Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

KEY POINTS:

  • Conventional approaches to doing architecture that rely on manual processes do not work at the scale of our organizational context.
  • I identified the following needs that an architecture function should support: Executing At Scale, Increasing the Quality of Decision-Making with Data, Maximizing Organizational Alignment & Learning, Higher Adaptivity.

Considering the scale and complexity of the organizational context I operated in, it was apparent that conventional approaches of doing architecture that rely on manual processes need to be revised. More specifically, I identified the following needs that an architecture function should support.

Goal 1: Executing At Scale

We needed to find a way to support hundreds of teams, and thousands of projects, with significant complexity and diversity.

Goal 2: Increasing Quality of Decisions with Data

Intuition does not work at scale. We need tools and mechanisms to make a decision process more data-informed and less dependent on opinions.

Goal 3: Maximizing Organizational Alignment

In a global, diverse, fast-moving organization, misalignment is a natural state. The architecture function should be a cohesive factor in minimizing such misalignments.

Goal 4: Maximizing Organizational Learning

In complex organizations with lots of effort needed to maintain legacy systems, learning and following new technology developments takes work. Architecture should help organizations to learn fast, stay up-to-date with emerging technologies and industry trends and recommend technology upgrades.

Goal 5: Adaptivity

Significant organic and inorganic changes are frequent and expected. The architecture function must adapt quickly to stay relevant in a new context.

Introduction
← Context: Fast Moving Global Organizations
Structure
Grounded Architecture: An Overview →