Taxonomy

As explained in Architecture Modernization: Socio-technical alignment of software, strategy, and structure

A product taxonomy is a structured classification of products and their relationships to domains, subdomains, capabilities, and responsible organizational units.

A product taxonomy is a shared language for describing architecture through products, business outcomes, customer outcomes, domains, capabilities, and responsible organizational units. It connects business architecture with software architecture and helps shape empowered product teams around sustainable flow and key outcomes. section 6.0 section 6.5

A taxonomy can include adaptable building blocks such as:

• Products used by external customers or internal employees. section 6.5
• Platforms that provide internal capabilities to multiple products, including development platforms. section 6.5
• Hierarchical domains and subdomains, described at progressively granular scope levels. section 6.5
• Value streams representing the activities used to discover and deliver product enhancements. section 6.5

Design only enough detail to support the immediate objective, such as defining a modernization slice deliverable within three to six months. Avoid both superficial maps that hide complexity and elaborate taxonomies that delay value. section 6.2.2 section 6.5

Treat the taxonomy as an evolving socio-technical design. Distribute decision responsibility to product and technology leaders, balance autonomy with standardization, publish updates regularly, and let teams raise concerns about unclear ownership or excessive coordination. section 6.2.3 section 6.2.4

Mapping a first modernization slice

Begin with a listening and mapping tour involving diverse stakeholders. Sketch the higher levels of the future taxonomy, identify candidate slices, compare their costs, benefits, risks, and complexity, then use a kickstarter workshop to select an option and plan delivery. Form teams and schedule learning before or during delivery; a first slice may begin soon after selection and finish within roughly three to six months. section 6.3 section 16.2.1

Figure 16.7 Hypothetical roadmap for delivering a first slice within six months

Use the hypothetical roadmap to visualize how listening, taxonomy sketching, option selection, team formation, learning, and first-slice delivery can fit into an evolutionary modernization path. section 16.2.1

How Architecture Modernization: Socio-technical alignment of software, strategy, and structure covers it

How deep it goes

Defines adaptable building blocks and design principles, then stops short of prescribing one complete architecture or fixed taxonomy.

Examples

Uses internal and external products, shared platforms, hierarchical domains, Salesforce marketing cloud, and a hypothetical first-slice roadmap.

What it assumes

Assumes architectural and organizational context while teaching the classification building blocks from an adaptable starting point.

What you can do after

Apply it via mapping and workshops to identify accountable areas and prioritize an incremental modernization slice.

How it connects

Connects products, platforms, domains, subdomains, value streams, product teams, modernization, Wardley Mapping, and EventStorming.

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Also explained in

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• ontologycontrasts with · An ontology is a formal representation of concepts or entities in a domain and the relationships, properties, and constraints that define them.
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