Traditional ARBs are outdated in Agile and DevOps Environments
Traditional architecture review boards feel like relics in today’s fast-moving, technology-first organizations. They’re rooted in a culture of red tape and rigid control, which doesn’t mesh well with the breakneck speed of agile development or the self-organizing ethos of DevOps. In a world where decisions need to be made quickly and software development cycles are measured in weeks, not months, the old-school ARB slows things down.
The traditional “one-size-fits-all” mentality is a problem. When low-code/no-code platforms, AI, and modular tools are giving teams unprecedented autonomy, why would you impose a top-down governance model? The Open Group Architecture Framework (TOGAF) lists more than 20 responsibilities for ARBs, but many of these—like mandating that ARBs serve as the single decision-making authority—don’t hold water anymore. Modern teams need flexibility, not a gatekeeper.
Don’t throw ARBs out the window; try instead to evolve them. Rather than relying on antiquated processes, ARBs need to embrace a dynamic, advisory role that supports the velocity and creativity of today’s engineering teams.
“You can’t have innovation stuck waiting for permission. Teams need support, not a bottleneck, and ARBs that cling to legacy workflows will only find themselves left behind.”
Focus on collaboration, trust, and partnership
The future of architecture review boards lies in collaboration, not control. Instead of being seen as roadblocks, ARBs need to become trusted allies who offer guidance without micromanaging. That’s what we’re talking about when we say ARBs need to pivot toward fostering trust and partnership across DevOps teams, compliance officers, and business stakeholders.
Here’s the balancing act ARBs must master. Innovation moves fast, but compliance can’t be ignored. Experimentation drives growth, but it shouldn’t come at the expense of reliability. Teams thrive on autonomy, but they also need shared guardrails to keep projects from veering off course. A good ARB finds the sweet spot between these competing priorities and helps everyone stay aligned.
CIO Dalan Winbush makes a great point here: ARBs today are about more than architecture. They’re stepping up to tackle governance, security, data management, and even inter-team collaboration.
This broader perspective positions ARBs not as roadblocks, but as enablers (yes, I know we don’t love that word). Through staying flexible and forward-thinking, ARBs can become a key part of delivering on business goals without sacrificing the agility that modern teams rely on.
ARBs can mitigate technical debt and manage complexity
If you ignore technical debt, the pile gets bigger and bigger until it slows everything down. That’s where ARBs can make a real difference. They’re in place to help teams avoid building a house of cards when it comes to architecture.
The issue with microservices is clear: they’re powerful but can spiral into chaos if no one’s paying attention. Without standards for things like usability, reliability, and testing, you end up with APIs that no one trusts and services that are impossible to maintain. And that’s without even getting started on the Frankenstein-like CI/CD pipelines that pop up when every team builds their own from scratch. It’s inefficient, and over time, it drags down development velocity.
Rob Reid of Cockroach Labs is spot-on when he points out that today’s systems are way more complex than the client-server architectures of the past. ARBs are in a unique position to guide teams in simplifying their workflows, managing technical debt, and avoiding pitfalls. Metrics, shared standards, and a collaborative approach are the tools to prevent runaway complexity—and that’s good for everyone involved.
Prioritize and simplify risk remediation
Risk is inevitable, but managing it well is what separates thriving organizations from those constantly playing catch-up. Here’s where ARBs can shine: acting as a guiding force in prioritizing and tackling risks before they snowball into costly issues.
Today’s tools, like Jira’s risk register and ServiceNow’s risk management features, make tracking and scoring risks easier than ever. But tools alone won’t solve the problem. ARBs bring the perspective and expertise needed to assess what matters most. Aligning risk management with agile workflows helps these teams make smarter decisions without derailing progress.
Miles Ward, CTO of SADA, puts it well. Reacting to breaches or cost overruns is easy, and proactive prevention is where the hard work lies. ARBs can take the lead here, bringing actionable insights and keeping teams focused on the risks that truly matter.
“With ARBs as a guiding hand, organizations can avoid costly surprises and maintain momentum.”
Embrace AI, automation, and observability
ARBs need to step into the future by integrating AI, automation, and observability into their processes. Why? Because the modern development environment is already racing ahead, and ARBs can’t afford to fall behind.
AI-driven tools can transform how ARBs operate. Imagine being able to visualize and analyze an architecture in real-time, with automated insights flagging potential risks or inefficiencies before they become problems. This is happening now. Automation also takes the grunt work out of routine tasks, freeing up ARBs to focus on big-picture strategy.
Moti Rafalin of vFunction makes an excellent case for observability standards. Through connecting development and operational metrics, ARBs can proactively manage architecture instead of constantly putting out fires. Being proactive here is necessary to prevent the kind of microservice sprawl that turns innovation into a maintenance nightmare.
Final thoughts
As you think about the future of your architecture review board—or whatever you choose to call it—ask yourself this: Are your systems and processes truly enabling your teams to innovate, or are they quietly slowing them down? The companies that thrive move fast with purpose, balancing creativity with discipline.
