One of the key reasons for creating architecture views is to address a set of stakeholder concerns. Using the right architecture views with the right stakeholders provides a powerful way of communicating an architecture.
The stakeholders in an organization have different interests, and their roles may span multiple organizational levels. Understanding stakeholder roles can help in selecting appropriate views to communicate an architecture effectively.
In practice, businesses and organizations have different structures and roles, meaning there is no exact science to this process. For example, in a small start-up business, there may be a flat structure where individuals perform multiple roles. In contrast, a large global business may have a hierarchical structure with many roles assigned on a per-person basis. Different organizations have different structures and cultures, and these can change over time. The challenge for the architect is to understand the stakeholders and communicate the architecture in a way that is easily understood.
To provide guidance on which views are appropriate for different stakeholders, the following stakeholder types are defined.
STRATEGIC
Strategic stakeholders are focused on long-term planning and objectives that provide direction and guide the organization as a whole. This is encapsulated in the organization’s strategy. These stakeholders often concentrate on how technology can enhance cost efficiency, profitability, market positioning and growth, business technology innovation, and improvements in both customer and employee satisfaction. Their primary aim is to establish and achieve the strategic objectives of the organization.
These stakeholders typically require views with a high level of abstraction and minimal technical detail, unless the organization’s core business is technology products. Examples of roles commonly associated with this level include executives, high-level management, CEOs, and CIOs.
BUSINESS
Business stakeholders focus on improving operational efficiency by leveraging technology, ensuring that it aligns with strategic objectives and meets business needs. These stakeholders provide the context and business requirements for transformations and the development of technologies that help the organization achieve its objectives. They play a key role in advocating for technology initiatives, initiating technology projects, and overseeing the transformation required for the organization to implement technology effectively.
The primary aim of business stakeholders is to plan and ensure the effective operation of the organization in alignment with its strategy. Examples of roles commonly associated with business stakeholders include middle management, application portfolio managers, business process owners, and business experts.
PRODUCT
Product stakeholders are responsible for the delivery of a given technology product as required by the business stakeholders. The term “product” in this context is used broadly to refer to any form of technology solution that provides value to the organization. They gather and translate business requirements into system requirements for a specific product. Their focus is on planning and managing the product lifecycle, ensuring that the product or any changes to it are delivered in alignment with the expectations of the business stakeholders.
The primary aim of product stakeholders is to deliver products that provide value to the organization and meet the needs of the business stakeholders. Examples of roles commonly associated with product stakeholders include product owners, project managers, expert users, subject matter experts, and technical managers.
DEVELOPMENT
Development stakeholders are responsible for the design, construction, and quality assurance of a given product according to the system requirements. They ensure that the product is built to an effective and “fit for purpose” design and that it fulfills the system requirements as defined by the product stakeholders. The development stakeholders provide development and maintenance of the product throughout its lifecycle.
The primary aim of development stakeholders is to construct the product to fulfill the system requirements, meet stakeholder expectations, and deliver it at the expected level of quality.
Examples of roles commonly associated with development stakeholders include software developers, infrastructure developers, user experience designers, technical experts, and test engineers.
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