Don’t Get Distracted by the Document
This may seem like an odd blog coming from a company that is so deliverable focused, but it isn’t. A design document is not just a document, but a powerful tool for figuring out an architecture. However, it is easy to get caught up in the “task” of completing the design document and lose focus on deeply understanding the architecture.
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The Solution Architect’s Path to Success
Welcome to today’s blog. Sit back and relax. Close your eyes. Take some deep relaxing breaths. Envision a Utopian architecture project delivery:
- Scope is clear and agreed upon,
- Requirements are carefully crafted,
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Manage Expectations with a “Terms of Reference” Document
As consulting business analysts and architects, we at Systems Flow are constantly in the trenches with our clients, helping envision & manage the change to their technology and business processes they need to be competitive and succeed.
Although we have formal processes & deliverables we rely on to deliver on our commitments to clients, its not always obvious to a project manager, business change sponsor or technical executive what those deliverables are, and how we use them. That’s where a clear, concise Terms of Reference (ToR) document comes in handy.
Searching for Artifacts
“Ar·ti·fact: An object produced or shaped by human craft, especially a tool,
weapon, or ornament of archaeological or historical interest.”
The American Heritage Dictionary
Interesting. In the software engineering field an artifact is: Read more
Getting Started with Artifacts
It can often be a challenge to demonstrate value the first time you introduce the concept of capturing and using artifacts – particularly where people aren’t in the habit of producing or using them. You may find yourself wondering where to start. You can demonstrate early value by using artifacts to identify scope, encourage feedback, and guide discovery: Read more
Artifact Misconceptions
I want to highlight some common misconceptions we hear related to the use of formal artifacts… Read more
One Artifact, One Vision
We have found that in a conversation with five people, each leaves with different threads resonating. Working as a team on a central artifact – a diagram, a list, a use case, whatever – is an extremely effective way of brokering clarity across a project team.
In the decentralized model, everybody takes personal notes with personal interpretations of the discussion. In some cases, perhaps a project manager or analyst scribes the entire meeting as “meeting notes”. Both are better suited for defense than success. Read more