COMPEL Glossary / architecture-review-board
Architecture Review Board
An Architecture Review Board (ARB) is a governance body that evaluates proposed technology designs, platform changes, and system integrations against enterprise architecture standards, ensuring consistency, scalability, security, and strategic alignment before implementation begins.
What this means in practice
The ARB typically includes senior architects, technology leaders, and representatives from security and governance functions. For AI transformation, the ARB prevents fragmented technology decisions where individual teams adopt incompatible platforms, create redundant infrastructure, or introduce security vulnerabilities. In COMPEL, Architecture Review Boards are part of the technology governance framework discussed in Module 3.3, Article 8, and their design and authority structure are covered in the operating model architecture of Module 4.4.
Why it matters
Without architectural governance, individual teams adopt incompatible platforms, create redundant infrastructure, and introduce security vulnerabilities that compound as AI scales across the enterprise. The Architecture Review Board prevents fragmented technology decisions by evaluating proposed designs against enterprise standards before implementation. This governance mechanism saves significant rework and integration costs while ensuring the technical foundation can support long-term transformation objectives.
How COMPEL uses it
Architecture Review Boards are part of the technology governance framework within the Technology pillar, designed during the Model stage with authority structures defined in the operating model. During Produce, the board reviews AI platform changes and integration designs. The Evaluate stage assesses whether the board is effectively maintaining architectural consistency, and the Process pillar tracks whether board reviews are completed within timeframes that do not bottleneck AI delivery.
Related Terms
Other glossary terms mentioned in this entry's definition and context.