What is an Architecture Matrix used for?

An Architecture Matrix is primarily utilized to show relationships between architecture elements. This tool provides a structured way to visualize how various components of an enterprise architecture interact and relate to each other. By mapping these relationships, stakeholders can gain insights into the dependencies and interactions among different architecture views, such as business processes, information systems, technology layers, and more.

This matrix helps in ensuring alignment between various architectural layers and can facilitate decision-making by illustrating how changes in one area might impact others. It serves as a vital resource for communication among teams and stakeholders, enabling a clearer understanding of the architecture in the context of the organization's goals and objectives.

In contrast, documenting architectural lessons learned pertains to capturing insights and experiences gained throughout the architectural development process, which, while important, does not specifically deal with relationships among elements. Summarizing project risks involves identifying and escalating potential issues that could impact project success, rather than focusing on architecture relations. Recording meeting minutes is a procedural task that ensures that discussions are documented and actionable items are tracked, which is not related to the architecture framework itself.