Solution Architecture Roles and Responsibilities Explained

They may also work closely with business stakeholders, such as executives, department managers, and end-users. As such, solution architects may spend a significant portion of their time in meetings, discussions, and brainstorming sessions, both with their colleagues and with external stakeholders. The solution architect role may be the most sought after role in the software development process but it’s not without its challenges. Learning the broad array of skills, shouldering the responsibility, and dealing with the consequences can be more than the average mortal may want to take on. Solutions architects need a combination of hard and soft skills to succeed in the role. These include a strong knowledge of business processes, IT systems, and solutions, while also being able to communicate complex software processes.

In summary, these savvy employees must have an equally good understanding of how an enterprise runs and how to address various issues by adroitly leveraging technologies. The importance of solution architects lies in their ability to bridge the gap between technical and business aspects of a project. They play a critical role in ensuring that technology solutions meet the needs of the organization and contribute to its success. Professional Cloud Architect is the one for experts who use Google Cloud technologies in their solutions.

When a company needs solution architecture consulting

An IT solution architect guides your processes when your target is enterprise solutions or to make your existing product grow. A solutions architect should hold a specific skill set that’s enough to successfully craft, build, and guide the software development solution. First, they craft a technical vision to exhibit how the software will meet the business requirements. Furthermore, a solution architect starts too soon in the project with a plan to achieve.

Having a full plan of future software and a list of technologies is always better than having a bare idea. You have more chances to impress investors if you know what product you’re making and what problem it’s going to solve. A solution architect will match product requirements with ways to implement them and explain everything in clear business terms. It must fit into the current enterprise architecture — the software the company’s been using before. For example, if you use legacy software, your brand-new admin plan should fit right in and communicate with that legacy system. Architects consider the existing company’s architecture to make sure the new product will work in the existing ecosystem.

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The distributed software of the global world requires more effort on the part of the SA and increases their need. Where the development lead focuses on detailed knowledge of a particular area the SA is very broad. Instead of getting mired down into the details of implementing one specific thing the SA focuses on integrating various parts of the solution into one cohesive network that solves the larger problem. role of solution architect On the other hand, a cloud architect will adopt plans, develop cloud application designs, and monitor cloud management. They oversee the application architecture and deployment within cloud environments (public cloud, private cloud, and hybrid cloud). Learners are advised to conduct additional research to ensure that courses and other credentials pursued meet their personal, professional, and financial goals.

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Are you suited to be a solution architect?

Before deploying a product or software, the solutions architect is responsible for analyzing the company’s IT landscape to meet the business expectations with the current IT capabilities. In addition, it allows the solutions architect experts to determine whether the newly developed software will fit within the existing enterprise environment. To accomplish this, the solutions architect has to get well-versed in the OS, processes, and app architecture. To perform a solution architect’s role, one needs to complete a technical education and practical experience across every central area of software development process and hardware engineering proficiency.

Other tools and processes exist the ones that the SA will have to master are based on what the organization has chosen. No, solution architects do not require coding since many IT architects will already have experience with languages and Linux systems. Most of the time in their role they will analyze and lead software engineers and application architects to complete their projects. The average pay scale for IT solutions architects varies widely and is influenced by numerous factors. For instance, a professional with the same qualifications in the US earn between $142K and $238K per year.

When Do Companies Need a Solution Architect?

A technical solution architect’s roles and responsibilities, their qualifications, and the situations when their assistance is required, aren’t limited by thе description presented in this piece. These professionals are undoubtedly helpful when amending and handling a multilevel enterprise structure and making strategic technological decisions. Contact Andersen for a solution architecture consulting in case you need more insights and a price calculation. 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.

A Solution Architect zeroes in on particular business problems and designs solutions. At the same time, an Enterprise Architect surveys the broader architectural landscape across the organization and outlines strategic direction and standards. If you’re already an IT architect, hopefully, you have a better understanding of your peers that are working hard to help put the systems you help create to good use. A Solutions Architect is like water — you’ve got to mold yourself and your skillset into whatever situation you’re presented with. If you enjoy good conversation and know how to talk to people, and tailor the conversation to their specific needs, cool. If you understand operating systems, programming, networking, and the latest and greatest in technology, even better.

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• There is no set career path to becoming a solutions architect, however many candidates enter the position from a background in software development.
• Solution architecture is concerned with defining and designing the building blocks for a program and a very high level.
• Preferred candidates will be skilled at identifying pain points and designing or modifying technical solutions to solve company problems.
• They are well-versed with such constraints and bring the best ways to deal with them.
• A solution architect is in charge of leading the practice and introducing the overall technical vision for a particular solution.

Other crucial roles exist, namely Enterprise Architect and Technical Architect, which contribute significantly to an organization’s IT strategy. While all three professions share some commonalities, they have different focuses. Personally, I get satisfaction when I see the solutions I recommended get implemented and see people using them. I work with government agencies and one of the solutions we’re currently working on is a COVID response project for New Zealand. To create, suggest, and contribute a COVID response solution is pretty amazing; because for many people at this time, getting government support seamlessly is very helpful. The candidate is also required to have over 5 years of experience in leadership, managerial, or high-level advisory roles.

Requirements and skills

Their expertise permeates throughout the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC), spanning from gathering and understanding specifications to assessing existing systems and synergizing with stakeholders. Their role is instrumental in driving the alignment between technology and business, ultimately leading to achieving organizational goals. Solution architects may also spend time researching and evaluating new technologies, tools, and methodologies. They may read industry publications, attend conferences and webinars, and participate in online communities to stay up-to-date with the latest trends and best practices. Additionally, solution architects may be responsible for training and mentoring junior staff members, sharing their knowledge and expertise with others on their team. Solution architects typically work in collaboration with other IT professionals, such as project managers, developers, engineers, and analysts.