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software modules that can be used across a variety of use cases. They are standards-based, open-
source and designed for scale.

Each block represents, as much as possible, the minimum required functionality (MVP) to do its
job. This ensures that each block is usable and useful on its own and easily extensible to support
a variety of use cases. A block is composed of domain-driven microservices, modelled as closely
as possible on existing human roles and processes. This helps ensure that each block is as useful
as possible in the real world.

Blocks exchange data using lightweight, human-readable data that can easily be extended where
needed. Data models and APIs are described in a lightweight manner that’s human-readable,
allowing them to be easily and quickly understood and validated.

Building Blocks characteristics, in summary, are:

• Re-usable software components with very little or no modification. In the context of software
engineering or the digital product development process, re-usability is the use of existing assets
in some form within the software product development process; these assets are products and
by-products of the software development life cycle and include code, software components,
test suites, designs and documentation.

• Open-source, commercial off-the-shelf (COTS), or freely available with open access to data
software licence is in its essence legally binding documentation for the use, adaption/
modification, and distribution of a software product. Free and open-source software has fewer
restrictions. Glossing over a lot of nuances, if a programme is released under a free software
licence or an open-source licence, you do not have to ask anyone’s permission to use it. You
can also copy and modify the software.

• Facilitate one or more generic op. workflows. Workflows are associated with business processes
that facilitate user interactions and execute applications according to a process map. Workflow
services also provide a means to encapsulate existing applications, thereby supporting customer
needs for leverage of existing assets.

• Applicable to use cases across multiple sectors. As the architecture progresses, the use case can
evolve from the business level to include data, application, and technology details. Architectural
business use cases can also be re-used in systems design work. An application use case diagram
displays the relationships between consumers and providers of application services. Application
services are consumed by actors or other application services and the application.
• Interoperable with other Building Blocks. Planning and developing a product with exposed
interfaces compatible to current and future products and systems, without great recodification
or add-on. To enable such a design and achieve an effortless environment for interchange or
interaction, some form of exchange standards or set of interoperability standards is naturally
introduced so all components follow one set of interface requirements and by which the
standards will guide the format of transmission, transaction, and response among these
components.

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