Architecture Service Management is the structured approach to defining, delivering, and continuously improving architecture services provided to the organization, ensuring these services address stakeholder needs, deliver measurable value, and operate with appropriate quality, efficiency, and governance throughout their lifecycle.

For technical leaders, Architecture Service Management transforms architecture from a compliance function into a value-creating capability by establishing a clear service portfolio aligned with organizational needs. Effective implementation addresses multiple dimensions: service catalog defining available architecture offerings with clear scope, deliverables, and service levels; engagement models establishing how stakeholders request and receive architecture services; delivery processes standardizing how services are performed; resource models determining staffing approaches for different service types; and measurement frameworks tracking service performance and value delivery. Most organizations establish tiered service portfolios including strategic services supporting enterprise direction setting, advisory services guiding solution development, governance services ensuring architectural compliance, and enablement services building architecture capabilities across the organization. Technical leaders should ensure service definitions balance standardization with flexibility—providing sufficient structure for consistent delivery while allowing appropriate tailoring to specific stakeholder contexts. Integration with enterprise service management processes is important, particularly for organizations implementing ITIL or similar frameworks, aligning architecture services with broader IT service definitions and operational models. As architecture practices mature, many implement formal service level agreements for high-demand services, establishing clear expectations for responsiveness, quality, and deliverables. Leading organizations increasingly adopt product management principles for architecture services, treating each service as a product with defined value proposition, continuous improvement cycles, and stakeholder feedback mechanisms that drive ongoing refinement to ensure architecture services remain relevant, effective, and appropriately scaled to evolving organizational needs.