You're integrating a Business Architecture with an application architecture. What are the key considerations?

1 Business value and outcomes

The first and foremost consideration is to identify and prioritize the business value and outcomes that you want to achieve with the application architecture. You should use a value proposition canvas or a similar tool to map out the customer segments, jobs to be done, pains, gains, and value propositions of your business model. Then, you should define the key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics that will measure the success of your application architecture in delivering the desired value and outcomes.

2 Business capabilities and functions

The next consideration is to define and map the business capabilities and functions that are required to support the value proposition and outcomes. Business capabilities are the abilities that your organization needs to perform its core activities and deliver value to customers. Business functions are the specific tasks and processes that implement the capabilities. You should use a capability map or a similar tool to identify and organize the capabilities and functions into a hierarchical structure that reflects the business strategy and objectives.

3 Application components and services

The third consideration is to design and describe the application components and services that will enable the business capabilities and functions. Application components are the logical units of software that perform a specific function or provide a specific service. Application services are the interfaces that expose the functionality of the components to other components or external systems. You should use an application landscape or a similar tool to illustrate the relationships and dependencies among the components and services, as well as their alignment with the business capabilities and functions.

4 Application principles and standards

The fourth consideration is to establish and apply the application principles and standards that will guide the development, deployment, and maintenance of the application architecture. Application principles are the fundamental rules and guidelines that express the desired qualities and behaviors of the application architecture, such as performance, security, scalability, modularity, interoperability, etc. Application standards are the specific technical specifications and protocols that define how the application components and services should be implemented, integrated, and operated.

5 Application governance and lifecycle

The fifth consideration is to define and implement the application governance and lifecycle that will ensure the quality and sustainability of the application architecture. Application governance is the process of managing and controlling the application architecture in terms of its alignment with the business strategy, value, and outcomes, as well as its compliance with the application principles and standards. Application lifecycle is the process of planning, designing, developing, testing, deploying, operating, and evolving the application architecture in response to changing business needs and requirements.

6 Application risks and challenges

The sixth and final consideration is to identify and mitigate the application risks and challenges that may arise during the integration of the business architecture with the application architecture. Application risks are the potential threats and uncertainties that may affect the performance, reliability, security, or availability of the application architecture, such as technical failures, cyberattacks, data breaches, etc. Application challenges are the difficulties and obstacles that may hinder the implementation, integration, or operation of the application architecture, such as resource constraints, skill gaps, legacy systems, etc.

7 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?