The Architecture Development Method (ADM) is a cornerstone of the TOGAF framework, providing a structured, iterative approach to developing and managing Enterprise Architecture. It guides organizations through the process of governing business transformation, ensuring that complex requirements are adequately addressed. This guide explores the key aspects, phases, and techniques of the ADM, providing practical examples to illustrate its application.
Key Aspects of the ADM
Core of TOGAF
The ADM is the heart of the TOGAF framework, setting it apart from other Enterprise Architecture (EA) frameworks by providing a clear methodology for implementing architecture. It offers a practical approach to developing and utilizing Enterprise Architecture, guiding organizations through the complexities of business transformation.
Example:
- Scenario: A financial institution is undergoing a digital transformation to improve customer experience and operational efficiency.
- Implementation: The institution uses the ADM to guide the development of a new enterprise architecture that supports digital initiatives, ensuring alignment with business objectives and regulatory requirements.
Lifecycle Management
The ADM describes a method for developing and managing the lifecycle of an Enterprise Architecture. It ensures that the architecture evolves in alignment with the organization’s strategic goals and operational needs.
Example:
- Scenario: A manufacturing company is implementing a new enterprise resource planning (ERP) system.
- Implementation: The company uses the ADM to manage the lifecycle of the ERP system architecture, from initial vision to implementation and governance, ensuring that the system meets business requirements and supports operational processes.
Integration
The ADM integrates elements of the TOGAF standard and other architectural assets to meet an organization’s business needs. This integration promotes consistency, reuse, and alignment with strategic objectives.
Example:
- Scenario: A healthcare provider is developing a new patient management system.
- Implementation: The provider uses the ADM to integrate existing architectural assets, such as data models and security standards, with the new system, ensuring consistency and compliance with regulatory requirements.
Iterative Approach
The ADM is iterative across the entire process, between phases, and within phases. This iterative nature allows for flexibility and adaptation, ensuring that the architecture can evolve to meet changing business needs and requirements.
Example:
- Scenario: A software development company is developing a new enterprise application.
- Implementation: The company uses the ADM’s iterative approach to develop the application architecture, allowing for continuous improvement and adaptation based on stakeholder feedback and changing requirements.
Customization
The ADM is designed to be tailored to the specific needs of an enterprise. Adapting the ADM may result in an “enterprise-specific” ADM, ensuring that the architecture development process aligns with the organization’s unique context and goals.
Example:
- Scenario: A global corporation is implementing a new data governance framework.
- Implementation: The corporation tailors the ADM to align with its existing governance model, ensuring that the data governance framework meets the organization’s specific needs and regulatory requirements.
Scope
The scope of the architecture is defined by its breadth, depth, and time period. This ensures that the architecture addresses the relevant aspects of the enterprise and supports strategic goals.
Example:
- Scenario: A retail company is developing a new customer loyalty program.
- Implementation: The company defines the scope of the architecture to include customer data management, loyalty program administration, and integration with existing systems, ensuring that the program meets business objectives and customer expectations.
Architecture Domains
The ADM cycles through various architecture domains, including Business, Data, Application, and Technology. This ensures that the architecture addresses all relevant aspects of the enterprise.
Example:
- Scenario: A telecommunications company is implementing a new network infrastructure.
- Implementation: The company uses the ADM to develop architectures for the Business, Data, Application, and Technology domains, ensuring that the network infrastructure supports business processes, data management, application integration, and technology standards.
Continuous Requirements Management
Requirements Management is a continuous process throughout the ADM cycle, ensuring that architecture requirements are addressed in each phase. This promotes consistency, traceability, and alignment with business objectives.
Example:
- Scenario: A government agency is developing a new citizen services portal.
- Implementation: The agency uses continuous requirements management to ensure that the portal meets the needs of citizens, stakeholders, and regulatory requirements, promoting consistency and alignment with strategic goals.
ADM Phases
The ADM consists of several phases, each focusing on specific aspects of the architecture development process.
1. Preliminary Phase
The Preliminary Phase prepares the organization for architecture development by establishing the architecture capability, tailoring the TOGAF framework, and defining Architecture Principles.
Example:
- Scenario: A startup is preparing to develop its enterprise architecture.
- Implementation: The startup establishes an architecture capability, tailors the TOGAF framework to meet its specific needs, and defines Architecture Principles to guide the development process.
2. Phase A: Architecture Vision
Phase A defines the scope, constraints, and expectations for the architecture project and creates an initial high-level vision of the target architecture.
Example:
- Scenario: A financial institution is initiating a new customer onboarding system.
- Implementation: The institution defines the scope, constraints, and expectations for the project, creating a high-level vision of the target architecture that supports customer onboarding processes and regulatory requirements.
3. Phase B: Business Architecture
Phase B develops the Baseline and Target Business Architectures, ensuring that the architecture supports business processes and strategic objectives.
Example:
- Scenario: A manufacturing company is redesigning its supply chain processes.
- Implementation: The company develops the Baseline and Target Business Architectures, ensuring that the supply chain processes are optimized to meet business objectives and operational requirements.
4. Phase C: Information Systems Architectures
Phase C develops Baseline and Target Architectures for Information Systems, including data and applications, ensuring that the architecture supports information management and application integration.
Example:
- Scenario: A healthcare provider is implementing a new electronic health record (EHR) system.
- Implementation: The provider develops the Baseline and Target Architectures for the EHR system, ensuring that data management and application integration support clinical processes and regulatory requirements.
5. Phase D: Technology Architecture
Phase D develops Baseline and Target Architectures for the Technology Architecture, ensuring that the architecture supports technology standards and operational requirements.
Example:
- Scenario: A retail company is upgrading its IT infrastructure.
- Implementation: The company develops the Baseline and Target Technology Architectures, ensuring that the IT infrastructure supports business processes, technology standards, and operational requirements.
6. Phase E: Opportunities and Solutions
Phase E performs initial implementation planning and identifies delivery vehicles for the architecture, ensuring that the architecture is realized through effective implementation projects.
Example:
- Scenario: A software development company is planning the implementation of a new enterprise application.
- Implementation: The company performs initial implementation planning, identifying delivery vehicles and implementation projects that support the realization of the architecture.
7. Phase F: Migration Planning
Phase F finalizes the Implementation and Migration Plan, addressing how to move from the Baseline to the Target Architectures, ensuring a smooth transition and minimizing disruption.
Example:
- Scenario: A global corporation is migrating to a new data governance framework.
- Implementation: The corporation finalizes the Implementation and Migration Plan, addressing how to transition from the existing data governance framework to the new framework, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements and minimizing disruption.
8. Phase G: Implementation Governance
Phase G provides architectural oversight of the implementation, ensuring conformance with the Target Architecture and addressing any issues that arise during implementation.
Example:
- Scenario: A manufacturing company is implementing a new supply chain management system.
- Implementation: The company provides architectural oversight of the implementation, ensuring that the system conforms to the Target Architecture and addressing any issues that arise during implementation.
9. Phase H: Architecture Change Management
Phase H establishes procedures for managing changes to the new architecture, ensuring that the architecture remains adaptable and aligned with evolving business needs and regulatory requirements.
Example:
- Scenario: A financial institution is managing changes to its customer onboarding system.
- Implementation: The institution establishes procedures for managing changes to the architecture, ensuring that the system remains adaptable and aligned with evolving business needs and regulatory requirements.
10. Requirements Management
Requirements Management is a continuous process throughout the ADM, ensuring that architecture requirements are addressed in each phase and promoting consistency, traceability, and alignment with business objectives.
Example:
- Scenario: A government agency is developing a new citizen services portal.
- Implementation: The agency uses continuous requirements management to ensure that the portal meets the needs of citizens, stakeholders, and regulatory requirements, promoting consistency and alignment with strategic goals.
Techniques for Architecture Development
Various techniques support specific tasks within the ADM, promoting consistency, efficiency, and alignment with business objectives.
Architecture Principles
Architecture Principles provide a foundation for decision-making and ensure consistency and alignment with strategic objectives.
Example:
- Scenario: A financial institution is developing a new risk management architecture.
- Implementation: The institution defines Architecture Principles that guide the development of the risk management architecture, ensuring consistency and alignment with regulatory requirements and business objectives.
Stakeholder Management
Stakeholder Management ensures that the needs and expectations of stakeholders are addressed throughout the architecture development process.
Example:
- Scenario: A healthcare provider is implementing a new patient management system.
- Implementation: The provider uses Stakeholder Management to engage stakeholders, address their needs and expectations, and ensure that the system meets clinical and operational requirements.
Architecture Patterns
Architecture Patterns provide reusable solutions to common architecture problems, promoting consistency and efficiency.
Example:
- Scenario: A software development company is developing a new enterprise application.
- Implementation: The company uses Architecture Patterns to provide reusable solutions for common architecture problems, ensuring consistency and efficiency in the development process.
Business Scenarios
Business Scenarios describe the desired future state of the enterprise, promoting alignment with business objectives and strategic goals.
Example:
- Scenario: A retail company is developing a new customer loyalty program.
- Implementation: The company uses Business Scenarios to describe the desired future state of the customer loyalty program, ensuring alignment with business objectives and customer expectations.
Gap Analysis
Gap Analysis identifies the differences between the Baseline and Target Architectures, promoting effective migration planning and implementation.
Example:
- Scenario: A manufacturing company is upgrading its IT infrastructure.
- Implementation: The company uses Gap Analysis to identify the differences between the Baseline and Target Technology Architectures, promoting effective migration planning and implementation.
Migration Planning Techniques
Migration Planning Techniques provide a structured approach to planning the migration from the Baseline to the Target Architectures, minimizing disruption and ensuring a smooth transition.
Example:
- Scenario: A global corporation is migrating to a new data governance framework.
- Implementation: The corporation uses Migration Planning Techniques to plan the transition from the existing data governance framework to the new framework, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements and minimizing disruption.
Risk Management
Risk Management identifies and mitigates risks associated with the architecture development process, promoting effective decision-making and minimizing potential issues.
Example:
- Scenario: A financial institution is implementing a new customer onboarding system.
- Implementation: The institution uses Risk Management to identify and mitigate risks associated with the implementation of the customer onboarding system, promoting effective decision-making and minimizing potential issues.
Capability-Based Planning
Capability-Based Planning focuses on the development of capabilities that support business objectives and strategic goals, promoting alignment and efficiency.
Example:
- Scenario: A government agency is developing a new citizen services portal.
- Implementation: The agency uses Capability-Based Planning to develop capabilities that support the delivery of citizen services, promoting alignment with business objectives and strategic goals.
Adapting the ADM
The ADM is a generic method that can be adapted to suit specific needs. Reasons for adapting the ADM include:
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Corporate Governance Model: The ADM can be integrated into the corporate governance model, ensuring alignment with business objectives and regulatory requirements.
Example:
- Scenario: A global corporation is integrating the ADM into its corporate governance model.
- Implementation: The corporation adapts the ADM to align with its governance model, ensuring that the architecture development process supports business objectives and regulatory requirements.
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Organizational Maturity: The order of the phases can be adjusted based on the organization’s maturity, promoting flexibility and adaptation.
Example:
- Scenario: A startup is developing its enterprise architecture.
- Implementation: The startup adapts the ADM to reflect its organizational maturity, focusing on phases that support its current needs and goals.
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Agile Delivery: The ADM can be adapted to support Agile Enterprise Architecture delivery, promoting flexibility, iteration, and collaboration.
Example:
- Scenario: A software development company is using Agile methodologies to develop its enterprise architecture.
- Implementation: The company adapts the ADM to support Agile delivery, promoting flexibility, iteration, and collaboration in the architecture development process.
Conclusion
The Architecture Development Method (ADM) is a powerful and flexible approach to developing and managing Enterprise Architecture. By providing a structured, iterative methodology, the ADM ensures that complex requirements are adequately addressed, promoting consistency, alignment, and efficiency. This comprehensive guide, along with practical examples, illustrates how the ADM can be applied to real-world scenarios, driving successful architecture projects and achieving strategic goals.