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Methodologies

Architecture, project and innovation methodologies.

The five methodologies SUMāTO designs, delivers and innovates with: TOGAF, PMI, Scrum, Design Thinking and Lean Startup. For each one: what it is, why implement it, which framework it follows, what the organisation gains, what you receive and where it applies.

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Enterprise Architecture with TOGAF

A shared blueprint across business and technology.

Project Management with PMI

Discipline and control so the project actually ends well.

Agile projects with Scrum

Deliver value early and often, adapting to change.

Innovation powered by Design Thinking

Innovation centered on people.

What it is

Enterprise Architecture with TOGAF.

A shared blueprint across business and technology.

Enterprise Architecture (EA) is the discipline that connects strategy with operations: it defines how processes, data, applications, and infrastructure should be structured to sustain business objectives. TOGAF is The Open Group's standard framework, providing the method, language, and governance to do this consistently and repeatably.

Why implement it

Without architecture, every project adds complexity.

Organizations without a governed architecture accumulate duplicate systems, fragile dependencies, and rising costs. TOGAF brings order, reduces risk, and turns technology into a deliberate advantage. Governing it takes someone who sustains it week to week: we support that role from Bogotá and Mexico City, with the architecture board meeting in the business's own time zone.

01

Aligns IT with the business

Every technology capability maps to an explicit, traceable business objective.

02

Reduces complexity and cost

Eliminates redundancy, rationalizes the application portfolio, and lowers the cost of operations.

03

Governs change

Decide what to build, buy, integrate, or retire with clear criteria and a defined process.

04

Accelerates projects

A shared blueprint reduces the risk and integration time of every initiative.

05

Enables transformation

It is the foundation for data, AI, cloud, and modernization with less risk.

06

International standard

TOGAF is recognized globally: a common language, best practices, and comparability.

The method · TOGAF ADM

The Architecture Development Method, phase by phase.

The ADM is the heart of TOGAF: an iterative, governed cycle for developing and maintaining enterprise architecture, with requirements management at the center.

Prelim.

Preliminary

Framework, architecture principles, and organizational capability.

Phase A

Architecture Vision

Scope, stakeholders, vision, and initial business case.

Phase B

Business Architecture

Processes, capabilities, organization, and target operating model.

Phase C

Information Systems

Data and application architecture, and integration.

Phase D

Technology Architecture

Infrastructure, platforms, networks, and technology services.

Phase E

Opportunities and Solutions

Grouping of gaps into projects and work packages.

Phase F

Migration Planning

Roadmap, sequencing, and a prioritized transition plan.

Phase G

Implementation Governance

Control and compliance of the architecture during execution.

Phase H

Change Management

Continuous evolution of the architecture as new requirements arise.

Architecture domains

The four layers we design.

Business Architecture

Strategy, governance, processes, capabilities, and organizational structure.

Data Architecture

Data models, information governance, and flows across systems.

Application Architecture

Application portfolio, interactions, and integration on top of the core.

Technology Architecture

Infrastructure, platforms, cloud, networks, and foundational security.

Benefits

What your organization gains.

A single, integrated view

A shared map of how everything connects, aligning business and IT.

Informed investment decisions

Clear criteria to prioritize, build, buy, integrate, or retire.

Less debt and complexity

Portfolio rationalization and reduced maintenance costs.

Governance and compliance

A process to ensure projects respect the target architecture.

Agility with control

Change faster without losing consistency or accumulating technical risk.

A foundation to innovate

The bedrock for data, AI, automation, and cloud with less friction.

Expected outcomes

From a fragmented landscape to a governed blueprint.

Current and target architecture

The AS-IS state and the TO-BE aligned to strategy.

Transition roadmap

The prioritized initiatives to close the gaps.

Governance model

The process to sustain and evolve the architecture.

Method and frameworks

The criteria the implementation follows.

Implementation is not improvised project by project. The same frameworks that order an assessment order the execution, so what gets built is auditable from day one and the evidence does not have to be reconstructed when the audit arrives.

01

TOGAF

Method. The ADM cycle orders each transition, phase by phase. It is detailed above, under «The method».

02

ArchiMate

Modelling. The architecture is delivered in standard notation your team can maintain without depending on a proprietary tool.

03

ISO/IEC 42010

Documentation. Views per stakeholder: each area receives the representation that answers its concern, not a single diagram.

04

COBIT 2019

Architecture governance. Who approves an exception to the standard, on what criteria and at which point in the project.

05

IT4IT

Value chain. Connects the design to the real operation, so the architecture does not die in the document.

06

BIZBOK

Capabilities. The design starts from business capabilities before descending into systems.

Deliverables

What you receive at completion.

  • Architecture principles and framework (Preliminary phase).
  • Architecture Vision document and business case.
  • Business, Data, Application, and Technology architectures (AS-IS and TO-BE).
  • Gap analysis between the current state and the target.
  • Roadmap and prioritized transition plan.
  • Architecture repository and artifact catalog.
  • Architecture governance model.
  • Executive presentation for the steering committee.
Where it applies

Where it applies.

The capabilities whose decisions depend directly on architecture.

Cloud

the target architecture is what decides what migrates, what gets redesigned and what is retired.

Data & Analytics

the data model and how it coexists with the core is defined here, not in the platform.

Artificial Intelligence

where agents plug in and which systems they may invoke is an architecture decision.

Further reading

Architecture, in depth.

  • Enterprise architecture: the organization's blueprint — what it's for when you run dozens of systems.
  • Cloud architecture: principles for executives — resilience, cost and security before you scale.
  • Digital transformation and the IT strategic plan — how architecture turns into investment.
What it is

Project Management with PMI.

Discipline and control so the project actually ends well.

The PMI standard (PMBOK) is the most widely recognized project management framework in the world. It defines how to initiate, plan, execute, monitor, and close a project in a predictable way, governing scope, time, cost, quality, and risk end to end. The standard is international; execution is local: contracting, suppliers and the public-holiday calendar in Colombia and Mexico enter the schedule from planning onward.

Why implement it

Most projects fail because of management, not technique.

Scope that grows unchecked, timelines that blow past their limits, and no one accountable for the outcome. PMI provides the method, the governance, and the traceability to prevent it.

01

Predictability

Timelines, costs, and scope managed with a formal plan and a measurable baseline.

02

Scope control

Changes managed through a clear process: nothing gets in without an impact assessment.

03

Risk management

Risks identified, prioritized, and mitigated before they turn into problems.

04

Clear communication

Stakeholders informed at the right level and frequency at every stage.

05

Single point of accountability

A project manager who is accountable for the outcome from start to finish.

06

International standard

Globally recognized language and practices that are comparable and auditable.

The methodology

The five PMBOK process groups.

Every project moves through these process groups, supported by the ten knowledge areas (integration, scope, schedule, cost, quality, resources, communications, risk, procurement, and stakeholders).

01

Initiating

Project charter, objectives, stakeholders, and project authorization.

02

Planning

Management plan: scope, schedule, cost, quality, risk, and resources.

03

Executing

Carrying out the work and managing the team and stakeholders.

04

Monitoring and Controlling

Tracking progress, change control, risk, and performance.

05

Closing

Formal handover, acceptance, lessons learned, and administrative closure.

Benefits

What your organization gains.

Projects that deliver

A higher likelihood of delivering on the committed time, cost, and scope.

Executive visibility

Progress reports and metrics the committee understands and can act on.

Fewer surprises

Risks and changes managed proactively, not reactively.

Efficient use of resources

Planning that avoids overloads, rework, and waste.

Knowledge that stays

Documentation and lessons learned that improve future projects.

Governance and traceability

Decisions, approvals, and changes recorded and auditable.

Expected outcomes

From chaos to controlled delivery.

A solid project plan

An approved, measurable baseline for scope, time, and cost.

Execution under control

Progress, risk, and changes monitored with clear indicators.

Closure with value

Deliverables accepted and knowledge captured for the future.

Deliverables

What you receive.

  • Project charter.
  • Project management plan.
  • Work breakdown structure (WBS).
  • Schedule and time baseline.
  • Budget and cost baseline.
  • Risk matrix and response plan.
  • Progress reports and tracking dashboard.
  • Closure documents and lessons learned.
Where it applies

Project management in practice.

Where we apply the PMI standard and which capabilities it pairs with.

Cloud

a wave-based migration is a program with dependencies, risks and exit criteria: exactly what this standard organizes.

Cybersecurity

remediation plans run in parallel, with interdependencies that need governing.

Enterprise Architecture

the architecture roadmap becomes a project portfolio with budget and sequence.

Further reading

Management and planning, in depth.

  • Digital transformation and the IT strategic plan — how investment gets ordered across several years.
  • Enterprise architecture: the organization's blueprint — what to understand before sequencing projects.
What it is

Agile projects with Scrum.

Deliver value early and often, adapting to change.

Scrum is the world's most widely used agile framework for developing complex products and projects. Instead of one large deliverable at the end, the team works in short cycles (sprints), delivering usable increments, inspecting results and adapting at every iteration. We work with squads distributed across Latin America, because Scrum's events only hold when the team shares a time zone.

Why implement it

When change is the norm, a rigid plan fails.

Scrum reduces the risk of building the wrong thing: it validates with the user every sprint, prioritizes the highest-value work and lets you adjust course without derailing the project.

01

Early value

Working deliverables from the first sprints, not at the end of the project.

02

Adaptability

Reprioritize based on learning and feedback, without rewriting the entire plan.

03

Transparency

Progress is visible to everyone at every event and on the board.

04

Lower risk

Continuous validation that avoids building something no one will use.

05

Time-to-market

Reach the market sooner with a minimum viable product that evolves.

06

Motivated teams

Autonomy, purpose and continuous improvement raise team engagement.

The framework · Roles

Three clear accountabilities.

Product Owner

Maximizes the value of the product and prioritizes the Product Backlog.

Scrum Master

Facilitates the framework, removes impediments and protects the team.

Development Team

Self-organizing and cross-functional; builds the increment.

01

Sprint

A 1–4 week cycle that produces a usable increment.

02

Sprint Planning

Defines the goal and the work of the sprint.

03

Daily Scrum

A daily 15-minute sync for the team.

04

Sprint Review

Inspection of the increment with stakeholders.

05

Retrospective

Continuous improvement of the team and the process.

Product Backlog

A prioritized list of everything the product needs.

Sprint Backlog

The work selected for the current sprint.

Increment

The usable product that meets the Definition of Done.

Benefits

What your organization gains.

Faster returns

Functionality in production from the first sprints, generating value sooner.

Focus on what matters

The prioritized backlog ensures the highest-impact work is built first.

Incremental quality

Definition of Done and continuous reviews that avoid debt at the end.

Team predictability

Velocity and metrics that let you estimate and plan with real data.

Engaged client

Feedback at every review: the product reflects what the user needs.

Continuous improvement

Retrospectives raise the team's performance sprint after sprint.

Deliverables

What you receive.

  • A prioritized and refined Product Backlog.
  • Definition of Ready (DoR) and Definition of Done (DoD).
  • Sprint plan and objectives per iteration.
  • Working increments delivered each sprint.
  • An operational Scrum board (physical or digital).
  • Agile metrics: velocity and burndown/burnup.
  • Review minutes and retrospective agreements.
  • A team trained in Scrum roles and practices.
Where it applies

Scrum in practice.

Where we use this framework and which capabilities it pairs with.

Artificial Intelligence

AI projects are exploratory by nature: delivering in sprints is what prevents building six months in the wrong direction.

Automation (RPA)

each automated process is a deliverable increment that can be measured on its own.

Data & Analytics

prioritize by data domain and ship useful dashboards before the full platform is done.

Further reading

Agility, in depth.

  • Agility at scale: when Scrum is no longer enough — what changes when you go from one team to twenty.
  • Digital transformation and the IT strategic plan — how agile coexists with annual planning.
What it is

Innovation powered by Design Thinking.

Innovation centered on people.

Design Thinking is an innovation approach that starts with a deep understanding of people to define the real problem, generate ideas, prototype them quickly, and validate them with users. It reduces the risk of building something no one needs and accelerates the path to solutions that actually work.

Why implement it

The greatest risk isn't building poorly—it's building the wrong thing.

Many projects fail because they solve the wrong problem. Design Thinking validates the need and the solution with evidence before committing development budget. The research is done with your users, in their language and their context: what works in a European pilot rarely transfers unchanged to a customer in Colombia or Mexico.

01

Solve the right problem

Start by understanding the user, not by the solution we already had in mind.

02

Reduce investment risk

Low-cost prototypes validate ideas before you spend on building.

03

Accelerate innovation

Iterate fast: learn, adjust, and move forward in short cycles.

04

Align the team

A shared understanding of the user and the problem across functions.

05

Desirable solutions

Products and services people genuinely want to use.

06

Culture of experimentation

Embed the practice of testing and learning across the organization.

The methodology

The five phases of Design Thinking.

An iterative, non-linear process: we learn in every phase and loop back when needed, always keeping the user at the center.

01

Empathize

Understand people in depth: interviews, observation, and empathy maps.

02

Define

Synthesize findings into a clear, actionable challenge (point of view).

03

Ideate

Generate many ideas without judgment and prioritize the most promising ones.

04

Prototype

Build quick, low-cost versions to make ideas tangible.

05

Test

Validate with real users, learn, and refine the solution.

Benefits

What your organization gains.

Evidence-based decisions

Validation with real users instead of internal assumptions.

Less rework

Catching mistakes in a prototype costs a fraction of catching them in production.

Better user experience

Products and services designed around people's real needs.

Speed of learning

Short test-and-learn cycles that accelerate innovation.

Cross-functional collaboration

Multidisciplinary teams aligned around the user and the challenge.

Differentiation

Creative solutions that stand out from the competition.

Expected outcomes

From assumption to validated solution.

A well-defined problem

A clear challenge, grounded in a genuine understanding of the user.

A validated concept

A solution tested with users, ready to develop.

An implementation roadmap

The next steps to bring the concept to life.

Deliverables

What you receive.

  • User research and empathy maps.
  • Profiles / personas and experience map (journey map).
  • Challenge definition and point of view (POV).
  • A prioritized idea bank.
  • Prototypes (low or high fidelity).
  • User testing results.
  • A validated solution concept.
  • Implementation roadmap and next steps.
Where it applies

Design Thinking in practice.

Where we use this approach and which capabilities it pairs with.

Automation (RPA)

before automating a process you have to understand why people do it the way they do. Automating the wrong process only makes it faster.

Artificial Intelligence

adoption of an assistant depends on the experience, not the model. Designing it is half the work.

Data & Analytics

a dashboard nobody uses is a design problem, not a data problem.

Further reading

Experience and process, in depth.

  • Cognitive AI in the contact center — when experience outranks technology.
  • BPM vs. RPA: the difference and when to use each — the mistake of choosing the tool before the problem.
What it is

Lean Startup — launch on evidence, not on bets.

Stop guessing. Validate.

Lean Startup is the methodology for innovating under conditions of uncertainty: instead of building the complete product and hoping for the best, you formulate hypotheses, test them with a Minimum Viable Product (MVP), and learn from real data to decide whether to pivot or persevere.

Why implement it

Innovating without validating is the most expensive way to be wrong.

Most new products fail because teams build something nobody wants. Lean Startup turns uncertainty into validated learning before you commit the budget. Validating with real customers means validating with yours: the experiment runs in the market where you will sell —Colombia, Mexico or the rest of Latin America— not in an equivalent segment somewhere else.

01

Reduce risk

Validate demand before building the complete product.

02

Optimize your investment

Invest only in what the evidence supports; less waste.

03

Accelerate time-to-market

Launch an MVP and evolve through short learning cycles.

04

Decisions backed by evidence

Data from real customers, not internal opinions.

05

Customer focus

The product is shaped by what the user actually needs.

06

Culture of experimentation

Embed the practice of testing, measuring, and learning across the organization.

The method

The Build-Measure-Learn loop.

An iterative loop that minimizes the total time to validate an idea: every turn produces actionable learning.

01

Hypothesis

We formulate the critical business assumptions (Lean Canvas).

02

MVP

We define the Minimum Viable Product to test what matters most.

03

Build

We turn the idea into something real and measurable, fast.

04

Measure

We capture real data on customer usage and behavior.

05

Learn

We validate or disprove the hypothesis with evidence.

06

Pivot or persevere

We decide the course with data: adjust or scale.

Benefits

What your organization gains.

Lower investment risk

Testing a hypothesis costs a fraction of building the complete product.

Early validation

Know whether the idea works before committing resources in full.

Speed of learning

Short cycles that accelerate innovation and decision-making.

Innovation accounting

Actionable metrics that show real progress, not vanity.

Products the market wants

The product is built from customer evidence.

Clear pivot decisions

Objective criteria to adjust course or scale with confidence.

Expected outcomes

From idea to a validated business.

Validated hypotheses

Key assumptions confirmed or disproved with real evidence.

MVP in the market

A minimum product tested with real customers.

Informed decision

Pivot or scale, with a case backed by data.

Deliverables

What you receive.

  • Lean Canvas with hypotheses and critical assumptions.
  • Prioritized experiment map.
  • Minimum Viable Product (MVP) definition.
  • Metrics and innovation accounting.
  • Customer validation results.
  • Learnings documented by cycle.
  • Pivot-or-persevere recommendation.
  • Product roadmap and next steps.
Where it applies

Lean Startup in practice.

Where we use this approach and which capabilities it pairs with.

Artificial Intelligence

validating a use case with a bounded pilot costs a fraction of discovering eight months in that there was no demand.

Data & Analytics

without reliable metrics the build-measure-learn loop stops at build.

Cloud

standing an experiment up and tearing it down in days is what makes testing several hypotheses in parallel viable.

Further reading

Validation and data, in depth.

  • From report to insight: self-service analytics — how to move from requesting reports to answering questions.
  • Agility at scale: when Scrum is no longer enough — what changes when you go from one team to twenty.
Frequently asked

About the five methodologies.

What is TOGAF and why use it?

TOGAF (The Open Group Architecture Framework) is the most widely adopted enterprise architecture framework in the world. It provides a proven method (ADM), a common language, and a governance model, making the work repeatable, comparable, and aligned with international best practices.

Is it only for large enterprises?

No. We tailor the depth of the ADM to the size and maturity of your organization. Even a scoped-down version brings order, reduces risk, and improves investment decisions.

Do I need existing documentation?

No. Part of the work is capturing the current architecture (AS-IS) through interviews and inventories; that documentation is one of the deliverables.

Does it replace my systems?

No. The goal is to organize and align what you have and define a target state. Changes are prioritized by impact, without unnecessary rip & replace.

How does it relate to a Strategic IT Plan (SITP)?

Enterprise architecture provides the structural foundation (the "how"); the Strategic IT Plan defines the strategic plan and the investment portfolio (the "what and when"). They complement each other, and we deliver them aligned.

How long does it take?

It depends on the scope and the number of domains and applications. We size it in an initial diagnostic and work in ADM phases.

How do I get started?

With a 60-minute executive diagnostic where we define scope, vision, and priorities. Schedule it from the contact button.

What are PMI and the PMBOK?

The PMI (Project Management Institute) is the organization that defines the global project management standard, documented in the PMBOK guide. It establishes process groups and knowledge areas to manage projects in a predictable and governed way.

Does PMI work if we operate in an agile way?

Yes. The standard is compatible with predictive, agile, and hybrid approaches. We adapt the level of formality to the type of project; when it makes sense, we combine PMI with Scrum.

Doesn't it add too much bureaucracy?

Not if it is applied with judgment. We scale the processes to the size and risk of the project: just enough to maintain control without slowing execution.

Do I need a PMO to use it?

It is not essential, but it helps. We can manage your projects, train your team, or help you set up a PMO according to your needs.

Do you execute or only advise?

Both. We can manage the project end to end, support your project manager, or train your team.

What types of projects does it apply to?

Technology, transformation, platform implementation, and integration initiatives, and any effort with a defined scope, timeline, and budget.

How do I get started?

With a 60-minute assessment where we review your project or portfolio and define the right approach. Schedule it from the contact button.

What is Scrum?

It is an agile framework for developing complex products and projects through short cycles (sprints), with three roles, five events and three artifacts that make the work transparent, inspectable and adaptable.

Does Scrum replace project management (PMI)?

Not necessarily. Scrum is ideal for iterative, uncertain work; PMI provides portfolio governance, budgeting and contracts. Many organizations use a hybrid approach, which we also implement.

Does it work for non-software projects?

Yes. Although it originated in software development, Scrum applies to any complex work that benefits from iterative delivery and frequent feedback.

How long is a sprint?

Between 1 and 4 weeks; the most common is 2. The duration is fixed and kept constant to create rhythm and predictability.

Do I need to dedicate people full-time?

Success improves with stable, dedicated teams, but we tailor the implementation to your reality and organizational maturity.

Do you facilitate or train?

Both. We can provide a Scrum Master and Product Owner, facilitate the first sprints and train your team to become autonomous.

How do I get started?

With a 60-minute assessment where we evaluate your context and define how to get started with Scrum. Schedule it from the contact button.

What is Design Thinking?

It's a human-centered innovation approach that moves through five phases —empathize, define, ideate, prototype, and test— to solve the right problem with desirable, viable, and feasible solutions, validated with real users.

Is it only for product design?

No. It applies to products, services, processes, customer experiences, business models, and internal improvement: any challenge where understanding people makes the difference.

How does it combine with Scrum or PMI?

Very well: Design Thinking defines what to build (the problem and the validated solution), and Scrum or PMI execute it. We integrate them into a discovery + delivery flow.

How long does the process take?

It can range from an intensive workshop of a few days (a design sprint) to several weeks, depending on the complexity of the challenge and the depth of the research.

Do I need access to real users?

It's ideal and delivers the greatest value. We help you define who to research and coordinate the empathy and testing sessions.

Do you facilitate the workshops?

Yes. We facilitate the sessions, provide the tools, and, if you wish, train your team to adopt the practice.

How do I get started?

With a 60-minute assessment where we define the challenge to address and the format of the process. Schedule it from the contact button.

What is Lean Startup?

It is a methodology for creating products and businesses under uncertainty, grounded in validated learning: you formulate hypotheses, test them with an MVP, and decide whether to pivot or persevere based on real data, minimizing waste.

Is it only for startups?

No. It applies to any initiative facing uncertainty: new products, services, business models, or internal innovation within established companies (intrapreneurship).

What is an MVP?

A Minimum Viable Product is the simplest version that lets you test the key hypothesis with real customers and gain learning with the least possible effort.

How does it relate to Design Thinking?

They complement each other: Design Thinking helps you discover and define the problem and the solution; Lean Startup validates that concept in the market with experiments and MVPs.

And with Scrum?

Lean Startup defines what to build and why (the hypothesis to validate); Scrum builds it iteratively. Together they form a discovery + delivery flow.

How long does it take?

It depends on the number of hypotheses and experiments; we work in short cycles. We size it in an initial assessment.

How do I get started?

With a 60-minute assessment where we define the challenge, the key hypotheses, and the first experiment. Schedule it from the contact button.

The first step

Find out which method suits your next project.

In a 60-minute session we review what is defined and what is not, where the real risk sits and which commitments have to hold, and tell you how we would approach it and why.

Book a 60-minute diagnostic