TOGAF in practice: the parts that actually matter (and the parts you can skip)

TOGAF is the most widely adopted enterprise architecture framework in the world. It's also one of the most intimidating bodies of knowledge a practitioner can encounter.

What you actually need from TOGAF

After years of applying TOGAF across Australian enterprises, the honest truth is: you need about 30% of it. The ADM phases (especially Preliminary, A, B, and C), the Architecture Repository concept, and the content metamodel for structuring your artefacts are universally valuable.

The parts you can skip early on

The full Capability Framework, detailed governance processes, and the reference models (TRM, III-RM) are valuable at scale — but overkill for most organisations in the first two years of an EA practice. Start lean, add rigour as your practice matures.