It has been said that the perfect man is without rules, which does not mean that he has no rules, but that his rule is the absence of rules, which is the supreme rule.

石涛 (Shitao)

Introduction

This article describes the concept of architecture principles and gives a few examples of how they can be applied to an organisation that is agile, wants to become agile or wants to remain agile.

According to TOGAF, a principle is defined as “a general rule or guideline, intended to be enduring and rarely changed, that informs and supports the way in which an organisation is committed to fulfilling its mission.” 1

It should also be noted that Alicia Juarrero 2 states that “principles act as constraints that foster innovation, because they change probabilities.” 3

This is a fundamental notion that serves as a guide for the behaviour or evaluation of a system.

Below is a list of principles for an agile organisation. Of course, these principles must be relevant to the members of the organisation. The members live them and make them evolve by applying them in their own way to all the services they design and deliver.

True values are not taught and declared, they evolve through the acts and interaction of the living, they are understood at a near tacit level by those who live them.

Dave Snowden

Principles for an agile organisation :

References

  1. The Open Group. The Open group Architecture Framework (TOGAF). Architecture Principles ֍ ↩

  2. Alicia Juarrero ֍ ↩

  3. Constraints that Enable Innovation - Alicia Juarrero ↩