Unit 7 – Axioms for Agile Architecture

Open Agile Architecture Practitioner Certification

Preface

These axioms have support the digital and agile enterprise. Some were conceived to support speed and agility.

Axiom 1. Customer Experience Focus

Quality of customer experience is a critical success factor. Customer opinions are shaped by internet giants (e.g., Amazon Prime).

Axiom 2. Outside-In Thinking

Asking customers what they need is not enough. Discover untold customer needs by analyzing how a cutomer uses a product

Axiom 3. Rapid Feedback Loops

Prototyping helps and orgs need to get rapid ffedback loops to learn and manage expectations

Axiom 4. Touchpoint Orchestration

AA shall enable holistic orchestration of every every single touchpoint between an enterprise and its ecosystem. Deliver relevant utility at the right time/place/people.

Axiom 5. Value Stream Alignment

Indenitfy the enterprise value streams. Value is from the standpoint of the customer. Identifying common steps across multiple value streams feeds into operating model design.

Axiom 6. Autonomous Cross-Functional Teams

Team autonomy is a pre-requisite to speed (avoid coordination with other teams).

Axiom 7. Authority, Responsibility, and Accountability Distribution

Balance freedom with responsibility and accountability. The last two improve predictability. Distribute these at each layer of the org.

Axiom 8. Loosely-Coupled Systems

Minimize dependencies to avoid waiting on others and waiting for communication. Create modular systems.

Axiom 9. Modular Data Platform

Centralized and monolithic data platform is an anti-pattern. Domains need to host and serve their own dataset in an easily consumable way. Represent closely the raw data, not built for any one consumer.

Axiom 10. Simple Common Operating Principles

Use a set of simple mechanisms that ALL connections will use. For example, in the software layer all inter-service communication will be done via APIs.

Axiom 11. Partitioning Over Layering

Layered architecture pattern lends itself toward monilithic applications. Partition the enterprise and its sub-systems.

• Business level - market driven
• Operations level - capability-driven
• Software level - domain driven

Axiom 12. Organization Mirroring Architecture

Structure teams in a way that maps the systems intentional architecture. Neither the org nor architecture are static over time, they need to co-evolve for this to be successful.

Axiom 13. Organizational Leveling

Orgs are described at different granularity levels

• Group - Set of companies controlled by the same entity
• Entity - Enterprise or business unit
• Team of teams - large organizational units that embody the traits of agility at scale
• Agile team - no more than 10-12 members

Axiom 14. Bias for Change

Welcome changing requirements. The architecture model is a living artifact. ⭐ Intentional architecture represents a set of assumptions that must be verified. It should not slow down the integration of new requirements ⭐

Axiom 15. Project to Product Shift

Shift from temporary org structure to permanent. Cross-functional teams support the product from end-to-end.

You build it, you run it.

Axiom 16. Secure by Design

Help developers build security into their design and code from the start. Shift from DevOps to DevSecOps.