Solutions Architect and its Role for IT-Business Alignment

Ensure continuous compliance – The Solution Architect ensures that the new releases of the live solution adhere to regulatory requirements. Additionally, the ones supported in the past are often affected by ongoing development and may require further work to ascertain compliance. Approaches include incorporating enablement for some compliance requirements into the solution design and using automated methods for compliance verification. Evolve architecture to support new business priorities – The architectural work does not stop after the initial version of the solution has been developed and released.

It's always recommended to draw it in a way where each component in the diagram represents an individual workflow. Look at the detailed diagram to see how we can design it in the way we explained above. There can be unseen changes in the future or additional requirements. This should be well-communicated and a cut-off should be set as to the number of new changes that can be accommodated. Discuss the process with Subject matter experts and related IT teams. Availability of a schedule so that existing processes aren't affected.

Types of Solutions Architects: Specialization

Architects consider the existing company's architecture to make sure the new product will work in the existing ecosystem. There are many different programming languages, frameworks, libraries, databases, architectural patterns, and standards. The responsibility of a solution architect is to pick the most suitable tools for a particular project. But solution architects aren’t the only architects when it comes to software development. A solution architect is a person who finds the best tech solution to clients’ business problems. They bridge business requirements and tech means developers need to use to meet these requirements.

The Enterprise Architect could map how XYZ uses AI today and what steps should happen to reach its future goals. They could note which changes should take place in the infrastructure by adding applications, processes, skills, and teams, assessing risks, and predicting the scenarios resulting from these future decisions. While the practice can be managed in-house, there are companies that solution architect roles and responsibilities providesolution architecture consultingas a specific set of services. Solution architects bring clarity to a business by understanding the current software domain and tailoring it in ways that improve technical and business performance. They are prominent figures in today’s business environment because more companies require complex software architectures to achieve their goals.

When a company needs solution architecture consulting

This digital transformation demands specific expertise and a set of practices to align business focus with technology solutions. In every new IT project, solution architecture is a vital link between the IT strategy of a business and the successful implementation of technical solutions. By looking at a specific problem, solution architects conceptualize the best possible solution while taking all functional and non-functional requirements into account. Solutions architects depend on enterprise architects to know if their solutions fit perfectly with the corporate environment.

You need to set up communications between stakeholders and engineers. A solution architect will help to fill the communication gap between technical and non-technical specialists. Also, by collaborating with the project management team, solution architects cover the risks of product misalignment with stakeholder requirements and ensure that the solution fits the defined purpose. Enterprise architecture, which we covered in a dedicated article, focuses on building complex enterprise ecosystems and solves high-level strategic issues. Enterprise architecture defines the strategic directions of the business architecture, which then leads to an understanding of what technology facilities are needed to support that architecture.

The Responsibilities of a Solution Architect: From Software Engineering to Communication

A vital part of the solution architect’s competence is communication. Considering that this role entails negotiating with stakeholders, understanding the needs of all parties, managing risks, and product delivery, the lack of communication skills can create a real bottleneck. The position requires working closely with enterprise and software architects, business analysts, and project teams. So, an experienced solution architect should be able to listen, advise, empathize, and explain. Usually, companies already have operating systems, an information context, and integration requirements. The solution architecture helps ensure that a new system will fit the existing enterprise environment.

The solutions architect has to be able to manage software development practices and dedicated teams in a collaborative and agile manner. This involves SCRUM, DevOps, and operational skills and a knowledge of how to use Agile methods to push efficiency. This means that an infrastructure Architect maintains the production side rather than software development in the corporate ecosystem. At the same time, https://globalcloudteam.com/ a Solutions Architect has a high-level buy into the software development process and understands how technology intersects with business objectives. It is the responsibility of solutions architects to ensure that the applications and hardware are aligned with the specified strategy and requirements. In this guide, we’ll define who a solutions architect is and their responsibilities in an organization.

Enterprise Mobility Trends and Predictions for 2023

These roles intersect and collaborate at PI boundaries and during PI execution. The architect collaborates with the Solution Management to develop the Solution Vision, Solution Roadmap, and the Capabilities required to meet them. They also collaborate with the STE to eliminate the Solution Train’s technology impediments and provide better synergy between the solution architecture and the Solution Train structure and process. As a critical role in steering the Solution Train, the architect participates in various aspects of Coordinate and Deliver. In fact, it's one of the most difficult roles in IT because you have to be able to understand both business requirements and technical aspects well.

• Salaries vary from one country to another so let’s take a closer look to compare.
• Solutions Architects combine business, technology, and user experience skills to develop end-to-end solutions that meet the needs of both the business and its customers.
• As a solutions architect, you will need to understand the business side of the organization to understand which IT solutions will fit the company’s goals.
• A good and well-considered architecture is essential for the effective development of any software.
• It can be anywhere from $70,000 to $190,000, depending on experience and education.
• An IT solution architect is a professional in charge of developing a comprehensive architecture for a future software solution.

In the planning stages of the process, you'll need to break down and document these elements. Ideally, solution architects should have a broad range of expertise. You'll need to think outside the box, which means you'll need to be familiar with all possible solutions for any given problem. The role is a technical one so a STEM education is the strongest path, whether that’s through a four-year college, graduate degree or by way of nanodegrees and online courses. The latter method, paired with practical experience, represents a viable option for securing a solutions architect position.

Data and Application Layer

After decades of designing solution architectures, I have landed on a set of views that I use to depict any solution architecture. While it seems counter-intuitive, using multiple fit-for-purpose views is more understandable than trying to jam everything onto a single diagram. Therefore, solution architects who have experience making broad-ranging and highly impactful software and technology decisions make this a highly sought after group of professionals. To successfully design, create, and lead the development of a software solution, a solutions architect needs to have a certain skill set. Conducts a system architecture evaluation and collaborates with project management and IT development teams to improve the architecture.