Enterprise architecture principles
3. Flexibility and adaptability
- Last reviewed
- 14 October 2026
- Owner
- Head of Architecture
Design services that can adapt to changing business needs and technological advancements.
Rationale
Ministerial priorities will change. Business environments evolve rapidly - agility is essential to serve users effectively. Reduced risk of becoming outdated, quicker response to market changes.
Implications
Continuous development is expensive - design services to allow for predictable change without redevelopment.
Predict the types of change that will affect your service area and accommodate these in the design, through configuration or replaceable/expandable modules.
Delivery of flexible and adaptable services will be more complex and costly initially, offset by reduced future cost of change.
Change may not happen - do not cover every eventuality, only consider changes that could be expected within the lifecycle of a service/product.