Balance Architecture And Agility To Sustain Value Delivery

Enterprise architects often criticize Agile methods because they perceive them as lacking architectural control or governance. This lack of control and governance arguably leads to systems that have higher operational costs and become increasingly difficult to maintain and support in the future. Conversely, Agile teams often perceive architecture-centric approaches as too heavy and plan-driven, insufficiently focused on business results, and delivering systems that align with standards that are obsolete in the context of today's business challenges. There is some truth in both viewpoints; therefore, it is important to blend architecture with Agile delivery in a hybrid approach that balances long-term architecture priorities with the short-term, business-driven requirements of Agile delivery. The most-successful Agile teams achieve this balance by integrating a pragmatic architectural approach into their Agile work practices. The result? These Agile teams can better sustain their ability to quickly deliver value over time and across multiple releases.