BMAD-METHOD/bmad/bmm/workflows/3-solutioning/checklist.md

Solution Architecture Checklist

Use this checklist during workflow execution and review.

Pre-Workflow

• analysis-template.md exists from plan-project phase
• PRD exists with FRs, NFRs, epics, and stories (for Level 1+)
• UX specification exists (for UI projects at Level 2+)
• Project level determined (0-4)

During Workflow

Step 0: Scale Assessment

• Analysis template loaded
• Project level extracted
• Level 0 → Skip workflow OR Level 1-4 → Proceed

Step 1: PRD Analysis

• All FRs extracted
• All NFRs extracted
• All epics/stories identified
• Project type detected
• Constraints identified

Step 2: User Skill Level

• Skill level clarified (beginner/intermediate/expert)
• Technical preferences captured

Step 3: Stack Recommendation

• Reference architectures searched
• Top 3 presented to user
• Selection made (reference or custom)

Step 4: Component Boundaries

• Epics analyzed
• Component boundaries identified
• Architecture style determined (monolith/microservices/etc.)
• Repository strategy determined (monorepo/polyrepo)

Step 5: Project-Type Questions

• Project-type questions loaded
• Only unanswered questions asked (dynamic narrowing)
• All decisions recorded

Step 6: Architecture Generation

• Template sections determined dynamically
• User approved section list
• architecture.md generated with ALL sections
• Technology and Library Decision Table included with specific versions
• Proposed Source Tree included
• Design-level only (no extensive code)
• Output adapted to user skill level

Step 7: Cohesion Check

• Requirements coverage validated (FRs, NFRs, epics, stories)
• Technology table validated (no vagueness)
• Code vs design balance checked
• Epic Alignment Matrix generated (separate output)
• Story readiness assessed (X of Y ready)
• Vagueness detected and flagged
• Over-specification detected and flagged
• Cohesion check report generated
• Issues addressed or acknowledged

Step 7.5: Specialist Sections

• DevOps assessed (simple inline or complex placeholder)
• Security assessed (simple inline or complex placeholder)
• Testing assessed (simple inline or complex placeholder)
• Specialist sections added to END of architecture.md

Step 8: PRD Updates (Optional)

• Architectural discoveries identified
• PRD updated if needed (enabler epics, story clarifications)

Step 9: Tech-Spec Generation

• Tech-spec generated for each epic
• Saved as tech-spec-epic-{{N}}.md
• project-workflow-analysis.md updated

Step 10: Polyrepo Strategy (Optional)

• Polyrepo identified (if applicable)
• Documentation copying strategy determined
• Full docs copied to all repos

Step 11: Validation

• All required documents exist
• All checklists passed
• Completion summary generated

Quality Gates

Technology and Library Decision Table

• Table exists in architecture.md
• ALL technologies have specific versions (e.g., "pino 8.17.0")
• NO vague entries ("a logging library", "appropriate caching")
• NO multi-option entries without decision ("Pino or Winston")
• Grouped logically (core stack, libraries, devops)

Proposed Source Tree

• Section exists in architecture.md
• Complete directory structure shown
• For polyrepo: ALL repo structures included
• Matches technology stack conventions

Cohesion Check Results

• 100% FR coverage OR gaps documented
• 100% NFR coverage OR gaps documented
• 100% epic coverage OR gaps documented
• 100% story readiness OR gaps documented
• Epic Alignment Matrix generated (separate file)
• Readiness score ≥ 90% OR user accepted lower score

Design vs Code Balance

• No code blocks > 10 lines
• Focus on schemas, patterns, diagrams
• No complete implementations

Post-Workflow Outputs

Required Files

• /docs/architecture.md (or solution-architecture.md)
• /docs/cohesion-check-report.md
• /docs/epic-alignment-matrix.md
• /docs/tech-spec-epic-1.md
• /docs/tech-spec-epic-2.md
• /docs/tech-spec-epic-N.md (for all epics)

Optional Files (if specialist placeholders created)

• Handoff instructions for devops-architecture workflow
• Handoff instructions for security-architecture workflow
• Handoff instructions for test-architect workflow

Updated Files

• analysis-template.md (workflow status updated)
• prd.md (if architectural discoveries required updates)

Next Steps After Workflow

If specialist placeholders created:

• Run devops-architecture workflow (if placeholder)
• Run security-architecture workflow (if placeholder)
• Run test-architect workflow (if placeholder)

For implementation:

• Review all tech specs
• Set up development environment per architecture
• Begin epic implementation using tech specs