High-level descriptions of separate IT initiatives understandable to business leaders. Essentially benefit, time, and price tags for proposed initiatives — used to evaluate, approve, and fund them.
Artifacts
| Artifact | Status | Owner | Initiative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Payment Platform Solution Overview | Approved | Solution Architect (Payments) | Payment Modernization |
Architecture Decision — Payment Platform
- Issue
- Legacy payment system cannot support real-time processing
- Status
- Decided (2026-02-15)
- Selected Option
- Option C: Hybrid (Stripe + Internal Ledger)
Options Evaluated
| Option | Description | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Option A: SaaS (Stripe) | Adopt Stripe as sole processor. Fastest time-to-market, highest per-transaction cost. | Adds: Payment Gateway · Removes: Legacy Payments |
| Option B: Build In-House | Build on open-source stack. Lowest per-transaction cost, highest build investment. | Adds: Payment Gateway · Removes: Legacy Payments |
| Option C: Hybrid ✓ | Stripe for card processing, internal ledger for reconciliation. Balanced cost and control. | Adds: Payment Gateway, Payment Ledger · Removes: Legacy Payments |
Source: acme-model.ttl — modeled using Architecture Decision ontology
Relevant Viewpoints
| Viewpoint | Purpose | Key Question | Completeness |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solution Overview | Deciding | "How does this proposed initiative fit into the existing landscape?" | Complete |
Governance
- Governed by
- Architecture Review Board (ARB)
- Review cadence
- Per initiative (at initiation gate)
- Approval process
- Solution Architect drafts → ARB reviews → Business Sponsor signs off
- Staleness threshold
- Archived automatically 30 days after initiative closure
- Lifecycle
- Short-lived — active during initiative, archived on delivery or cancellation
- Escalation path
- Solution Architect → ARB → Steering Group
Inter-Type Relationships
- Outlines provide basis for → Designs
- Visions initiate new → Outlines
- Landscapes provide environment for → Outlines
- Standards provide guidelines for → Outlines
- Considerations influence structure of → Outlines