Architecture Modernization: Socio-technical alignment of software, strategy, and structure

Proven techniques and principles for modernizing legacy systems into new architectures that deliver serious competitive advantage.

For a business to thrive, it needs a modern software architecture that is aligned with its corporate architecture. This book presents concrete practices that sync software, product, strategy, team dynamics, and work practices. You’ll evolve your technical and social architecture together, reducing needless dependencies and achieving faster flow of innovation across your organization.

In Architecture Modernization: Socio-technical alignment of software, strategy, and structure you’ll learn how to:

• Identify strategic ambitions and challenges using listening and mapping tours
• Visualize your business landscape and crucial capabilities with Wardley Mapping
• Create a product taxonomy as a framework for your architecture
• Run big picture EventStorming workshops to map business domains
• Apply Team Topologies patterns to identify and refine value streams
• Design loosely coupled, domain-aligned software architectures
• Build internal developer platforms for rapid, reliable evolution
• Implement data mesh principles and tools to revolutionize data engineering
• Deliver compelling modernization roadmaps focused on continuous value

Architecture Modernization: Socio-technical alignment of software, strategy, and structure shows you how to turn the practice of architecting systems into a transformative process for your entire company. Chapter-by-chapter, you’ll identify the reasons and benefits of modernization, design an architecture that works for your business, and then implement your new approach in a progressive and sustainable manner. Every technique is illustrated with insightful industry examples and an interactive Miro board that lets you dig deeper.

Forewords by Matthew Skelton and Xin Yao.

About the technology

The decisions you make about your software are inherently connected to the decisions you make about your business. Why not turn the mundane task of modernizing legacy systems into a transformative process for your entire company? This book shows you how! It reveals a socio-technical approach to align your software and products with organizational dynamics and ways of working.

About the book

Architecture Modernization: Socio-technical alignment of software, strategy, and structure presents a clear path for upgrading your entire organization when you re-imagine your software. In it, you’ll learn to combine practices like Domain-Driven Design, Event Storming, and Wardley Mapping to discover user needs, design optimal architecture, and avoid falling back into old habits. Provocative examples from Danske, Salesforce, the UK Government, and others show the real-world result of each approach, identifying techniques you can apply effectively in your own business.

What's inside

• Uncover cross-org challenges and opportunities
• A product-centric approach to architecture
• Envision architecture as a portfolio to prioritize investment

About the reader

For CTOs, tech leads, and principal engineers who decide on architecture and organization design.

About the author

Nick Tune helps organizations modernize their architectures through empowered product teams and continuous delivery. Jean-Georges Perrin builds innovative and modern data platforms.

The technical editor on this book was Kamil Nicieja.

Table of Contents

1 What is architecture modernization?
2 Preparing for the journey
3 Business objectives
4 Listening and mapping tours
5 Wardley Mapping
6 Product taxonomy
7 Big picture EventStorming
8 Product and domain modernization
9 Identifying domains and subdomains
10 Strategic IT portfolio
11 Team Topologies
12 Loosely coupled software architecture
13 Internal developer platforms
14 Data mesh revolutionizing data engineering
15 Architecture modernization enabling teams
16 Strategy and roadmaps
17 Learning and upskilling

Nick Tune is a principal consultant who helps organizations to modernize their architectures and ways of working towards empowered product teams and continuous delivery. He works with clients in various sectors like Travel, Finance, ecommerce, and Government and is always trying to find the optimal balance of facilitator, coach, and consultant on every project.

Jean-Georges “jgp” Perrin is a technology leader focusing on building innovative and modern data platforms, author, and president of AIDA User Group. He is passionate about software engineering and all things data, including Data Mesh. He is proud to have been recognized as a Lifetime IBM Champion.