Enterprise Continuum

Intro

The enterprise continuum classifies architecture and solution artifacts from generic foundations to organization‑specific implementations. It matters because it guides reuse and traceability.

Key points:

• Spans foundation, common, industry, and organization‑specific levels.
• Supports organizing internal and external repository content.
• Common use cases: selecting reference models (EA), tailoring patterns (Tech), standardizing solutions.
• Pitfall: poor categorization leading to duplicated artifacts.

Examples:

• Using an industry reference architecture and adapting to enterprise needs.
• Storing reusable patterns alongside project‑specific designs.
• Mapping solution building blocks to architecture building blocks.

In practice:

Tag artifacts by level and maintain curation rules to promote consistent reuse.

Related terms: architecture-continuum; solutions-continuum; architecture-repository

FAQs:

Q: Is the continuum a process or a catalog?
A: It is a way to categorize and relate artifacts for reuse.

Q: Who curates it?
A: Architecture governance with domain owners.

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