DfE target architecture

From user journeys to architecture

• Part of: Architecture: work in progress collection
• Last reviewed: 14 October 2026
• Owner: Head of Architecture

Services may look very different to users, but many rely on similar underlying capabilities, including:

• common operational datasets
• shared business rules
• similar workflows and validations

Historically, teams have often implemented these capabilities separately in different systems, leading to duplication, inconsistent data and higher delivery costs.

The target architecture addresses this by introducing reusable engines that provide shared capabilities across services.

These engines separate user experience, business capabilities and operational data, so they can evolve independently and be reused across many services.