How can you use ACF to improve your communication and collaboration with stakeholders in TOGAF?

1 What is ACF?

ACF is a framework that helps you organize and manage the content of your architecture. It consists of three elements: meta-model, viewpoints, and deliverables. The meta-model defines the concepts and terms that you use to describe your architecture, such as entities, relationships, attributes, and properties. The viewpoints define the perspectives and concerns that you use to present your architecture to different stakeholders, such as business, information, application, and technology. The deliverables define the outputs and outcomes that you produce and deliver to your stakeholders, such as catalogs, matrices, diagrams, and specifications.

2 Why use ACF?

ACF can improve communication and collaboration with stakeholders in TOGAF by providing a common language, consistent structure, and clear purpose for architecture content. Utilizing ACF can help to avoid confusion and ambiguity by using standardized and agreed-upon terms and concepts to describe the architecture. It can also address different needs and expectations by using appropriate and relevant viewpoints to present the architecture to different stakeholders. Furthermore, ACF allows you to demonstrate value and alignment by using specific and measurable deliverables to show the architecture's benefits and contributions to the organization's goals and objectives.

3 How to use ACF?

ACF is a flexible and adaptable tool that can be customized and tailored to a specific context and situation. To use ACF effectively, you need to identify your stakeholders and their interests and concerns, select the meta-model elements that best represent your architecture, choose the viewpoints that best address your stakeholders' perspectives, and define the deliverables that demonstrate your architecture's value and alignment. Knowing who you are communicating and collaborating with, as well as what they care about and expect from you, will help you capture the essence and characteristics of your architecture, show the aspects that matter most to your stakeholders, and provide evidence of your architecture's outcomes and impacts.

4 What are some examples of ACF?

ACF offers a set of predefined meta-model elements, viewpoints, and deliverables that can serve as a basis for architecture content. You can also create custom elements, viewpoints, and deliverables to suit your individual needs. For example, if you are communicating with business owners, you can use the business viewpoint to demonstrate how your architecture supports their strategy, processes, functions, and capabilities. You may also use deliverables such as business capability maps, business process models, and value stream diagrams to illustrate the architecture's value. When communicating with users, you can employ the information viewpoint to illustrate how your architecture manages the data and information they need and produce. Additionally, data models, data dictionaries, and data quality reports can demonstrate the architecture's information quality. If you are engaging with developers, you can use the application viewpoint to show how your architecture defines the software components and services they need to build and integrate. You may also use deliverables such as application portfolios, service catalogs, and interface specifications to document the architecture's application design. Finally, when communicating with vendors, you can use the technology viewpoint to demonstrate how your architecture specifies the hardware and software platforms and infrastructure they need to provide and maintain. Furthermore, technology roadmaps, technology standards, and technology contracts can define the architecture's technology requirements.

5 What are some best practices for using ACF?

ACF is an effective tool to improve communication and collaboration with stakeholders in TOGAF. To use it well, you should apply best practices such as iterative and incremental development, collaborative and interactive creation, and pragmatic and selective use of elements, viewpoints, and deliverables. This means starting with a high-level overview and refining it as you progress through the TOGAF phases and cycles. Involving stakeholders in the creation and review of architecture content is also important to ensure feedback and input are taken into account. Finally, only use the elements that are relevant and useful for your specific purpose and audience.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?