Skip to main content

Architecture Governance

Learn how Enterprise Architects can use Archy to establish, maintain, and enforce architectural standards across their organization.

Overview​

Enterprise Architecture governance ensures technology decisions align with business strategy while maintaining standards for security, compliance, and operational excellence. Archy provides AI-assisted tools to make governance more efficient and data-driven.

Establishing Governance Framework​

Define Architecture Principles​

Use Archy to document and socialize your architectural principles:

Meeting with Archy: "Help me define architecture principles for our organization"

Archy will guide you through establishing principles such as:

  • Technology standardization (approved technologies and platforms)
  • Integration patterns (API-first, event-driven, etc.)
  • Security and compliance requirements
  • Data management policies
  • Cloud and infrastructure strategies

Documentation Approach:

  1. Create a "Architecture Principles" document in Archy
  2. Link principles to relevant systems and projects
  3. Use decision records to capture rationale and exceptions
  4. Schedule regular review meetings with Archy to assess adherence

Create Reference Architectures​

Develop standard patterns for common use cases:

Common Reference Architectures:

  • Microservices deployment patterns
  • API gateway configurations
  • Data integration standard flows
  • Security architecture templates
  • Cloud migration patterns

Using Archy:

  1. Document patterns through structured meetings
  2. Create visual diagrams using Mermaid or flow editors
  3. Link to example implementations in your system inventory
  4. Generate templates for project teams to follow

Architecture Review Process​

Automated Compliance Checking​

Leverage Archy's AI to identify governance violations:

Review Process:

  1. Weekly governance meetings with Archy to review new systems/changes
  2. Automated scanning of system documentation for compliance gaps
  3. Exception tracking with formal approval processes
  4. Trend analysis to identify systemic issues

Sample Archy Consultation:

"Archy, review our systems for compliance with our API-first principle. Identify any applications that don't expose APIs or use point-to-point integrations."

Design Review Workflows​

Implement systematic review of architecture decisions:

Pre-Implementation Reviews:

  • System architecture reviews before new system procurement
  • Integration pattern reviews before connecting new systems
  • Technology stack reviews for custom development projects
  • Security architecture reviews for sensitive data systems

Using Interview Mode:

  1. Configure interview templates for different review types
  2. Invite project teams to present their architectures
  3. Record decisions with rationale and conditions
  4. Track follow-up actions and compliance verification

Standards Management​

Technology Standards Catalog​

Maintain a comprehensive catalog of approved technologies:

Categories to Govern:

  • Programming languages and frameworks
  • Database platforms and versions
  • Integration middleware and APIs
  • Cloud services and deployment patterns
  • Security tools and protocols

Archy Implementation:

  1. Create capability records for each technology category
  2. Document approved solutions with maturity ratings
  3. Track system compliance through automated analysis
  4. Generate compliance reports for leadership review

Exception Management​

Handle deviations from standards systematically:

Exception Process:

  1. Formal exception requests with business justification
  2. Risk assessment of architectural deviations
  3. Conditional approvals with mitigation requirements
  4. Regular review of granted exceptions

Documentation in Archy:

  • Decision records for each exception with full context
  • Risk tracking linked to affected systems
  • Remediation plans with timelines and ownership
  • Exception reporting for governance oversight

Compliance and Risk Management​

Regulatory Compliance​

Ensure architectural decisions support compliance requirements:

Compliance Areas:

  • Data privacy (GDPR, CCPA, HIPAA)
  • Financial regulations (SOX, PCI-DSS)
  • Industry standards (ISO 27001, NIST)
  • Government requirements (FedRAMP, ITAR)

Archy Capabilities:

  1. Tag systems with compliance requirements
  2. Track data classification and handling requirements
  3. Monitor control implementations across systems
  4. Generate audit reports with evidence trails

Security Architecture Governance​

Integrate security into architectural decision-making:

Security Standards:

  • Identity and access management patterns
  • Data encryption requirements (in-transit, at-rest)
  • Network security architecture standards
  • Application security development requirements

Risk Assessment Process:

  1. Security reviews for all new system integrations
  2. Threat modeling for critical business systems
  3. Vulnerability tracking across the architecture
  4. Security metrics reporting and trend analysis

Stakeholder Communication​

Executive Reporting​

Communicate architecture value and compliance to leadership:

Regular Reports:

  • Architecture health dashboards showing compliance metrics
  • Risk registers with mitigation status and timelines
  • Technology debt assessments with remediation costs
  • Strategic alignment reports linking architecture to business goals

Using Archy for Executive Communication:

  1. Generate executive summaries from detailed architecture data
  2. Create visual dashboards showing key metrics and trends
  3. Prepare talking points for board and executive presentations
  4. Track strategic initiative progress and dependencies

Team Education and Training​

Ensure organization-wide understanding of architecture standards:

Training Programs:

  • Architecture principles workshops for development teams
  • Design pattern training with real examples from your environment
  • Compliance requirements education for project managers
  • Tool training for teams using Archy and related systems

Archy-Assisted Training:

  1. Record training sessions with Archy for reuse
  2. Create interactive tutorials using documented examples
  3. Develop assessment tools to verify understanding
  4. Track training completion and competency development

Metrics and Continuous Improvement​

Architecture Metrics​

Track key indicators of architectural health:

Governance Metrics:

  • Standards compliance rate across systems
  • Exception approval and closure rates
  • Time to architecture review for new projects
  • Architecture debt accumulation and remediation

Technical Metrics:

  • Integration complexity (number of point-to-point connections)
  • Technology diversity (number of different platforms/languages)
  • System lifecycle health (percentage of systems on current versions)
  • Security posture (compliance with security standards)

Continuous Improvement Process​

Evolve governance practices based on data and feedback:

Quarterly Governance Reviews:

  1. Analyze metrics trends with Archy's help
  2. Identify improvement opportunities in processes and standards
  3. Update standards based on technology evolution and lessons learned
  4. Communicate changes to stakeholders with rationale

Sample Archy Analysis Session:

"Archy, analyze our architecture governance metrics for Q3. What patterns do you see in exception requests? Where are we seeing the most compliance challenges?"

Advanced Governance Techniques​

Architecture Decision Records (ADRs)​

Systematically capture and track architectural decisions:

ADR Process with Archy:

  1. Template creation for consistent decision documentation
  2. Stakeholder consultation through interview mode
  3. Impact analysis of decisions on existing systems
  4. Decision tracking and review scheduling

Portfolio Analysis​

Understand architecture at the portfolio level:

Portfolio Views:

  • Technology portfolio analysis showing duplication and gaps
  • Integration portfolio revealing complex coupling patterns
  • Risk portfolio aggregating risks across systems and projects
  • Investment portfolio tracking architecture spending and ROI

Predictive Governance​

Use AI insights to anticipate governance challenges:

Predictive Capabilities:

  • Technology obsolescence warnings based on industry trends
  • Integration complexity growth projections
  • Compliance risk identification before violations occur
  • Resource planning for governance activities based on project pipeline

Common Governance Challenges​

Challenge: Resistance to Standards​

Symptoms: Teams bypassing architecture reviews, frequent exception requests Archy-Assisted Solutions:

  • Document the business value of standards adherence
  • Create lightweight review processes with clear criteria
  • Provide templates and examples to reduce compliance burden
  • Track and communicate success stories from standards adoption

Challenge: Keeping Up with Technology Evolution​

Symptoms: Standards becoming obsolete, teams using unsupported technologies Archy-Assisted Solutions:

  • Schedule regular technology landscape reviews with Archy
  • Set up alerts for technology end-of-life announcements
  • Create migration plans before technologies become unsupported
  • Maintain a technology roadmap with planned updates

Challenge: Measuring Governance Effectiveness​

Symptoms: Unclear ROI of governance activities, stakeholder questions about value Archy-Assisted Solutions:

  • Define measurable governance outcomes linked to business goals
  • Track metrics that demonstrate architecture value (reduced incidents, faster delivery)
  • Create dashboards showing governance impact over time
  • Generate case studies of governance preventing problems

Tools and Templates​

Governance Checklists​

Use Archy to maintain governance checklists for:

  • New system reviews with all required checkpoints
  • Integration approvals ensuring pattern compliance
  • Technology selections with evaluation criteria
  • Exception reviews with risk assessment templates

Communication Templates​

Create standard communication formats for:

  • Architecture decision announcements
  • Compliance violation notifications
  • Standard update communications
  • Exception approval notifications

Effective architecture governance with Archy transforms from reactive compliance checking to proactive risk management and strategic alignment. The AI assistance helps maintain consistency while reducing the administrative burden on enterprise architects.

Next Steps: