Solution Architect: Role & Responsibilities


At the same time, solution architecture is responsible for the technological support of such execution. Solution architecture is focused on details and solution technologies to address a specific business problem. They are mediators between enterprise architecture (global business perspective) and software architecture (dealing with tech issues). These people work in big organizations that maintain complex hardware infrastructure. 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.

The field solution architect’s primary deliverable is the combination of all delivery aspects during all phases of solution delivery to the customer or business. They are continually striving for this integration taking actions in areas where the architect leads, initiating actions and decisions in areas where he’s supporting. The solution architect role description includes organizing a series of actions for software creation and integration with other systems so that its technical implementation corresponds with the firm’s overall goals. Solutions architects also evaluate system architecture to ensure it is up-to-date, secure, and compliant with industry standards.

Types of Solutions Architects: Specialization

Solution architects may work on multiple projects at the same time, which requires effective time management and prioritization skills. They may also be responsible for managing project budgets, timelines, and resources, ensuring that the solutions they design are delivered on time and within budget. Solutions architects are a vital role in any organization that wants to align its business goals and needs with IT services, products, software, and infrastructure. As the process is always heavy on the budget and highly risky, every company should have an architect to implement new solutions and scale them successfully. This specialist can be introduced to a company’s enterprise structure through software architecture consulting services.

An architect is responsible for translating the vision for the project to the development team and plays a pivotal part throughout the entire systems development lifecycle. In this case, a solution architect maps out a solution to business objectives with the help of a business capability map. These capabilities include items like usability, security, features, and functions of a solution and https://www.globalcloudteam.com/ visualize how it can impact business outcomes. There’s no universal tool set, but there is modeling software for solution architects like ABACUS. You may have a large project that requires someone to manage designers, technical or business architect teams to produce a quality technical project outcome. While these aspects are constraints in themselves, each of them has its own limitations.

How to Become a Solutions Architect

Take two or three sentences to cater your recruiting pitch to the ideal candidate, letting them know what you have to offer new hires. We value results, transparency, sharing, freedom,
efficiency, self-learning, frugality, collaboration, directness, kindness, diversity, inclusion and belonging,
boring solutions, and quirkiness. If these values match your personality,
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primer to learn more. Open source is our culture, our way of
life, our story, and what makes us truly unique. Specialty responsibilities and requirements may extend or overlay Level roles for a team member who has a specialty role. Some of these are specific architect responsibilities that are discussed further in this article.

  • A solution architect is sometimes confused with enterprise architect and software architect.
  • Still, he/she is focused on the highest quality result and that everything is completed on time.
  • For example, in the US an expert can get between $142K – 238K yearly whereas in Ukraine a professional with the same qualifications can get between $68K – 90K  per year.
  • By understanding these processes, they will design a specific solution that is most suitable for the environment.
  • Solution architecture is usually implemented as a part of enterprise architecture.

Of course, you always want to make sure you’re in front of these people if they need to talk to you. Throughout the entire buying process, you always want to make yourself available. They also need 3-5 years cognate experience, AWS Certified Solutions Architect certification, and excellent understanding of cloud computing technologies and modern computing trends. Designing a successful large solution is a highly collaborative process that requires ongoing communication, coordination, and cooperation across different people and teams involved in large solution development. This process is led by the Solution Architect and involves the key collaborations depicted in Figure 1.

What is a software or technical architect?

To do this, they collaborate with various Solution Train roles and Agile Teams to elaborate the solution, validate technology assumptions, evaluate implementation alternatives, and converge on the final solution. Tech is about what you can practically do and less about what you read in college. Solutions architect skills span tech and business skills, which can both be developed and grown over time and with the application of practical, real-life solutions. Solution architecture is concerned with defining and designing the building blocks for a program and a very high level. It is about understanding the current state, its impact on the overall architecture, and defining new blocks and their interfaces.

solutions architect meaning

As a result, solution architects constantly deal with analytical work and move between various business layers. An infrastructure architect is much like a technical architect but with a focus on a corporate on-premises server or cloud systems employed by an organization. This means that an infrastructure specialist helps grow and maintain the production side of a corporate software ecosystem, rather than software development itself.

When a company needs solution architecture consulting

For instance, if you want to create a simple one-page website, a coding team and a project manager will be able to do this without additional guidance from a solution architect’s side. The solution architecture was designed considering all the business requirements. We’ve considered a role-based access control (RBAC) with three different roles to enable access level management. Our team has also implemented core logical modules, features, and logical layers such as management of Documents, Actions, Training Records, and Human Resources to bring more value to our Customer. The interconnection of modules and solution elements is presented on the detailed product scheme. Before embarking on product deployment, the role of a solution architect is to analyze your company’s IT landscape to map business expectations with current IT capabilities.

solutions architect meaning

It can be 30 minutes, it can be 5 minutes; it’s just a conversation; a person talking to another person, and I gain a lot of respect from this kind of approach. [Work Hours & Benefits] Discuss the working hours and benefits specific to your company here. The best performing job descriptions inform future solution architects about solutions architect meaning flexible hours, the ability to work from home, or other telecommuting opportunities. And they highlight unique benefits, like conference sponsorships, continuing education credits, or paid time off. This solution architect job description sample can help you create the ideal posting to attract the best qualified candidates.

Solution architect role description and responsibilities

Solution architecture is usually implemented as a part of enterprise architecture. The latter determines what business structure, processes, and operations allow a company to meet its strategic objectives. Alternatively, we may say that enterprise architecture defines how a company’s business strategy can be executed most efficiently.

The Enterprise Solution Architect is the individual that oversees an entire enterprise in terms of business entities, properties, external ecosystems, relationships, and more. Enterprise Architects focus on building robust solutions that solve a critical strategic issues. Usually, Enterprise Architects supervise and take a back seat role by delegating specific tasks to specialists in particular areas. The principal involvement of Enterprise Architects is ensuring the company, as an entity, has streamlined application lifecycles and uses the technologies best suited for each application. My experience as a sysadmin taught me that gaining trust and exemplifying integrity in front of the people you’re dealing with is the way to go in every kind of conversation, sales-related or not. In reference to my role, the customer can bring me a long way in the conversation.

How to Choose a Software Development Company: Fundamental Do’s and Don’ts

An infrastructure architect is much like a technical architect but focuses on a corporate on-premises server or cloud systems of an organization. The enterprise architect has the broadest view of the company’s current state and goals, creating a strategic plan for implementing technical changes. Still, he/she is focused on the highest quality result and that everything is completed on time. Therefore, they have to decide which decisions are beneficial and which are useless in a particular situation. Solution Architects require a combination of technical expertise, business acumen, and excellent communication skills.


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