What to Expect?
Whether microservices, Domain-Driven Design, cloud-native, serverless, evolutionary architectures or fitness functions. Architecture topics are omnipresent and reach not just an isolated group of architects, but all developers, decision-makers and business roles too. This multitude of people involved shouldn’t hinder the dynamics of evolving software systems. How can one react quickly to trends and current business needs? How can architecture topics be anchored in agile process models? How can architecture be captured leanly and evolved effectively in groups?
Overview
Our Offering
We deliver field-tested approaches that ensure broad participation in architecture work, transparency, rapid feedback and efficiency in agile environments. Architecture work in the backlog, architecture vision / architecture wall, fitness functions, the agile architect role, …
Our Expertise
With his book “Vorgehensmuster für Softwarearchitektur - Kombinierbare Praktiken in Zeiten von Agile und Lean” (German), Stefan Toth wrote the German-language standard work on architecture in the agile space. Agile approaches to software, system and enterprise architecture are a core topic at embarc and something like our founding purpose.
Typical Occasions
You work with Scrum, but architecture topics are shortchanged, new technological or conceptual ideas are too often handled in large projects instead of being implemented steadily and in small steps. Requirement owners, clients and POs are too little interested in architecture topics and steer purely based on functional requirements.
Your Benefit
Your architecture evolves iteratively instead of in big-bang style, architecture effort is scaled as needed, team members exchange effectively on architecture topics, central roles steer agile and protect responsible implementation teams.
Example Topics
The topics outlined here are only examples of concrete artifacts that we can use in a coaching engagement to reach the described goals. In the coaching, we proceed goal-oriented and select ideas as needed and depending on the environment. The focus is usually on establishing and interlocking the following topics:
TR
Technology Radar
Communicate insights from technological experiments, team experiences and assessments of a strategically oriented architecture group in a compact and supportive form.
FF
Fitness Functions
Ensure continuous technical feedback that covers not only the functionality of your system, but also qualitative aspects such as performance, availability or maintainability.
AO
Architecture Owner
Establish a supportive role model of the architect that leaves enough room and responsibility with developers and implementation teams. Introduce decision models that support this and benefit from broader participation and dynamics.
AV
Architecture Vision / Wall
Make architecture transparent and visible. Create a physical or virtual architecture wall where, alongside a focused big picture, important influences and current architecture topics come together. Use this tool actively to integrate architecture into everyday development.
BL
Architecture Work in the Backlog
Functional requests often pile up in the agile backlog, but architecture topics remain a decoupled “hobby” of good developers. Anchor architectural activities by naming qualitative anchor points and product properties, and establish an efficient exchange between PO and architecture.