# IT Component Catalogue

**In short:** An IT component catalogue lists the technology components a company uses and gives each a status. Linking components to applications shows which to keep, approve, or retire.

## Explanation

An IT component catalogue is a list of technology components. Each entry gets a status that says how the organization treats that component. The facts here come from two tools, Alfabet and Orbus, so the exact labels vary by tool.

**Standardization status.** In Alfabet's standards catalogue, color shows the status:

- Green: the component is standard. Teams may use it without approval.
- Yellow: teams must get approval before they use it.
- Orange: the component is not permitted.

**Lifecycle status.** Orbus applies one of four statuses to every technology: adopt, tolerate, invest, or retire. The status supports build, buy, and migration decisions.

**Links to applications.** A component is more useful in the catalogue when it links to the applications that depend on it. That link allows a lifecycle check. Compare the component's end date with the end dates of the applications that rely on it. If the component ends first, you have a conflict to resolve.

**Governance.** Standards governance means enforcing the standards. It also means tracking exceptions and linking them to the applications that depend on them. Strong governance keeps non-approved technologies out of the portfolio.

**Technical debt.** Without a retirement plan tied to lifecycle status, unsupported technologies pile up. This is a form of technical debt (see the article Technical Debt).

## Example

A company lists three database products. Product A is green and marked "adopt". Product B is yellow, so a new project needs approval to use it. Product C is orange and marked "retire".

The catalogue links Product C to a billing application that runs until 2031. Product C's vendor support ends in 2028. The end-date check shows the conflict, so the team plans a migration before 2028.

## Trade-offs

A catalogue only helps if someone keeps it current and enforces it. Governance takes effort: you must enforce standards and track exceptions. The payoff is fewer non-approved technologies and less unsupported technology piling up. The facts available here do not cover how to run the upkeep.



## Checks

- Each catalogued component shows a standardization status (standard, approval needed, or not permitted).
- Each technology has a lifecycle status such as adopt, tolerate, invest, or retire.
- Component end dates are compared with the end dates of the applications that rely on them.
- Exceptions to standards are tracked and linked to the applications that depend on them.
- Unsupported technologies have a retirement plan tied to their lifecycle status.

## Related

- [Technology Architecture](https://arc.fuet.ch/concepts/enterprise-architecture/technology-architecture.md)
- [Technical Debt](https://arc.fuet.ch/concepts/evaluation/technical-debt.md)
- [Traceability](https://arc.fuet.ch/concepts/principles/traceability.md)
- [Enterprise Architecture](https://arc.fuet.ch/concepts/enterprise-architecture/enterprise-architecture-management.md)
- [TOGAF](https://arc.fuet.ch/concepts/enterprise-architecture/togaf.md)
- [arc42 Constraints](https://arc.fuet.ch/concepts/documentation/arc42-constraints.md)
- [Deployment View](https://arc.fuet.ch/concepts/documentation/distribution-view.md)
- [Application Lifecycle Diagram](https://arc.fuet.ch/concepts/enterprise-architecture/application-lifecycle-diagram.md)

## Sources

- [What is our standards catalog?](https://documentation.alfabet.com/11-7/en/PortMan_SAG_Governance_StandardsCatalog_Analyze.html) — documentation.alfabet.com, accessed 2026-11-09
- [Technology Standards Management | OrbusInfinity](https://www.orbussoftware.com/solutions/use-case/technology-standards-management) — orbussoftware.com, accessed 2026-11-09