A Service Reference Model for Higher Education based on HERM, TBM, ITIL, and TOGAF

13 pages•Published: June 18, 2026

Markus von der Heyde, Marte Nubdal, Andreas Hartmann and Sabina Rako

Abstract

Enterprise Architecture (EA) in higher-education institutions increasingly adopts sector reference models such as Higher Education Reference Model (HERM) to align business capabilities with supporting data, application, and technology architectures, creating a layered view that connects institutional strategy with operational implementation. At the same time, HEI service catalogues remain technology-centric and insufficiently connected to architectural value streams.
To address this gap, this paper proposes a Service Reference Model (SRM) for higher education that guides institutions in developing EA-aligned, service-oriented catalogues grounded in sector practices and societal values creation.
Based on literature synthesis, sector artefacts, and established reference frameworks (HERM, TBM, ITIL v4, and TOGAF), guiding principles for a Service Reference Model have been derived.
The proposed SRM adopts a matrix structure that combines a knowledge lifecycle with mission-relevant value streams to define outcome-oriented service groups anchored in institutional value. The SRM is mapped to HERM capabilities and external taxonomies to ensure traceability and comparability across institutions. However, it could provide a clearer picture of how the model can be applied in practice in higher education institutions to have a greater impact. Ultimately, SRM supports the structured organisation of services, enhancing interoperability and fostering a shared understanding of service offerings across institutions.
Future work will involve implementing the SRM across EU higher-education institutions to validate its transferability and support the development of shared, sector-aligned service practices.

Keyphrases: business service, eam, enterprise architecture, herm, higher education reference models, knowledge lifecycle, tbm, togaf

In: Laurence Desnos, Carmen Diaz, Janina Mincer-Daszkiewicz, Lazaros Merakos, Raimund Vogl, Stuart McLellan and Ulrike Lucke (editors). Proceedings of EUNIS 2026 Annual Congress, vol 109, pages 70-82.

Links:	https://easychair.org/publications/paper/3M9H
	https://doi.org/10.29007/3xwl

BibTeX entry

@inproceedings{EUNIS2026:Service_Reference_Model_Higher,
  author    = {Markus von der Heyde and Marte Nubdal and Andreas Hartmann and Sabina Rako},
  title     = {A Service Reference Model for Higher Education based on HERM, TBM, ITIL, and TOGAF},
  booktitle = {Proceedings of EUNIS 2026 Annual Congress},
  editor    = {Laurence Desnos and Carmen Diaz and Janina Mincer-Daszkiewicz and Lazaros Merakos and Raimund Vogl and Stuart McLellan and Ulrike Lucke},
  series    = {EPiC Series in Computing},
  volume    = {109},
  publisher = {EasyChair},
  bibsource = {EasyChair, https://easychair.org},
  issn      = {2398-7340},
  url       = {/publications/paper/3M9H},
  doi       = {10.29007/3xwl},
  pages     = {70-82},
  year      = {2026}}

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