1. What Is TOGAF ADM?

TOGAF is a framework used to design and manage an organization’s enterprise architecture.

Enterprise architecture means understanding how these four parts of an organization work together:

Business architecture – what the organization does
Data architecture – what information it uses
Application architecture – what software systems it uses
Technology architecture – what hardware, networks, and technical platforms support the software

ADM stands for Architecture Development Method. It is the step-by-step process used in TOGAF to create and improve an architecture.

A simple way to think about TOGAF ADM is:

Understand the business problem → design a better future → plan the change → implement it → manage it continuously.

2. The Example Company

We will use a very simple fictional company.

Company: FreshMart

FreshMart is a small grocery store chain with five stores.

Customers can currently buy products only by visiting a physical store. Employees use separate systems for:

Sales
Inventory
Accounting
Supplier orders

These systems do not communicate well with one another.

Current Problems

FreshMart has several business problems:

Customers cannot order groceries online.
Employees sometimes sell products that are already out of stock.
Store managers prepare reports manually.
Supplier orders are sent by email.
The accounting team enters sales information manually.
Senior managers do not have a real-time view of sales.
Each store keeps some information separately.

Business Goal

FreshMart wants to:

Create an online grocery ordering service connected to inventory, payments, suppliers, and accounting.

The company expects this to:

Increase sales
Improve customer service
Reduce manual work
Reduce incorrect inventory information
Give managers better reports

We will use TOGAF ADM to plan this change.

3. Important Terms Before Starting

Term	Simple meaning
Architecture	A structured plan showing how business, data, applications, and technology fit together
Baseline architecture	How things work today
Target architecture	How things should work in the future
Gap	The difference between the current situation and the desired future
Stakeholder	A person or group affected by the project
Deliverable	A document or result produced during the work
Capability	Something the organization must be able to do
Architecture repository	A place where architecture documents are stored
Governance	The process used to make sure work follows agreed rules

4. The TOGAF ADM Cycle

The ADM has the following main phases:

Preliminary Phase
Phase A: Architecture Vision
Phase B: Business Architecture
Phase C: Information Systems Architectures
Phase D: Technology Architecture
Phase E: Opportunities and Solutions
Phase F: Migration Planning
Phase G: Implementation Governance
Phase H: Architecture Change Management
Requirements Management, which operates throughout the cycle

The phases are not always completed only once. Organizations may repeat them when requirements change or when a new project begins.

5. Preliminary Phase: Prepare the Organization

Purpose

The Preliminary Phase prepares the organization to use architecture effectively.

It answers questions such as:

Who will manage architecture?
What principles will guide decisions?
Which people will participate?
What standards and methods will be used?
How will architecture decisions be approved?

FreshMart’s Situation

FreshMart has never used enterprise architecture before. The company decides to create a small architecture team.

The team includes:

Chief Information Officer
Business manager
Store manager
Finance manager
IT manager
Data analyst
External solution architect

Architecture Principles

The team agrees on the following principles.

Principle 1: Customer information must be consistent

Customer information should not be stored differently in every system.

Principle 2: Systems should share important data

Sales, inventory, payment, and accounting systems should exchange information automatically.

Principle 3: Security must be included from the beginning

Customer passwords, addresses, and payment information must be protected.

Principle 4: Prefer simple and reusable solutions

FreshMart should avoid creating five different solutions for the five stores.

Principle 5: Business needs come first

Technology choices must support business goals instead of being selected only because they are fashionable.

Main Output

The main outputs of this phase are:

Architecture team structure
Architecture principles
Architecture governance approach
Initial architecture framework
List of key stakeholders

Beginner-Friendly Explanation

The Preliminary Phase is like preparing a construction project before drawing the building.

Before designing a house, you need to know:

Who owns the project
What rules apply
What the budget is
Who approves decisions
What standards must be followed

6. Phase A: Architecture Vision

Purpose

Phase A creates a high-level description of the proposed change.

It answers:

Why is the project needed?
What problem will it solve?
Who will benefit?
What is included?
What is not included?
Do decision-makers support the project?

FreshMart’s Problem Statement

FreshMart currently loses online customers because it has no digital ordering service. Its disconnected systems also cause inventory errors and manual work.

Vision

FreshMart will provide one online grocery ordering service connected to:

Product information
Store inventory
Customer accounts
Online payments
Delivery or pickup scheduling
Accounting
Supplier ordering

Scope

Included

Customer website
Mobile-friendly ordering
Product catalog
Inventory visibility
Online payment
Order processing
Store pickup
Delivery scheduling
Sales reporting
Integration with accounting

Not included initially

International delivery
Loyalty rewards
Advanced artificial intelligence
Fully automated warehouses
Integration with every possible payment provider

Stakeholders

Stakeholder	Main concern
Customers	Easy ordering and accurate product availability
Store employees	Simple order preparation
Store managers	Inventory and sales visibility
Finance team	Correct payment and accounting records
Suppliers	Accurate purchase orders
Senior management	Increased revenue and controlled costs
IT team	Secure, supportable systems

Expected Benefits

FreshMart creates the following initial targets:

Increase sales by 15% within two years
Reduce inventory mistakes by 50%
Reduce manual accounting work
Allow customers to place orders at any time
Give managers daily sales reports

High-Level Business Value

The project is expected to:

Create a new sales channel
Improve customer satisfaction
Reduce errors
Make information available faster
Improve management decision-making

Main Outputs

Architecture Vision document
Statement of Architecture Work
Initial business case
High-level scope
Stakeholder map
Initial risk list
Approval to continue

Beginner-Friendly Explanation

Phase A is like presenting a simple picture of the proposed building to the owner.

You do not draw every electrical wire yet. You explain:

What the building will be
Why it is needed
How much area it covers
What benefits it provides
Whether the owner approves the idea

7. Phase B: Business Architecture

Purpose

Phase B describes how the business works today and how it should work in the future.

It focuses on:

Business processes
Business roles
Organizational structure
Business services
Business capabilities
Business goals

7.1 Current Business Process

Today, a customer buys groceries like this:

Customer visits a store.
Customer selects products.
Cashier scans products.
Payment is accepted.
Sales information is saved in the store sales system.
Inventory is updated later.
Store manager prepares a report manually.

This process works for in-store purchases, but it does not support online orders.

7.2 Future Business Process

In the future, an online customer will:

Visit the FreshMart website.
Search for products.
Add products to a shopping cart.
Confirm the order.
Pay online.
Select delivery or store pickup.
Receive confirmation.
Store employees prepare the order.
Customer receives or collects the order.
The system updates sales, inventory, and accounting automatically.

7.3 Business Capabilities

A capability is something FreshMart must be able to do.

Capability	Current situation	Future need
Product management	Each store maintains some product information	One shared product catalog
Inventory management	Updates are sometimes delayed	Near-real-time inventory information
Online ordering	Does not exist	Customers can order online
Payment processing	Available only at store checkout	Secure online payment
Order fulfillment	Designed for in-store purchases	Staff can prepare online orders
Customer management	Limited information	Customer accounts and order history
Reporting	Mostly manual	Automated management dashboards
Supplier management	Orders sent by email	More automatic supplier ordering

7.4 Business Roles

The future business process needs new or updated roles:

Online customer
Store employee
Order fulfillment employee
Store manager
Customer service representative
Finance employee
System administrator

7.5 Business Architecture Gaps

A gap is something missing between the current and future states.

Current situation	Future requirement	Gap
No online ordering	Online ordering service	New ordering capability required
Separate product lists	Shared product catalog	Product data must be standardized
Delayed inventory updates	Accurate inventory availability	Inventory integration required
Manual reporting	Automated dashboards	Reporting capability required
Email supplier orders	Structured supplier orders	Supplier integration required
Store staff handle only walk-in shoppers	Staff prepare online orders	New operating process required

7.6 Business Architecture Decisions

FreshMart decides to:

Create a centralized online ordering process
Use one product catalog for all stores
Treat inventory as a shared business capability
Introduce a standard order fulfillment process
Train store employees to process online orders
Create common reporting definitions for all stores

Main Outputs

Baseline business architecture
Target business architecture
Business process diagrams
Capability map
Organization and role descriptions
Business architecture gap analysis
Updated requirements

Beginner-Friendly Explanation

Phase B asks:

What does the business do today, and what must it be able to do in the future?

It does not yet decide exactly which database or programming language will be used. It starts with the business.

8. Phase C: Information Systems Architectures

Phase C covers two related areas:

Data Architecture
Application Architecture

8.1 Data Architecture

Purpose

Data Architecture describes:

What information the organization needs
Where the information comes from
Where it is stored
How systems share it
Who owns it
How it is protected

FreshMart’s Important Data

FreshMart needs to manage:

Customer data
Product data
Inventory data
Order data
Payment data
Supplier data
Store data
Employee data
Delivery data

Data Ownership

Data	Owner
Customer data	Customer service manager
Product data	Merchandising manager
Inventory data	Operations manager
Payment records	Finance manager
Supplier data	Purchasing manager
Employee data	Human resources manager

Example: Customer Order

An order might contain:

Order number: FM-10025
Customer: Aisha Khan
Store: FreshMart Central
Products:
  - Apples: 2 kg
  - Milk: 2 cartons
  - Bread: 1 loaf
Total: $24.50
Payment status: Paid
Order status: Ready for pickup

The order must be understood consistently by:

The website
The payment service
The store system
The inventory system
The accounting system
The reporting system

Data Problems Today

Product names differ between stores.
Some products have different product codes.
Inventory quantities are not always updated immediately.
Customer information is stored in multiple places.
Reports use different definitions of “sales.”

Target Data Design

FreshMart decides that:

Each product will have one standard product code.
Each customer will have one customer record.
Each order will have one unique order number.
Inventory quantities will be associated with specific stores.
Payment data will be handled by a secure payment provider.
Standard data definitions will be documented.

Data Architecture Gap Analysis

Current state	Target state	Required action
Different product codes	One product code standard	Clean and standardize product data
Multiple customer records	Central customer record	Create a shared customer service
Delayed inventory information	Connected inventory information	Integrate inventory systems
Different sales definitions	Common reporting definitions	Create a data glossary
Payment information handled internally	Payment provider handles sensitive data	Use secure payment integration

8.2 Application Architecture

Purpose

Application Architecture describes the software applications needed to support the business and data.

Current Applications

FreshMart currently uses:

Store checkout system
Inventory spreadsheet
Accounting application
Supplier email process
Separate reporting spreadsheets

Problems with the Current Applications

The systems do not share information easily.
Employees enter the same information more than once.
Spreadsheets are difficult to control.
There is no online ordering application.
Reporting is slow and inconsistent.

Target Applications

FreshMart plans to use the following application components:

Online Storefront
Allows customers to browse and order products.
Customer Account Service
Stores customer profiles and order history.
Product Catalog Service
Stores standard product information.
Inventory Management System
Shows available stock by store.
Order Management System
Tracks orders from creation to completion.
Payment Service
Processes online payments.
Notification Service
Sends emails or text messages to customers.
Accounting System
Receives sales and payment information.
Reporting Platform
Produces sales and inventory reports.
Supplier Management Service
Supports purchase orders and supplier communication.

Simple Application Flow

@startuml
!include <archimate/Archimate>

title FreshMart - Target Application Architecture Flow

' Define Business & Actor Elements
Business_Actor(customer, "Customer")
Business_Role(employees, "Store Employees")

' Define Application Components
Application_Component(storefront, "Online Storefront")
Application_Component(oms, "Order Management System")
Application_Component(inventory, "Inventory Management System")
Application_Component(payment, "Payment Service")
Application_Component(notification, "Notification Service")
Application_Component(accounting, "Accounting System")
Application_Component(reporting, "Reporting Platform")

' Define Relationships reflecting the application flow
Rel_Flow(customer, storefront, "Browses and orders products")
Rel_Flow(storefront, oms, "Creates order")

Rel_Flow(oms, inventory, "Updates/Checks stock")
Rel_Flow(oms, payment, "Processes payment")
Rel_Flow(oms, notification, "Sends confirmation")

Rel_Flow(inventory, employees, "Shows available stock")
Rel_Flow(oms, accounting, "Order & payment info")
Rel_Flow(oms, reporting, "Sales data")

@enduml

Application Architecture Decisions

FreshMart decides:

The website will not directly modify inventory.
The Order Management System will coordinate orders.
The payment provider will process card payments.
The reporting platform will receive information from operational systems.
Existing accounting software will be retained if it can be integrated.
Applications should use standard interfaces instead of manual file transfers where possible.

Main Outputs of Phase C

Data Architecture document
Application Architecture document
Data entity descriptions
Application interaction diagrams
Integration requirements
Data ownership rules
Application gap analysis
Updated requirements

Beginner-Friendly Explanation

Data Architecture asks:

What information do we need, and how should it be organized?

Application Architecture asks:

What software do we need to perform the work and manage the information?

9. Phase D: Technology Architecture

Purpose

Phase D defines the technology environment needed to support the business, data, and applications.

It includes:

Servers
Networks
Cloud platforms
Operating systems
Databases
Security technologies
Backup systems
Monitoring tools
Integration technologies

Current Technology

FreshMart currently has:

A server in each store
Basic store networks
Local databases
Office computers
Manual backups
Limited monitoring
No central integration platform

Target Technology

FreshMart chooses a cloud-based environment.

The target technology includes:

Cloud hosting
Central databases
Secure internet connections
Identity and access management
Encrypted communication
Automated backups
System monitoring
Central logging
Integration interfaces
Disaster recovery capability

Simple Technology View

Customers and Employees
          |
          v
      Internet
          |
          v
   Secure Cloud Network
          |
   ---------------------
   |         |         |
Web Apps   Databases  APIs
                     |
        -------------------------
        |           |           |
   Inventory   Accounting   Payment

Technology Requirements

The technology must support:

24-hour online ordering
Secure customer login
High availability during busy periods
Automatic backups
Recovery after a system failure
Protection against unauthorized access
Monitoring and alerts
Support for all five stores

Technology Gap Analysis

Current state	Target state	Gap
Separate store servers	Central cloud environment	Move or connect systems
Manual backups	Automated backups	Implement backup service
Limited security controls	Central identity and access management	Add security platform
No central monitoring	Continuous monitoring	Deploy monitoring tools
Store-specific networks	Secure shared connectivity	Improve network design
Manual system integration	Standard interfaces	Build integration capability

Main Outputs

Baseline Technology Architecture
Target Technology Architecture
Network design
Infrastructure design
Security requirements
Technology standards
Technology gap analysis
Updated requirements

Beginner-Friendly Explanation

Phase D asks:

What technical foundation is required to run the future business and software?

The technology must support the architecture, not the other way around.

10. Phase E: Opportunities and Solutions

Purpose

Phase E turns the target architecture into possible solutions and projects.

It answers:

What major solution should be created?
Which parts can be delivered together?
Should FreshMart build, buy, or subscribe to a system?
What projects are needed?
What is the recommended approach?

Possible Solution Options

FreshMart considers three options.

Option	Description	Advantages	Disadvantages
Build everything	Create all applications internally	Highly customizable	Expensive and slow
Buy a complete package	Purchase one grocery platform	Faster initial implementation	May not fit every need
Combine products and custom integration	Buy common systems and connect them	Balanced approach	Requires integration work

FreshMart chooses the third option:

Buy standard products where possible and build only the features that are unique to FreshMart.

Proposed Work Packages

Work Package 1: Product and Inventory Standardization

Create standard product codes
Clean product data
Connect store inventory systems
Define inventory rules

Work Package 2: Online Ordering

Create customer website
Create shopping cart
Create customer account functionality
Create online checkout

Work Package 3: Order Fulfillment

Create order preparation process
Provide store employee screens
Add pickup and delivery scheduling
Add customer notifications

Work Package 4: Payment and Accounting Integration

Connect payment provider
Send payment information to accounting
Reconcile transactions

Work Package 5: Reporting

Create sales dashboard
Create inventory dashboard
Create management reports

Architecture Roadmap

Current State
     |
     v
Data cleanup and standards
     |
     v
Inventory integration
     |
     v
Online ordering pilot
     |
     v
Payment and accounting integration
     |
     v
All-store rollout
     |
     v
Advanced reporting and supplier automation

Main Outputs

Solution building blocks
Work packages
High-level implementation roadmap
Transition architectures
Initial implementation approach
Project recommendations

Beginner-Friendly Explanation

Phase E asks:

What actual solutions and projects will move us from today to the desired future?

It changes the architecture from a design into a practical plan.

11. Phase F: Migration Planning

Purpose

Phase F creates a detailed plan for moving from the current architecture to the target architecture.

It covers:

Project priorities
Costs and benefits
Risks
Dependencies
Timelines
Resources
Implementation order

Why FreshMart Cannot Do Everything at Once

If FreshMart changes every system simultaneously, it may create too much risk.

The company therefore chooses a gradual approach.

Migration Principles

FreshMart agrees to:

Start with a small pilot
Avoid changing all stores at once
Test the solution before expansion
Protect daily store operations
Train employees before rollout
Measure results after each stage

Migration Phases

Stage	Activities	Result
Stage 1	Clean product and inventory data	Reliable basic information
Stage 2	Connect inventory for one pilot store	Test inventory integration
Stage 3	Launch online ordering for pilot store	Test customer ordering
Stage 4	Add payment and notifications	Complete basic online journey
Stage 5	Add accounting integration	Reduce manual finance work
Stage 6	Expand to remaining stores	Company-wide service
Stage 7	Add supplier automation and advanced reporting	Improve efficiency

Example Project Priorities

Project	Business value	Difficulty	Priority
Product data cleanup	High	Medium	Very high
Online ordering pilot	High	Medium	Very high
Inventory integration	High	High	Very high
Advanced customer loyalty	Medium	Medium	Later
Artificial intelligence recommendations	Low initially	High	Later
Supplier automation	Medium	Medium	After core rollout

Business Case

Expected Costs

Software subscriptions
Integration development
Cloud hosting
Employee training
Data cleanup
Security improvements
Support and maintenance

Expected Benefits

More online revenue
Fewer inventory mistakes
Less manual data entry
Faster reporting
Improved customer convenience
Better supplier planning

Risk Example

Risk

Inventory information may be inaccurate during the pilot.

Impact

Customers may order products that are unavailable.

Response

Begin with one store
Perform frequent inventory checks
Display limited product quantities online
Train employees
Monitor failed orders
Correct data before expanding

Main Outputs

Detailed Implementation and Migration Strategy
Prioritized projects
Implementation schedule
Cost and benefit analysis
Risk analysis
Resource plan
Migration roadmap

Beginner-Friendly Explanation

Phase F answers:

In what order should we make the changes, and how can we reduce risk?

It is similar to planning a house renovation while continuing to live in the house.

12. Phase G: Implementation Governance

Purpose

Phase G ensures that implementation follows the approved architecture.

Architecture teams normally design the direction, but project teams build the actual solution. Phase G connects these two groups.

FreshMart Governance Activities

The architecture team reviews:

Whether the online store uses approved security controls
Whether product codes follow the data standard
Whether applications use approved interfaces
Whether customer information is protected
Whether cloud resources follow technology standards
Whether the solution matches the approved architecture

Example Architecture Review

The development team proposes storing customer passwords in plain text.

The architecture team rejects the proposal because it violates:

Security principles
Data protection requirements
Identity management standards

The team must use secure password storage through an approved identity service.

Architecture Compliance Review

Area	Review question	Result
Business	Does the system support online ordering?	Approved
Data	Are product codes standardized?	Needs correction
Application	Does the order system integrate with inventory?	Approved
Technology	Is communication encrypted?	Approved
Security	Are user permissions properly controlled?	Needs testing
Operations	Can employees support the system?	Training required

Change Requests

During implementation, the project team asks to add a loyalty rewards feature.

The architecture board evaluates:

Does it support the current business goals?
Will it delay the launch?
Does it require new customer data?
Does it create security or privacy concerns?
Is the budget available?

The decision is to place the feature in a later release.

Main Outputs

Architecture compliance reviews
Governance decisions
Approved exceptions
Updated architecture documents
Change records
Implementation guidance

Beginner-Friendly Explanation

Phase G asks:

Is the project being built according to the approved plan?

It helps prevent a project from slowly becoming different from the architecture that was approved.

13. Phase H: Architecture Change Management

Purpose

Phase H manages future changes after the architecture has been implemented.

Business and technology constantly change. FreshMart may later need to respond to:

New competitors
New laws
New customer expectations
New payment methods
New delivery models
New technology
Business expansion

Example Change

One year after launch, FreshMart decides to offer same-day delivery.

This change may require:

Delivery partner integration
Delivery time-slot management
Driver tracking
New customer notifications
Delivery pricing
Changes to order fulfillment
Additional customer data
New support processes

The architecture team assesses the change.

Change Assessment Questions

What business capability is changing?
Which systems are affected?
Which data is required?
Does the technology support the change?
What new risks exist?
Does the architecture need to be updated?
Should a new ADM cycle begin?

Types of Changes

Minor change

Example: Add a new sales report.

This may require a small architecture review.

Significant change

Example: Add a loyalty program using customer purchase history.

This may require updates to:

Business Architecture
Data Architecture
Application Architecture
Security controls

Major change

Example: Expand FreshMart into another country.

This may require a new ADM cycle covering:

New regulations
New currencies
New suppliers
New languages
New business processes
New technology requirements

Main Outputs

Change requests
Impact assessments
Updated architecture roadmap
Revised architecture documents
Decision on whether to start a new ADM cycle

Beginner-Friendly Explanation

Phase H asks:

What has changed, and does our architecture still make sense?

Architecture is not a document created once and then forgotten. It must evolve with the organization.

14. Requirements Management

Requirements Management operates throughout every ADM phase.

A requirement is something the organization needs.

FreshMart Requirements

Business requirements

Customers must be able to order online.
Store employees must be able to prepare orders.
Managers must see sales information.

Data requirements

Each product must have a unique code.
Inventory must be associated with a store.
Orders must have unique order numbers.

Application requirements

Customers must search for products.
Customers must add products to a cart.
Employees must update order status.

Technology requirements

The service must be available during store operating hours.
Data must be backed up.
Connections must be secure.

Security requirements

Customers must log in securely.
Employees must see only the information necessary for their jobs.
Administrative access must be controlled and monitored.

Requirement Traceability

FreshMart links each requirement to the architecture and implementation work.

Requirement	Architecture area	Project
Customers can order online	Business and Application	Online ordering
Inventory is accurate	Data and Application	Inventory integration
Payments are secure	Technology and Security	Payment integration
Managers see sales reports	Application and Data	Reporting
Employees prepare online orders	Business and Application	Order fulfillment

Why Requirements Management Matters

Requirements can change.

For example, customers may request:

Allow customers to substitute unavailable products.

This new requirement must be assessed against:

Business processes
Order management
Inventory data
Customer notifications
Employee procedures
Application design

If the requirement is approved, the architecture and project plan must be updated.

15. Complete FreshMart Architecture Summary

Baseline Architecture

FreshMart has:

Physical store sales
Separate store systems
Manual inventory updates
Email-based supplier ordering
Spreadsheet reporting
No online ordering

Target Architecture

FreshMart will have:

Online ordering
Shared product catalog
Connected inventory
Central order management
Online payments
Automated notifications
Accounting integration
Management dashboards
Improved security and monitoring

Main Gaps

Missing online ordering capability
Inconsistent product data
Disconnected inventory systems
Manual reports
Limited integration
Weak central monitoring
New employee training requirements

Main Projects

Product data cleanup
Inventory integration
Online ordering
Payment integration
Accounting integration
Order fulfillment
Reporting
Security improvements
Employee training
Supplier automation

16. Example ADM Deliverables

ADM phase	Example FreshMart deliverables
Preliminary	Architecture principles, governance model, architecture team
Phase A	Architecture Vision, scope, business case
Phase B	Business process models, capability map, business gaps
Phase C	Data model, application architecture, integration design
Phase D	Technology architecture, infrastructure design, security requirements
Phase E	Solution options, work packages, transition architectures
Phase F	Migration roadmap, project priorities, cost-benefit analysis
Phase G	Compliance reviews, implementation decisions, exception records
Phase H	Change assessments, updated roadmap, new architecture cycles
Requirements Management	Requirement list, traceability matrix, change records

17. How the ADM Phases Connect

The phases build on one another.

Business goal
     |
     v
Architecture Vision
     |
     v
Business Architecture
     |
     v
Data and Application Architecture
     |
     v
Technology Architecture
     |
     v
Solutions and Projects
     |
     v
Migration Plan
     |
     v
Implementation Governance
     |
     v
Continuous Change Management

For FreshMart:

"We need online sales"
          |
          v
"Customers need online ordering"
          |
          v
"We need order, inventory, payment, and customer systems"
          |
          v
"We need secure cloud technology and integrations"
          |
          v
"We will launch one pilot store first"
          |
          v
"We will review implementation quality"
          |
          v
"We will improve the architecture as the business grows"

18. What a Beginner Should Remember

The most important ideas are:

Start with the business problem.
Do not begin by choosing technology.
Understand the current situation.
This is the baseline architecture.
Describe the desired future.
This is the target architecture.
Identify the gaps.
Gaps show what must change.
Design business, data, applications, and technology together.
Turn architecture into practical projects.
Implement gradually when the change is large.
Keep checking whether projects follow the architecture.
Manage requirements throughout the process.
Repeat the ADM when the business or technology changes.

19. TOGAF ADM in One Simple Sentence

For the FreshMart example, TOGAF ADM can be summarized as:

FreshMart first understands its business problem, designs the required business processes and systems, plans the migration, controls implementation, and continuously updates the architecture as the company changes.

That is the basic idea of TOGAF ADM: a structured way to move from the current organization to a better future organization.