Decomposition Planning and Roadmap

This skill creates structured decomposition plans and roadmaps to guide the migration from monolithic to distributed architectures, prioritizing work and tracking progress through decomposition patterns.

How to Use

Quick Start

Request creation of a decomposition plan:

"Create a decomposition roadmap for this codebase"
"Plan the decomposition migration strategy"
"Prioritize decomposition work based on component analysis"
"Create a step-by-step decomposition plan"

Usage Examples

Example 1: Complete Roadmap

User: "Create a decomposition roadmap for this codebase"

The skill will:
1. Analyze current codebase state
2. Identify decomposition patterns to apply
3. Prioritize work based on risk and value
4. Create phased roadmap
5. Generate architecture stories
6. Estimate effort and dependencies

Example 2: Prioritized Plan

User: "Prioritize decomposition work based on component analysis"

The skill will:
1. Review component inventory and dependencies
2. Assess risk and value for each pattern
3. Prioritize patterns by impact
4. Create prioritized work plan

Example 3: Phase Planning

User: "Create a phased decomposition plan"

The skill will:
1. Group decomposition patterns into phases
2. Identify dependencies between phases
3. Create phase timeline
4. Define phase success criteria

Step-by-Step Process

Assess Current State: Analyze codebase and identify what's been done
Identify Patterns: Determine which decomposition patterns to apply
Prioritize Work: Rank patterns by risk, value, and dependencies
Create Roadmap: Build phased plan with milestones
Generate Stories: Create architecture stories for tracking
Track Progress: Monitor progress through decomposition phases

When to Use

Apply this skill when:

Starting a decomposition effort
Planning migration from monolith to distributed architecture
Prioritizing decomposition work
Creating architecture stories for decomposition
Tracking progress through decomposition patterns
Need structured approach to decomposition
Want to estimate effort and dependencies

Core Concepts

Decomposition Pattern Sequence

The six component-based decomposition patterns should be applied in sequence:

Identify and Size Components - Understand what you have
Gather Common Domain Components - Find duplicates
Flatten Components - Remove orphaned classes
Determine Component Dependencies - Assess coupling
Create Component Domains - Group into domains
Create Domain Services - Extract to services

Phased Approach

Decomposition typically follows phases:

Phase 1: Analysis & Preparation (Patterns 1-4)

Component identification and sizing
Common component detection
Component flattening
Dependency analysis

Phase 2: Domain Organization (Pattern 5)

Domain identification
Component grouping
Namespace refactoring

Phase 3: Service Extraction (Pattern 6)

Domain service creation
Service extraction
API boundary definition

Prioritization Factors

When prioritizing decomposition work, consider:

Risk: Low risk = easier to extract, fewer dependencies
Value: High value = business-critical, high impact
Dependencies: Can this be done independently?
Complexity: Simple = fewer components, clear boundaries
Coupling: Low coupling = easier to extract

Analysis Process

Phase 1: Assess Current State

Analyze what's already been done:

Check Component Inventory
- Have components been identified and sized?
- Is there a component inventory document?
- Are oversized components identified?
Check Common Component Analysis
- Have common domain components been identified?
- Are consolidation opportunities documented?
- Has coupling impact been analyzed?
Check Component Structure
- Have components been flattened?
- Are there orphaned classes?
- Is component structure clean?
Check Dependency Analysis
- Have component dependencies been mapped?
- Is coupling analysis complete?
- Is feasibility assessed?
Check Domain Identification
- Have domains been identified?
- Are components grouped into domains?
- Are namespaces aligned with domains?
Check Service Extraction
- Have any services been extracted?
- Are domain services created?
- Is service-based architecture in place?

Output: Current state assessment showing what's done and what's remaining

Phase 2: Identify Patterns to Apply

Determine which decomposition patterns need to be applied:

Review Pattern Prerequisites
- Pattern 1: Always needed (foundation)
- Pattern 2: Needed if common components exist
- Pattern 3: Needed if components have hierarchy
- Pattern 4: Always needed (feasibility check)
- Pattern 5: Needed before service extraction
- Pattern 6: Final step (service extraction)
Check Pattern Completion
- Which patterns are complete?
- Which patterns are in progress?
- Which patterns haven't started?
Identify Missing Patterns
- What patterns still need to be applied?
- What's blocking pattern application?
- What dependencies exist?

Output: List of patterns to apply with status

Phase 3: Prioritize Work

Prioritize decomposition patterns and work items:

Assess Risk
- Low Risk: Infrastructure components, standalone functionality
- Medium Risk: Domain components with some dependencies
- High Risk: Core business logic, high coupling
Assess Value
- High Value: Business-critical, high impact, frequent changes
- Medium Value: Important but not critical
- Low Value: Nice to have, low impact
Assess Dependencies
- Independent: Can be done without other work
- Dependent: Requires other patterns/work first
- Blocking: Blocks other work from proceeding

Calculate Priority Score

Priority = (Value × 3) - (Risk × 2) - (Dependencies × 1)

Higher score = Higher priority

Output: Prioritized list of patterns and work items

Phase 4: Create Phased Roadmap

Build a phased roadmap with milestones:

Define Phases
- Phase 1: Analysis & Preparation
- Phase 2: Domain Organization
- Phase 3: Service Extraction
- Phase 4: Optimization & Refinement
Assign Patterns to Phases
- Which patterns belong in which phase?
- What's the sequence within each phase?
- What are the phase dependencies?
Set Milestones
- What marks completion of each phase?
- What are the success criteria?
- What deliverables are expected?
Estimate Timeline
- How long will each phase take?
- What are the dependencies?
- What's the critical path?

Output: Phased roadmap with timeline and milestones

Phase 5: Generate Architecture Stories

Create architecture stories for tracking work:

Create Story Template

As an architect, I need to [apply pattern/refactor component]
to support [architectural characteristic/business need]
so that [benefit/outcome]

Break Down Work
- One story per pattern application
- One story per major refactoring
- One story per domain grouping
Add Acceptance Criteria
- What defines "done"?
- What metrics validate success?
- What tests verify completion?
Estimate Effort
- Story points or time estimates
- Complexity assessment
- Risk factors

Output: List of architecture stories with estimates

Phase 6: Track Progress

Monitor progress through decomposition:

Track Pattern Completion
- Which patterns are complete?
- Which are in progress?
- Which are blocked?
Track Story Completion
- Stories completed
- Stories in progress
- Stories not started
Track Metrics
- Components identified
- Components refactored
- Domains created
- Services extracted
Identify Blockers
- What's blocking progress?
- What dependencies are missing?
- What risks have emerged?

Output: Progress dashboard and status report

Output Format

Decomposition Roadmap

# Decomposition Roadmap

## Current State Assessment

**Completed Patterns**:

- ✅ Pattern 1: Identify and Size Components
- ✅ Pattern 2: Gather Common Domain Components
- ⚠️ Pattern 3: Flatten Components (in progress)
- ❌ Pattern 4: Determine Component Dependencies (not started)
- ❌ Pattern 5: Create Component Domains (not started)
- ❌ Pattern 6: Create Domain Services (not started)

**Key Findings**:

- 75 components identified
- 3 common domain components found
- 2 oversized components need splitting
- High database coupling detected

## Phased Roadmap

### Phase 1: Analysis & Preparation (Weeks 1-4)

**Goal**: Complete component analysis and refactoring

**Patterns**:

1. Complete Pattern 3: Flatten Components
2. Apply Pattern 4: Determine Component Dependencies
3. Refactor oversized components

**Milestones**:

- Week 2: Component flattening complete
- Week 4: Dependency analysis complete

**Deliverables**:

- Flattened component structure
- Dependency diagram
- Feasibility assessment

### Phase 2: Domain Organization (Weeks 5-8)

**Goal**: Organize components into domains

**Patterns**:

1. Apply Pattern 5: Create Component Domains
2. Refactor namespaces for domain alignment

**Milestones**:

- Week 6: Domains identified
- Week 8: Namespace refactoring complete

**Deliverables**:

- Domain map
- Refactored component namespaces
- Domain documentation

### Phase 3: Service Extraction (Weeks 9-16)

**Goal**: Extract domains to domain services

**Patterns**:

1. Apply Pattern 6: Create Domain Services
2. Extract services incrementally

**Milestones**:

- Week 12: First domain service extracted
- Week 16: All domain services extracted

**Deliverables**:

- Domain services deployed
- API boundaries defined
- Service documentation

Prioritized Work Plan

## Prioritized Work Plan

### High Priority (Do First)

1. **Complete Component Flattening** (Priority: 9/10)
   - Risk: Low
   - Value: High (enables domain grouping)
   - Dependencies: None
   - Effort: 2 weeks

2. **Dependency Analysis** (Priority: 8/10)
   - Risk: Low
   - Value: High (validates feasibility)
   - Dependencies: Component flattening
   - Effort: 1 week

### Medium Priority (Do Next)

3. **Domain Identification** (Priority: 7/10)
   - Risk: Medium
   - Value: High (enables service extraction)
   - Dependencies: Dependency analysis
   - Effort: 2 weeks

### Low Priority (Do Later)

4. **Service Extraction** (Priority: 5/10)
   - Risk: High
   - Value: High (final goal)
   - Dependencies: Domain identification
   - Effort: 8 weeks

Architecture Stories

## Architecture Stories

### Story 1: Flatten Ticket Components

**As an architect**, I need to flatten the Ticket component hierarchy
to support better component organization
so that components exist only as leaf nodes.

**Acceptance Criteria**:

- [ ] No orphaned classes in root namespaces
- [ ] All components are leaf nodes
- [ ] Component structure validated

**Estimate**: 5 story points
**Priority**: High
**Dependencies**: None

### Story 2: Identify Component Domains

**As an architect**, I need to group components into logical domains
to support service-based architecture
so that components can be extracted to domain services.

**Acceptance Criteria**:

- [ ] All components assigned to domains
- [ ] Domain boundaries validated with stakeholders
- [ ] Domain map created

**Estimate**: 8 story points
**Priority**: High
**Dependencies**: Component flattening complete

Progress Dashboard

## Decomposition Progress Dashboard

### Pattern Completion Status

| Pattern                    | Status         | Progress | Blocker                 |
| -------------------------- | -------------- | -------- | ----------------------- |
| Identify & Size Components | ✅ Complete    | 100%     | None                    |
| Gather Common Components   | ✅ Complete    | 100%     | None                    |
| Flatten Components         | ⚠️ In Progress | 60%      | None                    |
| Determine Dependencies     | ❌ Not Started | 0%       | Waiting on flattening   |
| Create Domains             | ❌ Not Started | 0%       | Waiting on dependencies |
| Create Domain Services     | ❌ Not Started | 0%       | Waiting on domains      |

### Story Completion Status

**Completed**: 5 stories (25%)
**In Progress**: 3 stories (15%)
**Not Started**: 12 stories (60%)

### Key Metrics

- Components Identified: 75
- Components Refactored: 45 (60%)
- Domains Created: 0
- Services Extracted: 0

Analysis Checklist

Current State Assessment:

Reviewed component inventory
Checked common component analysis
Assessed component structure
Reviewed dependency analysis
Checked domain identification
Assessed service extraction status

Pattern Identification:

Identified which patterns are complete
Identified which patterns are in progress
Identified which patterns need to be applied
Checked pattern dependencies

Prioritization:

Assessed risk for each pattern
Assessed value for each pattern
Assessed dependencies
Calculated priority scores

Roadmap Creation:

Defined phases
Assigned patterns to phases
Set milestones
Estimated timeline

Story Generation:

Created architecture stories
Added acceptance criteria
Estimated effort
Prioritized stories

Progress Tracking:

Set up tracking mechanism
Defined metrics
Created dashboard
Identified blockers

Implementation Notes

Roadmap Templates

Simple Roadmap (for small projects):

Phase 1: Analysis (2-4 weeks)
Phase 2: Refactoring (4-6 weeks)
Phase 3: Extraction (8-12 weeks)

Detailed Roadmap (for large projects):

Phase 1: Analysis & Preparation (4-8 weeks)
Phase 2: Domain Organization (4-6 weeks)
Phase 3: Service Extraction (12-16 weeks)
Phase 4: Optimization (4-8 weeks)

Prioritization Matrix

Use a 2x2 matrix for prioritization:

High Value, Low Risk    | High Value, High Risk
(Do First)              | (Do Carefully)
────────────────────────┼──────────────────────
Low Value, Low Risk     | Low Value, High Risk
(Do Later)              | (Avoid/Defer)

Story Estimation

Use story points or time estimates:

Story Points (Fibonacci):

1: Trivial (few hours)
2: Simple (1 day)
3: Small (2-3 days)
5: Medium (1 week)
8: Large (2 weeks)
13: Very Large (3+ weeks)

Time Estimates:

Small: 1-3 days
Medium: 1-2 weeks
Large: 2-4 weeks
Very Large: 1+ month

Best Practices

Do's ✅

Start with analysis patterns (Patterns 1-4)
Prioritize low-risk, high-value work
Create architecture stories for tracking
Set clear milestones and success criteria
Track progress regularly
Adjust roadmap based on learnings
Collaborate with stakeholders on priorities

Don'ts ❌

Don't skip analysis patterns
Don't start service extraction too early
Don't ignore dependencies between patterns
Don't create unrealistic timelines
Don't skip progress tracking
Don't forget to validate with stakeholders
Don't proceed without feasibility assessment

Integration with Other Skills

This skill coordinates the use of other decomposition skills:

Component Identification & Sizing → Foundation for planning
Common Domain Component Detection → Identifies consolidation work
Component Flattening → Prepares for domain grouping
Component Dependency Analysis → Validates feasibility
Domain Identification & Grouping → Enables service extraction
Decomposition Planning & Roadmap (this skill) → Coordinates everything

Next Steps

After creating the roadmap:

Review with Stakeholders - Get buy-in on plan
Start Phase 1 - Begin with analysis patterns
Track Progress - Monitor completion and blockers
Adjust as Needed - Update roadmap based on learnings
Celebrate Milestones - Recognize progress

Notes

Roadmaps should be living documents, updated regularly
Prioritization may change as you learn more
Dependencies between patterns must be respected
Feasibility assessment is critical before proceeding
Stakeholder collaboration is essential for success
Progress tracking helps identify issues early

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