SOP: Architecture Review & Approval Process

Purpose

To define a standardized process for reviewing and approving system architecture designs, ensuring they meet business requirements, technical quality, and compliance standards before implementation begins.

Scope

• Applies to all new projects, major feature builds, and infra changes.
• Used by Developers, Tech Leads, Architects, DevOps, and QA leads.
• Covers system architecture blueprints, infra diagrams, API contracts, and DB schema designs.

Objectives

• Guarantee that architectures are scalable, secure, and cost-efficient.
• Ensure designs align with company-wide standards (patterns, versioning, modularity).
• Create a transparent approval workflow that avoids delays but enforces rigor.

Step-by-Step Process

Step 1 – Preparation (By Developer/Architect)

• Draft the System Architecture Blueprint (Doc 1).
• Create the Infrastructure Diagram (Doc 2).
• Prepare supporting docs:
  • API Contract (Doc 4).
  • Database Schema (Doc 5).
  • Error Handling Strategy (Doc 6).
  • Logging & Observability Plan (Doc 10).
• Log initial proposal in Architecture Decision Log (Doc 12).

Step 2 – Internal Peer Review

• Share draft in Architecture Review channel (Slack/Teams).
• Assign at least 2 peer reviewers (senior devs or leads).
• Collect feedback on:
  • Scalability.
  • Security.
  • Performance.
  • Maintainability.
  • Cost implications.
• Update proposal before formal review.

Step 3 – Formal Review Session

• Schedule a review meeting (within 5 working days of submission).
• Attendees: Project Lead, Architect, DevOps, QA Lead, Security Rep (if required).
• Presenter walks through:
  • Business requirement → design rationale.
  • Architecture diagrams + modules.
  • Data flows + integration points.
  • Risks & constraints.
• Reviewers challenge assumptions, raise risks, and request changes.

Step 4 – Approval or Revision

• Outcomes:
  1. Approved: Architecture locked for implementation.
  2. Approved with Changes: Minor adjustments required, no re-review.
  3. Rejected: Major gaps → revise and resubmit.
• Decision logged in ADR (Doc 12) with date & rationale.

Step 5 – Post-Approval Communication

• Update Project Documentation Hub (Confluence/Notion).
• Share approved blueprint & diagrams with all developers.
• Mark relevant tickets as “Ready for Dev” in PM tool.
• Archive all feedback for future audits.

Roles & Responsibilities

Governance

• Review SLA: Every architecture must be reviewed within 5 working days.
• Quorum: Minimum 3 reviewers (Lead + DevOps + QA) must sign-off.
• Change Control: Any architecture changes post-approval require a new ADR entry and mini-review.
• Audit Trail: All approved docs stored in central repository with versioning.