Welcome back.
In the last part of this series, we looked at the Vision column of the Architecture Work Canvas—where you define goals, constraints, stakeholders, and outcomes. Today, we’re moving into the second column: Business Architecture.
This is the bridge between business intent and technical design. And honestly, it’s where a lot of architecture efforts start to fall apart.
The truth is, IT solutions exist to serve business processes. But many architects were never really trained to map those business connections. They get handed a goal or a problem, and they dive straight into systems and tools—without stopping to ask how the business actually works.
And that’s where things go wrong.
You end up with solutions that are technically solid but completely disconnected from what users and stakeholders actually need. The business doesn’t see the value. Support teams aren’t ready. And the development team? Frustrated, because they keep building features that get pushback after delivery.
The Business Architecture column of the Canvas is here to fix that.
It helps you map three key things: Key Concepts and Terms, Business Impact, and Business Actors and Roles.
Let’s walk through each of those briefly.
Start with Key Concepts and Terms. These are the building blocks of the business—things like user accounts, payment events, inventory items, credentials, and claims. If your system doesn't reflect the business language, it’s already at risk of confusion and misalignment. This is where you establish a shared vocabulary.
Next is Business Impact. What changes when this system goes live? What workflows are affected? Will there be new steps, faster processes, or added risks? This is about more than just features—it’s about understanding ripple effects.
And finally, Business Actors and Roles. Who uses the system? Who supports it? Who depends on it? These can be internal users, external partners, legal reviewers, finance analysts—anyone impacted by the system. Mapping this out helps ensure no group is left behind.
Let me give you a quick example from the field.
At XYZ Corp, the architecture team was working on new login flows. The Vision was clear, the goals were aligned, and technically the solution made sense. But something important was missing.
They hadn’t considered how the new flows would impact the Service Desk.
The Canvas helped them step back and fill in the Business Architecture column. That’s when they realized: Service Desk agents were key actors. And the shift to federated login meant those agents would start getting support tickets they weren’t equipped to handle.
That insight led to early action—targeted training, updated scripts, and a few simple design tweaks to reduce confusion.
The result? A smoother rollout, fewer escalations, and way less stress after launch.
This is what Business Architecture gives you. Not just systems that function—but systems that actually fit.
If you're following the full QTAM approach—the Quick Technical Architecture Method—this step aligns directly with Module 5 in the Udemy course. It helps you connect strategic goals with operational reality, using a lightweight, visual tool your whole team can work with.
You can get started right now.
👉 Start here — https://qtam.morin.io/
There, you can download the free Architecture Work Canvas and enroll in the full QTAM course on Udemy. It’s just two hours long and packed with real-world scenarios, downloadable templates, and guided lessons.
In the next article, we’ll move into the final column of the Canvas—Work Packages and Execution—where we turn architecture into action with phased plans and clear priorities.
Thanks for reading or watching, and I’ll see you in the next one.
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