Most businesses rely on a deep and wide technology stack that’s interconnected and integrated. Here’s what to know about a solutions architect’s salary, needed skills and how to become one. The solution architect must understand all of these constraints and consider the technical and business factors that ultimately need to align with the project’s goals. A solution architect is also responsible for the continuous maintenance of a system developed. This person makes sure that there is a secure and stable IT environment for a software solution to work properly.
In many cases, there are dozens of ways that a given enterprise application can be implemented within an enterprise, each of which has its own pros and cons. In some cases, making these implementation decisions may involve consulting with experts on individual technologies or enterprise applications including other architects or enterprise applications administrators. The solution https://www.globalcloudteam.com/ architect’s job focuses on solution-level decisions and analysis of their impact on the overall business goals and outcomes. So, we can say that the product of a solution architect’s job is the set of technological solutions and the strategy of their implementation. One of the most important challenges of software product development is meeting the stakeholders’ requirements.
Who is an IT solution architect?
This also lines up with the enterprise architecture goals of reducing costs and complexity. At the solution architecture level, the guidance provided at the enterprise architecture level begins to manifest itself into the implementation process. Most solutions architects have spent at least a few years in software development. This gives them a strong understanding of the tools and technologies involved in designing solutions. Five to 10 years of hands-on experience in network administration or information technology systems is common, but it varies based on what a specific company is looking for.
- To perform this task, a solution architect has to understand how all parts of the business model work together including processes, operating systems, and application architectures.
- Technical architects generally play the role of solution architects with less focus on the business aspect and more on the techology aspect.
- From a bird-eye view, solution architects can be seen as the link between enterprise architects and technical architects as they’re trying to find the right IT answer to a specific business riddle.
- Patterns are previously described and validated approaches that can be used to create portions of the solution.
- This digital transformation demands specific expertise and a set of practices to align business focus with technology solutions.
- A software architect is a person who ensures that you spend money on tech solutions wisely instead of taking a shot in the dark.
With that in mind, we know at this point the application that needs to be implemented, the functionality that it provides, and the business capabilities that are impacted by that functionality. In addition, we know what other enterprise applications exist within those business capabilities already and may have some direction from the enterprise architecture perspective on how to handle any conflicts. For this example, let’s assume that the only business capability where there is a true conflict of functionality is that of the SAP application in the Fulfillment business capability. The direction from the enterprise architecture practice within the organization is to leverage the existing SAP enterprise application and the modular design of FLARP will support this.
Solutions Architect Education and Experience
This is because their positions sound similar and the responsibilities overlap partially. Yet, each role is essential for a project’s success and cannot be substituted by another position. This article will provide solutions architect job description, how their role is different from other similar positions, and what kind of projects require input from these specialists. A solution architect is an analytical thinker capable of understanding how all facets of an organizational ecosystem interrelate while staying focused on strategic business goals. We’d recommend choosing the second option as solution architects and enterprise architects mostly focus on different goals. A solution architect is necessary for projects where many technology risks are present, uncertain requirements can appear, multiple products must be implemented at once, or the underlying technologies aren’t approved yet.
The solution architect should consider all software development requirements and provide updates about the development process, expenses, etc. A well-planned solution architecture helps the team working on a project to meet deadlines, act on the budget, and create a solution according to previously agreed customer requirements. Let’s take a look at what specific processes the solution architect works with. A Solution Architect is a professional who designs and manages the implementation of a specific solution or set of solutions within an organization. These solutions typically involve software or technology systems and are designed to solve specific problems or to improve specific processes within the company. The workplace of a solution architect can vary depending on the organization they work for and the nature of the projects they are involved in.
What is the Role of a Solution Architect in an Organization?
Normally, the folks in small towns go to a nearby city to get the services and expertise they need as they need them. Hence, the city medical center supports the city plus all of its neighboring towns for any specialty services that a GP would not be able to address. 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. Even the most sophisticated software product is worth investing in only if it can bring real business value.
The architect needs to determine which of the technologies will be most suitable for a particular project. This is a daunting task that requires experience with different technologies and highly relevant assessments. Another approach to becoming a SA is to become a distinguished Development Lead (DL). The SA skill set is slightly broader and requires a bit more finesse, however, fundamentally the same.
Importance of Solutions Architect In a Company
To clarify, solution architecture does involve other work as it relates to implementing applications into corporate environments. In many cases, it is the recommendation of solution architects based on their analysis of business requirements that will lead to the examination solution architect definition of specific enterprise applications for potential fit within the company. Just like many other roles in information technology, there are many aspects to the role of solution architects and those aspects involve working with architecting solutions in two directions.
Here at Intellectsoft, we have delivered over 600 digital solutions of different types and complexity to businesses, from startups to Fortune 500 enterprises like Mitsubishi, Harley Davidson, Melco, Intel, and many others. We have 15+ years of experience in providing business solutions for multiple industries like fintech, healthcare, construction, logistics, eCommerce, and others. Over these years, we have gathered a top-skilled team of prominent experts, including software architects. This exam will be suitable not only for solutions architects but also for any experts dealing with Google Cloud technologies. According to Google’s recommendation, it’s better to take this exam with at least 3 years of experience.
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Usually, a product has a number of stakeholders that are both technical and non-technical specialists. Solution architecture’s aim is to ensure that all their requirements are taken into account. Stakeholders have to be regularly informed about product development processes, costs, and budgeting. These tasks are usually done by a solution architect who translates technical project details into a language that management and non-technical stakeholders can understand. Solution architecture provides the ground for software development projects by tailoring IT solutions to specific business needs and defining their functional requirements and stages of implementation. It is comprised of many subprocesses that draw guidance from various enterprise architecture viewpoints.
In other words, solution architecture shows how a system and its specific features help a company reach its determined business 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.
Enterprise architect vs solution architect vs technical architect
Once the development leader has internalized their portion of the architecture the SA must continuously motivate and reinforce the good work that is being done. They must continue to motivate the Developer Lead(s) to push through tough issues and create the solution. In addition to research on technologies and approaches critical to the architecture, there is often a review of patterns that might be useful to the architecture.
