The viewpoint used to develop this enterprise engineering concept is that of a living object, such as an enterprise, within a dynamic environment. In this regard, I view an enterprise as a single dynamical subsystem within a larger dynamical system, its environment.

Thus the fundamental concept starts from a unitary, rather than a fragmented, perspective. The enterprise is seen as a single entity/system within its environment.

Because of the unitary foundation of this approach to enterprise engineering, the concept of enterprise integration in subsumed. What is not dis-integrated does not need to be integrated. Integration is less required when this unitary approach is taken. Refinement (decomposition) and maintenance of mission and process, from a high level and stable framework, becomes the principle focus of development, rather than integration of fragmented and inconsistent missions and processes.

An overall framework is defined from the top with more detail filled in from the middle, and then even more detail managed at the bottom.

This particular approach involves the integrated change of the enterprise's human and business components. It does this from a perspective of continuous quality improvement (CQI), by applying a specific technique I call general enterprise modeling (GEM).