What is the best way to define the scope of a technical architecture project?

1 Business objectives

The first step in defining the scope of a technical architecture project is to understand the business objectives and goals of the system. What problem does the system solve? Who are the target users? What are the key features and functions? How will the system generate value and revenue? These questions help to align the technical architecture with the business strategy and vision, and to prioritize the requirements and constraints of the system.

2 Functional requirements

The next step is to define the functional requirements of the system, which describe what the system should do and how it should behave. Functional requirements specify the inputs, outputs, processes, and interactions of the system, as well as the expected quality attributes, such as reliability, usability, availability, and scalability. Functional requirements can be elicited from various sources, such as user stories, use cases, scenarios, and prototypes, and should be documented and validated with the stakeholders.

3 Non-functional requirements

Non-functional requirements are the technical and operational aspects of the system that affect its performance, security, maintainability, and compatibility. Non-functional requirements define how well the system should do what it does, and what constraints and standards it should follow. Examples of non-functional requirements are response time, throughput, availability, security, modularity, testability, and compliance. Non-functional requirements can be derived from the functional requirements, the business objectives, and the technical environment of the system.

5 Architecture style

The architecture style is the overall structure and organization of the system, which defines how the system is divided into components, how the components communicate and coordinate, and how the components are distributed and deployed. The architecture style reflects the design principles, patterns, and best practices that guide the technical architecture project. There are many architecture styles to choose from, such as monolithic, microservices, event-driven, layered, or serverless. The choice of architecture style depends on the functional and non-functional requirements, the technical environment, and the trade-offs between complexity, flexibility, and efficiency.

6 Architecture scope

The final step is to define the architecture scope, which is the boundary and level of detail of the technical architecture project. The architecture scope determines what components, interfaces, and interactions are in scope, and what are out of scope. The architecture scope also determines how much detail and documentation are needed for each component, interface, and interaction. The architecture scope should be clear, consistent, and realistic, and should be agreed upon by the stakeholders. The architecture scope should also be flexible and adaptable, as the technical architecture project may evolve and change over time.

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?