The Discipline:

Architects (who)

Architecting (how)

Architecture (what)

Motivation (why)

Organization (where)

Lifecyle (when)

 

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Motivating Software Architecture

or Why Do We Need Software Architecture?

A successful architecture forms the platform for strategic advantage. By contrast, the lack of architecture bonds the organization inescapably to its past. For most organizations, our legacy is a tortuously tangled slew of haphazard systems born of a time of amazing wizardry but little system discipline. These legacy systems are expensive and hard to change, but replacing them threatens the very "life" of the organization.

Brittle monolithic systems, silo applications, and long and unpredictable development times, are symptomatic of architectural decay which causes huge organizational drag. To break the chains of our corporate legacy and build systems that fit the environment, and adapt with the environment as it changes, we need architecture.

Whether we seek to lead through innovation, customer intimacy or operational excellence, architecture is the essential foundation for agility, responsiveness and effectiveness. Architecture addresses complexity, leaving the team mind-space open to innovation. It is the enabler for reliable systems developed in "Internet time," eCommerce systems that scale, and CRM systems that "Wow" customers with an individualized experience.

Architecture serves both technical and organizational purposes. On the organizational side, the architecture helps in:

On the technical side, architecture allows us to design better systems:

Adapted (with permission) from Malan and Creary, Fusion Newsletter, April 1996.

Selling Architecture

You are convinced that architecture is important, but how do you convince senior managers? One approach that is very successful, is to integrate their business goals into an architectural vision and present that vision in a way that is compelling to them. For help in doing this, you can consider taking our Architecture Vision Workshop and take a look at:

References