Architecture Development Method (ADM) is a structured approach for developing and managing enterprise architectures through a continuous cycle of establishment, evolution, and implementation. Most prominently represented by TOGAF’s ADM, it provides a systematic process for architecting systems while considering stakeholder needs, existing architectures, and organizational constraints.
The ADM typically encompasses several phases: establishing architecture vision and principles; documenting baseline and target architectures across business, information, application, and technology domains; analyzing gaps; developing roadmaps; implementing governance models; and managing change. Its cyclical nature acknowledges that architecture is never “finished” but rather continuously evolves as business needs and technologies change.
For CIOs and CTOs, ADM offers several strategic advantages beyond mere documentation. It enables risk mitigation through comprehensive analysis before significant investments, facilitates compliance with regulatory requirements by embedding controls within architectural decisions, and promotes business-IT alignment by explicitly connecting technological choices to business objectives. Additionally, it provides a common language for communication across the organization, reducing friction between business and technology teams.
In practice, successful organizations rarely implement ADM as a rigid, waterfall process. Instead, they adapt it to their specific contexts, often integrating agile principles to create architectures that provide guidance without restricting innovation. Many organizations implement ADM in a “just enough” fashion, scaling the level of architectural detail to the complexity and risk of the initiative.
Enterprise architects should view ADM not as bureaucratic overhead but as a structured thinking framework that helps navigate complexity while maintaining focus on business outcomes. When properly implemented, ADM balances thoroughness with pragmatism, ensuring architectures remain relevant, executable, and aligned with strategic objectives.
« Back to Glossary Index