Home labs & practical projects

Create a transition architecture for a fragmented customer service

A project to do with your own tools, with guidance on what to create and capture.

Design project Suggested time: 2–3 hoursNo hardware required for the design

What you could create

Three departments maintain separate customer records. Leadership wants a shared service, but funding and legacy dependencies prevent a single-step replacement.

Example evidence format

Project evidence map (example)

Baseline, transition and target viewsScope and inputs

Architecture roadmap and decision logDecisions and reasoning

Evidence record (example)

Evidence	What to capture
Baseline, transition and target views	Show the inputs, scope and decisions behind this record. The transition state delivers a defined capability rather than just moving technology.
Architecture roadmap and decision log	Include the evidence supporting your conclusion. Stakeholder concerns and unresolved decisions remain visible.

What you'll need

Document, spreadsheet or diagram tool

Define stakeholders, current business processes, data stores and applications. Include a regulatory constraint and a system that must remain for another year.

Project record

Keep the working files for baseline, transition and target views and record assumptions as you go.

Current reference material

Use the linked provider resources to verify the features, access terms and version relevant to your project.

Access & cost

No paid platform is needed for the written version. Use a document, spreadsheet or diagram tool you already have.

The organisation and records are fictional. Write down assumptions; do not substitute confidential employer information.

Suggested milestones

1
Plan and investigate
Describe baseline and target architectures from business, data and application perspectives.
2
Develop your approach
Identify gaps and a feasible intermediate transition state.
3
Verify and explain
Prepare a decision record, roadmap and architecture governance checkpoints.

Evidence worth keeping

Keep clear, organised evidence of your design and any testing you carry out.

1
Baseline, transition and target views
Show the inputs, scope and decisions behind this record. The transition state delivers a defined capability rather than just moving technology.
2
Architecture roadmap and decision log
Include the evidence supporting your conclusion. Stakeholder concerns and unresolved decisions remain visible.

Label design proposals and observed results clearly.

Explain your work

Use these prompts to reflect on your decisions and what you learned.

Which part of your baseline, transition and target views needed the most judgement?
What observation or assumption changed your approach?
What would you improve, and what have you not verified?

Describe this as a personal project in your portfolio.

Useful resources

Use these resources to deepen your understanding and check key details.

Official certification objectives

Review the current provider requirements and relevant subject areas.

Explore external learning resources

Find relevant providers and check features, access requirements and costs.

A useful starting point

Define stakeholders, current business processes, data stores and applications. Include a regulatory constraint and a system that must remain for another year.

What a good result looks like

The transition state delivers a defined capability rather than just moving technology.
Stakeholder concerns and unresolved decisions remain visible.

Finish the project

Keep the decision record and note unanswered questions. A written design is not evidence that a technical control has been tested.

Independent home-project guidance, not an official vendor lab or a claim of complete exam coverage. Use your own tools and label the work accurately.