A connected view
A service change can affect customers, work, information and the systems used to deliver it. A Simple Architectural Framework (ASAF) groups 13 aspects by their relationship to the organisation. Each offers a different set of questions about the same architecture.
Outside
| Aspect | Concern |
|---|---|
| Customer | People and organisations served, their needs and relationships. |
| Supplier | Supply relationships, responsibilities, dependencies and exit. |
| Channel | How people and organisations reach and use the service. |
Inside
| Aspect | Concern |
|---|---|
| Process | Work, business rules, handovers and accepted results. |
| Structure | Organisational roles, responsibilities and authority. |
| Information | Meaning, records, ownership, lifecycle and data processing. |
| Security | Protection, risk, authority, controls and response across business and technology. |
| Metrics | Outcomes, quality requirements and observations that inform decisions. |
| Systems | Application responsibilities, integration, software and business rules. |
| Technology | Infrastructure, runtime, environments and technical recovery. |
Core
| Aspect | Concern |
|---|---|
| Management | Direction, roadmaps, decision rights and continuing management. |
| Finance | Financial choices, commitments, controls and observed costs and benefits. |
| Purpose | Enduring aims, outcomes and priorities. |
Across the aspects
Business architecture is a route through several aspects, connecting what the organisation wants to achieve to how it works. Deployment and operations connects introduction, support, recovery and improvement. Security has its own aspect and also needs attention wherever a decision changes exposure or authority.
Use process areas to consider how the work develops and levels of abstraction to choose the detail needed. The worked example follows one change through these views.
Methodology configuration
Your method may combine several aspects in one model or distribute one aspect across several records. Map each concern to the people who make the decision and the records they use. Configuration guidance explains the approach.