How do you manage solution architecture governance and quality assurance?

Along with defining an architecture governance model, with roles and responsibilities, it is very important to think about and create material that would help in establishing the governance framework in the organisation where all defined roles are committed to carrying out the assigned responsibilities, they can see and appreciate the value of architecture governance. Try to simplify and reduce time consumed in carrying out the required activities as part of the governance roles. Quite often due to time consumed and complexity in conducting architecture governance, organisations and individual roles do not see the immediate values, hence de-prioritise the governance activities over other development or business critical needs.

All Technology Architecture is about providing solutions that stand the test of time. Discussions often take place as if the solution is being designed in isolation and complete control. In the real world, that is rarely the case. One has to deal with constraints like migrating or connecting to legacy systems, working with sunk costs, policies that may hamper technology of choice or have a shortage of skilled resources. Work with ingredients at hand to make a dish, rather than only of the ideal recipe. The other factors are alignment to the strategic objectives of executive management and enablement of future goals. Finally, the solution should take Lifetime Total Cost of Ownership and Return On Investment in account.

I good point of start if the RFC 2119. It's not a framework, but can help you a lot 1. MUST mean that the definition is an absolute requirement of the specification. 2. MUST NOT mean that the definition is an absolute prohibition of the specification. 3. SHOULD mean that there may exist valid reasons in particular circumstances to ignore a particular item, but the full implications must be understood and carefully weighed before choosing a different course. 4. SHOULD NOT mean that there may exist valid reasons in particular circumstances when the particular behavior is acceptable or even useful, but the full implications should be understood and the case carefully weighed before implementing any behavior described with this label.

Every organization is having its own mission and vision, as per the mission and vision they define their goals and roadmap. To support these goals and roadmap, they define a governance framework to keep the solution architecture work focused. Usually Architecture Review Board takes care of evaluating any solution architecture work against the framework defined. Checks and balances are required through out the journey of the project to make sure it is adhering with the defined governance model .

The hard part of "quality criteria" is measure, measure quality is hard, measure architecture quality is harder. Take care to avoid falling in love with your metrics and forget the reality.

Solution Architect Governance to ensure the system design meets the business expectation aligning with in the enterprise architect governance pattern and security protocol for implementing both functional & non functional requirements. Review each components, easy of integration, data movement, data storage, encryption and orchestration features. Architect should review the design with enterprise gov, security team and quality gating process to ensure every dimensions are addressed.

Quality reviews are an essential part of managing solutions architecture governance, but the specific approach will vary depending on the organization's unique circumstances. Factors to consider include the size and complexity of the solution, the organization's policies and procedures, and the available resources. Be prepared for challenges, such as getting stakeholders to participate in quality reviews, identifying complex problems, and ensuring that the reviews are effective in identifying and addressing the actual issues. It's important to remember that quality reviews are not perfect and may not always catch every problem with the architecture. They can also be time-consuming, so it's crucial to set realistic expectations beforehand.

To effectively manage solutions architecture governance and quality assurance, you can leverage continuous delivery principles by aligning team values, structure, and tools. This approach will cultivate operational excellence as your core competency, enabling you to make continuous quality improvements to your architecture. By embracing continuous delivery principles, you can adopt a continuous improvement mindset, ensuring constant progress monitoring, keeping stakeholders informed about changes, and reviewing and updating your architecture as needs evolve. Remember to start small, be patient, and get buy-in from all stakeholders to ensure high-quality deliverables that align with business needs.

Your goal should be to drive long-term success by ensuring the solutions architecture remains reliable, scalable, and aligned with evolving business needs. To do this effectively, you should implement a comprehensive approach unique to your business. This approach should encompass aspects such as continuously monitoring and measuring performance, utilizing proven architectural patterns, adhering to established principles, and maintaining open and clear communication with all stakeholders.

To promote a quality culture at work, I believe you need to empower your employees. This will lead to increased engagement. Engaged employees are the key to creating a quality culture. Provide training and development opportunities and encourage open communication, collaboration, and active participation. Maintaining a positive workplace environment will also foster motivation, collaboration, and synergy.

In addition to the above, here are five additional aspects for consideration: • Establish a clear understanding of the business objectives to ensure alignment with the organization's overall strategy. • Involve the stakeholders in the process to ensure that the solution meets the business needs. Emphasize the importance of effective collaboration and communication between business and IT. • Use a risk-based approach to assess the quality of the solution architecture to ensure that it is fit for purpose. • Continuously monitor and improve the solution architecture to ensure that it remains relevant and meets evolving needs. • Adapt robust change management processes to handle changes in requirements, resource skills, or technology.

Along with what is mentioned above, these are the critical areas/ factors when it comes to solution architecture governance: 1. Risk Identification: Define and document possible risk factors that can breach the governance of your architecture. 2. Risk Management: Implement interventions to eliminate or minimise the identified risks. 3. Define Quality Guidelines: Define clear operational guidelines and communicate with all the users and stakeholders to minimise chances of errors. 4. Establish robust monitoring: Establish proper dashboards on entire operations and ensure a regular monitoring of the same. 5. Conduct Quality Audits: Conducts internal audits to ensure there are no gaps in the governance and quality.