Class
  intersection of: Fit assessment
  intersection of: Restriction
    on property: functional fit rating
    has value: High
  intersection of: Restriction
    on property: technical fit rating
    has value: Low
subclass of: Fit assessment
subclass of: Restriction
  on property: TIME disposition
  has value: Migrate

Tolerate assessment
type: Class
definition: A fit assessment where functional fit is LOW and technical fit is HIGH.
equivalent class: Class
  intersection of: Fit assessment
  intersection of: Restriction
    on property: functional fit rating
    has value: Low
  intersection of: Restriction
    on property: technical fit rating
    has value: High
subclass of: Fit assessment
subclass of: Restriction
  on property: TIME disposition
  has value: Tolerate

Eliminate assessment
type: Class
definition: A fit assessment where both functional and technical fit are LOW.
equivalent class: Class
  intersection of: Fit assessment
  intersection of: Restriction
    on property: functional fit rating
    has value: Low
  intersection of: Restriction
    on property: technical fit rating
    has value: Low
subclass of: Fit assessment
subclass of: Restriction
  on property: TIME disposition
  has value: Eliminate