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Enterprise Architecture Framework by InnovateX Solutions

XAF Connected Architecture

Your architecture domains are busy. They’re just not connected. XAF Connected Architecture is a modular enterprise architecture framework built around a Governance Core and pluggable Domain Modules — designed so that every architecture domain connects by design, not by heroic effort. Start with what you need. Add what you grow into. No framework overload, no shelf-ware — just architecture that actually works.

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THE PROBLEM

Architecture Domains That Don’t Connect

Most organisations don’t have an architecture problem — they have a connection problem. Business architects produce capability models. Technology architects design platforms. Security architects write policies. Data architects build governance frameworks. Each domain is doing work. Good work, even. But the outputs don’t connect.

The result is predictable: integration surprises during delivery, security gaps discovered late in the cycle, technical debt that nobody owns, and institutional knowledge that walks out the door when people leave. Coordination happens through heroic effort — senior architects holding everything together in their heads — rather than through structure.

Traditional enterprise architecture frameworks offer a theoretical answer to this, but the practical reality is different. TOGAF is comprehensive but heavy. Zachman is exhaustive but abstract. Most mid-market organisations and government agencies adopt fragments of these frameworks and then wonder why the fragments don’t form a coherent practice.

XAF Connected Architecture was designed to solve this specific problem: how do you build an architecture practice where every domain connects to every other domain — without requiring an army of architects or years of framework adoption?

WHAT IS

XAF Connected Architecture

XAF is a modular enterprise architecture framework with two core concepts: a Governance Core that provides the connective tissue every organisation needs, and Domain Modules that plug in when you’re ready. Domains connect through the Governance Core by design — not through manual coordination, not through meetings, and not through hope.

Implement this first. Everything else connects through it.

Governance Core — The Foundation

The Governance Core is not overhead — it’s the engine that makes connected architecture possible. It provides the structural components that persist knowledge, enforce consistency, and enable autonomous decision-making within defined guardrails. Every Domain Module connects through the Governance Core, which means adding a new domain doesn’t create a new silo — it extends the connected practice.

Architecture Passport
The persistent knowledge record for every system and capability. Captures architecture context, decisions, dependencies, and current state — so institutional knowledge doesn't walk out the door when people leave. Updated continuously, not annually.
Decision Records
Structured records of architectural decisions with full rationale, alternatives considered, and trade-offs accepted. The "why" behind every choice persists — not just the "what." Searchable, linked, and traceable across domains.
Technical Debt Register
echnical debt managed as a first-class governance concern, not a backlog afterthought. Each debt item is classified, risk-rated, and linked to the decision that created it. Makes debt visible to executives without requiring technical understanding.
Guardrails
Guardrails, not gates. Defined boundaries that enable teams to move fast with confidence. The review framework scales scrutiny to risk — lightweight reviews for low-risk changes, full governance for high-impact decisions. Tiered oversight, not one-size-fits-all.
Tiered Oversight
Clear ownership of architectural decisions at every level. Tier classification criteria determine what level of oversight each change requires — so teams know exactly when they can proceed autonomously and when they need broader review.
Architecture Registry
The connective tissue. A structured registry of architecture entities — capabilities, systems, platforms, integrations, standards — that provides the single reference point connecting every domain's outputs. The registry is what makes "connected" real.
Each module extends the connected practice. No module is mandatory beyond the Governance Core.

Domain Modules — Plug In When Ready

Domain Modules represent the architecture disciplines your organisation needs. Each module has its own artefacts, patterns, and practices — but every module connects through the Governance Core. This means a decision in Technology Architecture is automatically visible to Security Architecture. A capability change in Business Architecture flows through to Information and Data Architecture. The connections aren’t manual — they’re structural.

Business Architecture
Capability models, value streams, organisational alignment, and strategic intent mapping. Connects business strategy to every technical decision through the Governance Core.
Technology Architecture
Platform design, infrastructure patterns, cloud architecture, and technology standards. Connected to Security, Data, and Business domains so technology decisions are never made in isolation.
Security Architecture
Security by design, not by review. Threat modelling, control frameworks, compliance mapping (Essential Eight, ISM, NIST, ISO 27001), and risk-proportional oversight embedded across every domain — not bolted on at the end.
Information Architecture
Information classification, data flow mapping, integration patterns, and information lifecycle management. Ensures every domain understands what information exists, where it flows, and how it's protected.
Data Architecture
Data governance, storage patterns, analytics architecture, and data quality frameworks. Connected to Information Architecture for classification and Security Architecture for protection — no gaps between what data exists and how it's managed.
Innovation Architecture
Emerging technology evaluation, proof-of-concept governance, AI integration patterns, and innovation pipeline management. Structured experimentation within architectural guardrails — so innovation doesn't create technical debt.

Additional domain modules including Application Architecture, Integration Architecture, and Identity Architecture are on the XAF roadmap. The framework is designed so new modules extend the connected practice without breaking existing implementations.

What Makes XAF Different

XAF wasn’t designed in a committee or an academic institution. It was built by a practitioner solving real problems in real organisations — from government departments running complex transformation programs to growing businesses standing up their first architecture practice.

How to Get Started

The XAF Adoption Path

XAF – Connected Architecture is designed for progressive adoption. You don’t need to implement everything at once — in fact, you shouldn’t. The adoption path follows a natural maturity progression that delivers value at every step.

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1

Assess Your Current State

We evaluate your existing architecture practice — what frameworks you use (if any), what artefacts you produce, how domains communicate, and where the connection gaps exist. This isn't a maturity assessment against an arbitrary scale; it's a practical map of what's working and what isn't.
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2

Implement Governance Core

The Governance Core is always first. We stand up the foundational components — Architecture Passports, Decision Records, the Technical Debt Register, guardrails, and the Architecture Registry — tailored to your organisation's size, complexity, and existing tooling. For most organisations, this takes weeks, not months.
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3

Connect Your First Domain

Based on your assessment, we identify the domain module that delivers the most immediate value and connect it to the Governance Core. For government organisations, this is often Security Architecture. For growing businesses, it's typically Technology Architecture. The first domain proves the connected model and establishes the pattern for everything that follows.
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4

Scale at Your Pace

Add domain modules as your practice matures and your needs evolve. Each new module connects through the existing Governance Core — no rework, no re-architecture. The framework grows with you, and every addition strengthens the connections between existing domains.

Who Uses XAF Connected Architecture?

XAF is designed for organisations that need architecture to actually function — not just exist on paper. If any of these describe your situation, XAF is worth a conversation:

Government agencies managing complex transformation programs.

Multiple projects running simultaneously, competing for the same platforms, with ISM and Essential Eight compliance requirements that cross every domain. XAF provides the architectural oversight that prevents integration failures and security gaps without becoming a delivery bottleneck.

Growing organisations standing up their first architecture practice.

You’ve hired your first architect (or you are the first architect) and you need a framework that’s practical at small scale but won’t need replacing as you grow. XAF’s Governance Core is a solo-practitioner starting point that scales to full enterprise architecture.

Enterprises suffering from framework fatigue

You’ve invested in TOGAF, adopted fragments of COBIT, mapped to NIST, and your architecture practice still feels disconnected. XAF provides the operational layer that connects what your existing frameworks describe but don’t implement.

Organisations where architecture knowledge is concentrated in a few key people.

If one person leaving would create a significant knowledge gap, your architecture practice has a structural problem. XAF’s Architecture Passports and Decision Records ensure institutional knowledge persists regardless of team changes.

Technology leaders who need architecture to enable delivery, not slow it down.

XAF’s “guardrails not gates” philosophy means architecture governance scales to risk. Not every change needs a full review. Teams move fast within defined boundaries — and know exactly when to escalate.

XAF + GOVERNMENT

Queensland Government agencies balance multiple mandated frameworks — QGEA, AGA, ISM, Essential Eight, QGCDG — alongside delivery pressure and capability constraints. XAF doesn’t add another compliance layer. It provides the practical implementation structure that connects these existing requirements into a functioning architecture practice.

XAF’s Governance Core components map directly to QGEA and AGA requirements. The Security Architecture Domain Module aligns with ISM and Essential Eight. And because XAF is designed for progressive adoption, agencies can implement the Governance Core under current panel arrangements and expand domain modules as programs require.

InnovateX Solutions is approved on the Queensland Government ICTSS.2403 ICT Professional Services Panel and the LocalBuy procurement framework — so engaging us to implement XAF follows established government procurement processes.

 

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Blog Posts

Overhead view of a workspace table covered with separate clusters of architecture diagrams, sticky notes, and whiteboard sketches with visible gaps between each domain's work.
12
Feb
by Todd Johnson
 / 

Your Architecture Domains Are Busy. They’re Just Not Connected.

Every enterprise has architects producing artefacts. Business, security, data, technology — everyone's busy. And projects…

Untitled (2000 x 720 px)
22
Jan
by Todd Johnson
 / 

Introducing XAF Connected Architecture: A Practical Framework for Architecture That Actually Ships

We're launching XAF Connected Architecture — a modular framework designed to make enterprise architecture actually…

Glass-walled meeting room with architecture diagrams connected by teal marker lines, showing the challenge of linking siloed architecture domains.
19
Feb
by Todd Johnson
 / 

What Is XAF Connected Architecture? A Practical Alternative to Framework Overload

Most architecture frameworks tell you what good looks like but leave you to figure out…

View all Blogs

Ready to Connect Your Architecture?

Whether you’re standing up your first architecture practice or connecting an existing one, a conversation is the starting point. We’ll discuss where you are, where you want to be, and whether XAF is the right fit.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Some frequently asked questions about the service that you may have questions about

What does "XAF" stand for?
XAF stands for InnovateX Adaptable Framework. The full product name — XAF Connected Architecture — reflects the framework's core design principle: every architecture domain connects through the Governance Core, forming a cross-domain architecture practice rather than a collection of siloed disciplines. "Adaptable" reflects that the framework is modular and designed to flex to any organisation's size, maturity, and existing framework investments.
How is XAF different from TOGAF?
TOGAF is a comprehensive enterprise architecture methodology — it describes what architecture should look like and provides a development method (ADM) for creating it. XAF is an implementation framework — it provides the structural components (Governance Core, Domain Modules, Architecture Registry) that make architecture practice operational. They're complementary, not competing. If your organisation has invested in TOGAF, XAF provides the practical layer that connects TOGAF's outputs into a functioning, day-to-day architecture practice.
Do I need to adopt the whole framework at once?
No — and you shouldn't. XAF is designed for progressive adoption. Start with the Governance Core, which provides immediate value (Architecture Passports, Decision Records, guardrails, the Architecture Registry). Then connect Domain Modules one at a time, in whatever order makes sense for your organisation. Most organisations implement the Governance Core in weeks, add their first domain module within 1–2 months, and expand from there.
Can a single architect use XAF?
Yes. XAF was explicitly designed to work at any team size, including a team of one. The Governance Core is the solo-practitioner starting point — it gives a single architect the structural components needed to run a credible practice without requiring an enterprise-scale team. As the team grows, the same Governance Core scales without rework.
What tooling does XAF require?
XAF is tooling-agnostic. The framework can be implemented in Confluence, SharePoint, Notion, an EA tool like Orbus Infinity or Sparx, or even a well-structured file system. We provide template packs for common platforms, but the framework's value is in the structure and connections — not a specific tool.
How does AI fit into XAF?
AI is incorporated as a domain-level concern within the Innovation Architecture Domain Module — not as a standalone framework. This means AI governance, evaluation, and implementation patterns follow the same connected approach as every other architectural discipline. AI decisions are captured in Decision Records, AI platforms are registered in the Architecture Registry, and AI security is governed through the Security Architecture Domain Module. No separate AI governance silo.
Is XAF suitable for government?
Yes. XAF aligns with QGEA (Queensland Government Enterprise Architecture) and AGA (Australian Government Architecture) rather than competing with them. The Governance Core components map to government audit and compliance requirements, and the Security Architecture Domain Module aligns with ISM and Essential Eight. InnovateX Solutions is approved on the Queensland Government ICTSS.2403 panel, so implementing XAF follows established procurement processes.
What's on the XAF roadmap?
The current framework includes the Governance Core and six Domain Modules (Business, Technology, Security, Information, Data, Innovation). The roadmap includes Application Architecture, Integration Architecture, and Identity Architecture modules, along with expanded Data Architecture coverage (Document & Content Management, BI architecture, Data Mesh patterns). New modules extend the connected practice without breaking existing implementations.
Can InnovateX help us implement XAF?
Yes. We offer architecture assessments, Governance Core implementation, domain module adoption, and ongoing advisory — either as project-based engagements or embedded architecture support. For government agencies, we can engage through the ICTSS.2403 or LocalBuy panels. For private sector, we scope a tailored engagement. The framework is open, but implementation guidance accelerates adoption significantly.
Where can I learn more about the framework?
The full XAF Connected Architecture documentation is available at xaf.au. We're also publishing a 10-part blog series that walks through the adoption journey from problem to practice — follow us on LinkedIn or visit our blog to read the series as it's published.
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