Keeping the reason for change
The fictional training provider may introduce a portal, change suppliers or reorganise support. Its reason for serving learners can remain stable while the way it does so changes. Architecture should retain that purpose so a later team can judge a proposed change against it.
The Purpose aspect of A Simple Architectural Framework (ASAF) distinguishes why the organisation exists, its vision, its strategy for change and its operational aims. These descriptions connect its direction to current work.
| View | Fictional illustration |
|---|---|
| Purpose | Help people obtain useful learning opportunities. |
| Vision | Learners receive a dependable service across the provider and its partners. |
| Transformation strategy | Trial cancellation ownership for provider-run courses, then consider wider partner arrangements. |
| Operational aim | Progress each cancellation towards an agreed resolution with an accepted owner. |
These are proposed statements for the example. A real organisation must agree its own purpose, including priorities and tensions between those it serves.
From direction to a decision
Link a principle or requirement to the outcome it supports and the decisions it constrains. Learner agreement affects process ownership, information, permissions and channel behaviour. A cheaper option that leaves some learners unable to complete the service may conflict with the intended outcome.
The Object Management Group’s Business Motivation Model is a public reference for structuring business motivation. Its public specification offers a further comparison. OMG BMM. The distinctions above follow the retained ASAF source.
Review through use
Changed needs can challenge the vision or strategy without invalidating the enduring purpose. Record who accepts such a change and what consequences it has for current work. Use the management roadmap, financial options and measures to test the implications.
Methodology configuration
Map purpose, mission, goals and objectives by their meaning and scope. Retain the relationships when your method combines them. Use Methodology configuration to map terms, records and reviews to your own approach.