The TOGAF Architecture Development Method (ADM) is the core methodology within the The Open Group Architecture Framework (TOGAF), designed to guide enterprise architects in planning, designing, implementing, and governing enterprise architecture. It provides a systematic and iterative process that helps organizations develop a holistic view of their architecture across business, data, application, and technology domains. The ADM ensures alignment between strategic business objectives and IT capabilities, promoting structured decision-making and guiding enterprise transformations.

The ADM is composed of nine phases, each addressing different aspects of the architecture lifecycle. When categorized into the three buckets—Defining the Right Architecture, Defining the Architecture Right, and Implementing, Governing, Learning—the phases can be grouped to emphasize distinct strategic, design, and execution activities within the architecture lifecycle. This approach helps clarify how each phase contributes to ensuring that the architecture is not only well-defined but also accurately implemented and continuously improved.

1. Defining the Right Architecture

This bucket focuses on establishing the foundational vision, strategic alignment, and requirements that guide the architecture work. The goal here is to define a clear architectural strategy that aligns with the organization’s business goals and strategic intent.

• Preliminary Phase: Preparing the Architecture Framework
  • Establishes the foundational elements of the architecture program, such as defining the architecture principles, governance structures, and ensuring alignment with the broader organizational strategy.
  • Key activities include defining the enterprise’s architectural capability, setting up the architecture team, and determining the scope of the framework.
  • Ensures that the organization’s architecture approach is grounded in a shared understanding of the purpose and guiding principles.
• Phase A: Architecture Vision: Defining the Architecture Strategy and Vision
  • Sets the overall direction and high-level vision for the architecture project. It defines the “Why” of the architecture initiative, linking it to business drivers, strategic goals, and stakeholder expectations.
  • Key deliverables include defining the architecture vision, identifying key stakeholders, and creating the Architecture Vision document.
  • The Architecture Vision phase focuses on high-level objectives and provides a roadmap that establishes the value proposition of the architecture project.
• Phase E: Opportunities and Solutions: Determining Feasibility and Solution Approach
  • Translates the high-level architecture into practical initiatives and identifies potential opportunities for realizing the target architecture.
  • Defines and evaluates different solution options, determines the required projects, and prioritizes initiatives based on business value and strategic alignment.
  • This phase bridges the strategic and operational components of the architecture, ensuring that the defined architecture is feasible and aligned with the business case.

2. Defining the Architecture Right

This bucket covers the design, specification, and validation of the architecture itself. The focus is on ensuring that the architecture is robust, meets requirements, and adheres to principles and standards.

• Phase B: Business Architecture: Designing the Business Layer
  • Develops the detailed business architecture that aligns with the strategic vision. This phase captures key business processes, organizational structures, and functional capabilities.
  • Defines the baseline (current state) and target (future state) business architecture, identifying gaps and areas of improvement.
  • Outputs include business process models, business capability maps, and organizational diagrams, which lay the foundation for aligning the architecture to business needs.
• Phase C: Information Systems Architectures: Designing the Data and Application Layers
  • Splits into two distinct sub-phases:
    • Data Architecture: Defines the organization’s data structures, data flows, data entities, and principles for managing data. It focuses on creating a logical and physical data model to support business operations and analytics.
    • Application Architecture: Outlines the application landscape, defining key software systems, interdependencies, and interactions between business applications. It establishes a blueprint for the integration of various systems and aligns application services with business needs.
  • These phases ensure that both data and application layers are designed to support the business architecture and that they address information security, integration, and performance requirements.
• Phase D: Technology Architecture: Designing the Technology Layer
  • Defines the technological infrastructure needed to support the business and information systems architectures, including servers, networks, platforms, and technology standards.
  • Establishes a blueprint for the deployment of technical services, ensuring alignment with IT strategy and compliance with technology standards.
  • Ensures that the architecture is scalable, secure, and able to support future business needs and IT developments.
• Phase F: Migration Planning: Developing a Roadmap and Transition Plan
  • Focuses on creating a detailed implementation and migration plan to move from the baseline architecture to the target state.
  • Key activities include defining work packages, sequencing projects, and creating a detailed migration roadmap that considers dependencies, resource allocation, and risk management.
  • Ensures that the architecture is not only well-designed but also implementable in a structured and controlled manner.

3. Implementing, Governing, Learning

This bucket focuses on ensuring that the defined architecture is successfully implemented, continuously governed, and improved based on lessons learned. It provides a structured approach for managing execution and adapting the architecture to ongoing changes.

• Phase G: Implementation Governance: Managing and Overseeing Implementation
  • Oversees the actual implementation of the architecture projects, ensuring that they adhere to the defined architectural vision and principles.
  • Involves providing architectural guidance, monitoring compliance, and managing deviations from the architecture plan.
  • Governance mechanisms include conducting compliance reviews, managing risk, and validating that the implementation is on track and delivering the intended value.
  • This phase acts as the “guardrail” for ensuring that the implemented solutions align with the designed architecture.
• Phase H: Architecture Change Management: Adapting and Evolving the Architecture
  • Focuses on continuous adaptation and evolution of the architecture in response to changing business requirements, technological advancements, and external factors.
  • Establishes a change management process that includes monitoring, assessing, and implementing changes to the architecture.
  • This phase ensures that the architecture remains relevant and aligned with business strategy over time, enabling agility and responsiveness.
• Requirements Management (Continuous Activity): Managing Architecture Requirements Throughout the Lifecycle
  • Although not a distinct phase, Requirements Management is a continuous activity that interacts with all phases of the ADM.
  • It ensures that evolving business and IT requirements are captured, analyzed, and incorporated into the architecture throughout its lifecycle.
  • Acts as a feedback loop to refine and adjust the architecture based on new information, strategic shifts, or implementation realities.

Integrated View: Using the ADM for a Holistic Enterprise Architecture Approach

When categorized into these three buckets, the ADM phases create a structured flow from strategic definition to detailed design, and finally to implementation and continuous governance. This integrated view ensures that architecture is: