The Compass for Sustainable Enterprise Architecture
When it comes to building resilient, scalable, and purposeful enterprise architectures, the foundation lies not just in tools or technologies, but in the principles that guide our decisions. These Architecture Principles form the very first technique in the TOGAF ADM (Architecture Development Method), and for good reason: they act as the compass for your architectural journey.
Let’s break this down and walk through it in a way that’s both intuitive and applicable, especially for anyone tasked with leading or contributing to architectural governance.
What Are Architecture Principles?
Architecture principles are an enduring set of general rules and guidelines that shape how we design and develop architectures. When I say unchanging, I mean that they’re not meant to change often. These aren’t lightweight checkboxes you revisit in every project phase. They are intentional, carefully considered guidelines that inform the why and how of everything from solution design to technology selection.
You first define these principles during the Preliminary Phase of the ADM cycle. And once in place, they should guide you through subsequent phases (B, C, D, etc.) without frequent revision. They become your architecture team’s commitment to a consistent, logical, and aligned way of working.
The Four Domains of Architecture Principles
Architecture principles are typically organized across four domains:
- Business Principles – e.g., “Maximize reuse of business processes.”
- Data Principles – e.g., “Each data element must have a steward responsible for its quality.”
- Application Principles – e.g., “Applications should be modular and loosely coupled.”
- Technology Principles – e.g., “Prefer open standards and third-party software when possible.”
Each set serves its domain but must still work in harmony with the others. This is where the concept of consistency and prioritization becomes critical.
Why Set Principles Early?
Early definition of architecture principles simplifies decision-making down the line. Let’s say you’ve defined a principle that says:
“We prefer acquiring third-party software over building custom solutions unless no viable product exists.”
Now, when you’re evaluating solution options, this principle becomes your default posture. You don’t need to re-litigate this decision every time a new requirement comes in. Instead, you only deviate when there’s a compelling business or technical justification.
This approach reduces decision fatigue, encourages reuse, and increases alignment across architecture teams.
A Real-World Example: The Data Trustee Principle
One data architecture principle I often recommend is the Data Trustee principle. It says:
“Each data element must have an assigned trustee accountable for data quality.”
Without this principle, data ownership gets diluted. When everyone owns the data, no one owns the data. Quality degrades. Accountability vanishes. But with a data trustee model, every piece of data has a responsible party. If quality drops, there’s a clear line of accountability, and that’s the kind of governance that keeps enterprise systems running clean and efficient.
The 5 Elements of a Good Architecture Principle
Not all principles are created equal. A well-crafted architecture principle should exhibit five essential characteristics:
1. Understandability
The principle should be crystal clear. Anyone, from an engineer to an executive, should easily understand what it means and when it applies. Ambiguity leads to loopholes.
2. Robustness
It must be precise enough to support consistent decision-making, even in complex or controversial scenarios. A vague principle is a weak principle.
3. Completeness
The principle should be comprehensive enough to guide decisions across various situations within its domain. It should not leave key issues unaddressed.
4. Consistency
Principles must align with each other or clearly establish a hierarchy of importance. For instance, if you value both privacy and third-party solutions, the principle set should specify which takes precedence when they conflict.
5. Stability
Principles should be stable over time. Refinements may happen, but these should be rare. Constantly shifting principles create confusion and erode trust.
Conclusively
As architects, we’re not just builders, we’re stewards of digital ecosystems. Principles are our governance framework, our ethical compass, and our alignment mechanism across people, processes, and platforms. When thoughtfully developed and rigorously followed, they reduce chaos, improve agility, and elevate the integrity of enterprise solutions.
So, whether you’re just kicking off your ADM cycle or revisiting your existing architecture frameworks, take the time to define your principles. They’re not just documents; they’re decision enablers.
Let’s architect with intention.
Let’s lead with principles.
