Linking architecture activities to business backlogs

Architects need to adhere to the discipline of consistently using backlogs as the sole source of work assignments. The simplest way for architects to get their work noticed is to have a single backlog for both functional and technical backlog items following the same cadence of the team. Once architecture backlog items are captured within the same product backlog, it is easy to bring visibility by linking them using meaningful stereotypes such as blocked by, related, and depends.

There are three types of scenarios that need different approaches for selling to non-technical stakeholders, as explained here:

• Direct: The business understands these types of technical backlog items as there is a direct correlation with a business backlog item. For example, an application user login needs single sign-on or to design an Order API for third-party access.
• Derived: These technical backlog items are created to support business...