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To mitigate the risks you might face on projects, you need a solution architect. It will help prevent the emergence of technological risks as, for example, the underlying technologies are not well suited to implementing a particular digital solution. A software architect is another crucial person for most development projects. He or she provides technical leadership and makes decisions regarding the most crucial elements of a created system. Usually, those elements would be hard to change after they are implemented, and elements that may be related to failure risks.

Altogether, these roles put technological solutions into practice ensuring that the application designs support the technological strategy defined by the enterprise architect. However, technical architects are not only in charge of the implementation of new technologies. They also provide recommendations and inform stakeholders about potential threats. These strategies are aimed to reduce costs, eliminate redundant applications, technologies, or processes, and are meant to mitigate and manage the impact of a digital makeover. Not surprisingly, developing a target architecture requires an understanding of the entire organization and close collaboration with leaders and stakeholders.

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Next, they propose a combination of building blocks that provides the best possible fix. This process is very detail-oriented and serves as a connecting piece between enterprise architecture and technical architecture. It also requires a breadth of knowledge in the technical and business inner workings of the company. The previous sections have outlined the importance of solution architecture during digital transformations and how solution architects can drive change by managing the implementation of IT projects. But what are more specific solution architecture benefits that motivate business leaders to hire SA specialists?

solution architect meaning

Out of all IT architects, they are the closest to an organization’s end-user. Thus, they have to ensure that the technology is not only delivered in a timely manner but fully functional for the end-user. Our technology environment is evolving quickly while changing business requirements at a dramatic pace. In order to keep up with the digital transformation and align their business strategy with new technology solutions, companies need to rely on specific expertise. That’s where IT architects and to some degree also business architects come into play.

How to Become a Solutions Architect

Prior to considering solution architecture, we recommend exploring enterprise architecture frameworks that combine both solution and enterprise levels. Since we’ve discussed high-level goals of solution architecture adoption, let’s break them down into specific responsibilities and underlying skillsets. Ultimately, technical architects define how the software must be engineered, while infrastructure architects make sure that this software is successfully deployed and operates well.

One crucial thing that we also want to mention related to the IT solution architect is their certifications which are needed to validate their skills and qualifications. The certifications are aimed at assessing the overall knowledge, abilities, and experience of an IT solutions architect and at proving their proficiency. Collaborate with software developers and engineers to ensure configuration and delivery of software solutions solution architect meaning per the defined architecture specifications. Define and design proposed software architecture that fits the specifications of the project or business solution. It is obligatory that a solution architect takes their opinions into consideration and informs them about expenses, processes, and other related issues. It is necessary that this information is given in a way for non-technical investors to understand every detail.

In most cases, businesses already have their own OS, integration requirements, and information contexts. An architect analyzes how each part is connected with the other and designs the most appropriate solution. DLT Labs is a global leader in the development and deployment of innovative enterprise solutions using distributed ledger technology. As such, a solution architect is a must-have for those companies that go for complex solutions beyond a mere WordPress cookie-cutter.

Subsequently, it morphs into the development of the solution’s prototype (i.e. how it will be developed). Each project starts with a foundation – a vision of how things should be, how the whole thing should operate, which elements contribute to the workflow, etc. The average annual income of a specialized Java architect is indicated as $79,000. Download this poster to learn more about core competencies of IT architecture and how to become a Solution Architect. Elements of complexity are overcome through facilitated working sessions with key stakeholders led by the Solution Architect.

Are you suited to be a solution architect?

I usually find it challenging to explain my role to friends and colleagues. Having mostly worked as a software developer, I often get asked things like, “So you sketch buildings now? ” And while sketching is certainly a part of an architect’s job, there is plenty more to this role. Technical architects manage all activities leading to the successful implementation of a new application. They are specialists in their field and must be able to first visualize new technical concepts and then implement them into an existing system.

solution architect meaning

Solution architecture is the underpinning for any IT project, regardless of whether you actually adopt this practice or not. By deliberately introducing solution architecture, you build the framework that aligns technology, resources, and skills with defined business goals. ITIL is the industry-recognized set of qualifications that includes 5 levels. The highest credential is the ITIL Master for those professionals who work in IT service management and have extensive experience with ITIL practices. On top of that, a solution architect is a so-called middleman between different stakeholders and programmers.

Solutions Architects Within a Company

After that, they cooperate with a business analyst to help the latter properly translate stakeholders’ requirements into functional and non-functional requirements to a product. Work with product and delivery teams to develop scalable solutions and products. Solution architecture, term used in information technology with various definitions such as; “A description of a discrete and focused business operation or activity and how IS/IT supports that operation”. Separate chapters describing customizations to key data entities like products, delivery modes, order, and customer. In some cases, if the customer has the responsibility for a specific security area or mitigation but doesn’t have the solution in place, this should be tracked as a project risk.

solution architect meaning

An IT solution architect is a professional in charge of developing a comprehensive architecture for a future software solution. They also have to provide a clear strategy throughout the whole software development process. This person needs to ensure that the new solution fits into the existing enterprise architecture from technical, business, user, and other perspectives.

Interface View

This description is subsequently presented to the project’s stakeholders. On the lower end, the starting salary for all three types hovers around $82,000 a year. Everything you need for quick time-to-value and long-term success through EA. Uncover the value of a successful EA practice, and how that translates to your organization.

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A solutions architect needs to be very attentive to those details, as overlooking something may hinder the development process, lead to breakdowns, or make the software solution inefficient. They also should be able to understand the technical specifications of many different software solutions and hardware and perform analysis of different business layers. The solutions architect is also responsible for the project context from the very beginning to the current moment.

Where to hire a solution architect?

Technical architects often focus on the deeper or more specific details of a project, while solution architects may coordinate overall project solutions. Solutions architects must be prepared to work with leaders, managers, and employees across every business unit. And if you’re working on a product team, you might also be expected to work with clients to understand expectations and requirements. A solutions architect in a client-facing role will also need to understand how to manage customer satisfaction and set proper expectations for the end-product.

What is a software or technical architect?

This exam will be suitable not only for solution 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. A solutions 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. They cooperate with all the teams involved in the development process and need to know how every product and service works in architecture.

Successful solutions architects are usually curious, rational, analytical, and methodical—all of which are important traits for this job. From there, the solutions architect creates an overall strategic technical vision—not unlike an architect designing a blueprint for a building. They develop a budget for producing a software product based on that vision.

In such a situation, the solution architect must understand the company’s business processes in the solutions that are already used in the company. By understanding these processes, they will design a specific solution that is most suitable for the environment. In addition to the project’s technical specifics, the architect must understand the business processes inside and outside the company and how it builds its corporate strategy and goals faces. As a result, we can say that a solution architect’s work consists of analytical work, not just technical work.

As a rule, this person has industry-specific expertise, so he or she understands what stakeholders want and why they want it. A solution architect also possesses strong technical skills that help him or her communicate a product vision to a development team. Software architecture and systems integrated into it are numerous details that work together.