The Y diagram is used to represent the functions (tasks) of a company at a highly aggregated level. It includes comprehensive functional areas, such as product design, materials management, and maintenance. The structured representation in the form of the Y-CIM model (see Scheer, A.-W.: Business Process Engineering, 1994) shows a classification of individual functions. Scheer places the business management planning functions of production planning and production control in the left branch of the Y, while the right branch contains the technically oriented functions of product planning and product implementation. Planning functions are arranged in the upper sections of the Y, while control and implementation functions are located in its lower sections.

Thus, the Y-CIM model represents a framework for sorting all functions of a production company.

In ARIS, this model type can be used for a function-oriented approach to complex reference models. The objects shown are of the Function object type. When arranged in a hierarchy, this object type can be linked with the Function tree and EPC model types, for example.

An example is shown in the following figure.