Software Systems Architecture: Working with Stakeholders Using Viewpoints and Perspectives, Second Edition

28. The Evolution Perspective

A somewhat overused business maxim tells us that the only constant is change, and most software architects can identify strongly with this. The very ability of software to be “soft” means that stakeholders expect a software-based system to be able to evolve very quickly. Couple this expectation with other common factors such as misunderstood requirements, rapid business change, and the effect that actually delivering a system has on end-user requirements, and it is easy to see why change is such a major factor in the lives of software architects.

The commonly adopted iterative approach to system delivery can make ...