What is the Role of a Solution Architect in an Organization?

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. Your leadership skills will be important for steering the overall process of identifying key business objectives and determining the requirements for each solution. Security, scalability, usability, and performance are the usual non-functional requirements, although they may vary, depending on the overall product characteristics and complexity. The solutions architect’s job is to oversee the software development process to ensure that the end product meets these basic quality attributes. Another popular solution architecture definition describes it as a document containing the specifications for enterprise software which has to be built to propel the organization’s business goals.

Enablers are also used to refactor the system and reduce the technical debt inherent in evolving systems. Manage risks – Large, innovative systems have inherent technological uncertainty, which Solution AEs help address through risk management. For example, they ensure solution train Backlogs contain risk-mitigation work that explores alternatives while validating assumptions.

Technical architect – GOV.UK

Technical architect.

Posted: Tue, 07 Jan 2020 08:00:00 GMT [source]

According to data from Indeed, the highest paid solution architect is from Boston, MA, with an average salary 28% greater than the average national salary. New York state comes in second with an average wage 26% higher than the average national salary. It is followed by San Jose, CA, with an average salary 25% greater than the national average wage. Austin, TX follows with the average wage 24% higher than the average national salary. Employers pay Solution architects with high level of experience more because they demonstrate excellent skills.

What is the workplace of a Solution Architect like?

Most of the time, the project involves both technical and non-technical stakeholders, and the solutions architect must make sure that each party’s needs are considered and factored into the project’s scope. 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.

solution architect meaning

Refer toProject Delivery Framework for SAP Commerce Cloudfor other project deliverables. Work with business units to develop IT strategies and to improve current IT implementations. There is no business like a restaurant business; it’s also one of the most high-risk industries on the planet.

Solution Architect Skills

Refers mainly to software architecture, technical engineering, and implementation practices. Thus, technical engineers work in close cooperation with development teams to make sure that they stick to the accepted development practices and communicate the enterprise strategy to developers. A solutions architect, on the other hand, focuses primarily on software architecture.

In fact, many large systems—satellites, vehicles, robotics, medical devices, and more—have both cyber-physical and large-scale IT elements. In practice, the Solution AE role is most likely a team rather than one individual, with the team typically operating under the auspices of a ‘Chief Architect’ or ‘Chief Engineer’. Psychometric assessments are a common inclusion of modern-day recruitment processes. Hiring companies can use these tests to analyze the work competence and professional aptitude of potential…

solution architect meaning

In solution architecture, the client needs are expanded to business needs that in one way or another are related to technology. These needs usually crystallize through re-assessing existing systems and finding out how they benefit or harm the organization in the long run. Sometimes, these evaluations solution architect meaning are run by business analysts who also provide a definition of the problem. In the next step, solution architects take this problem and start crafting a description of solutions that appropriately address this need. Solution architects, therefore, play an essential role in project management.

Information security architecture

Since we’ve discussed high-level goals of solution architecture adoption, let’s break them down into specific responsibilities and underlying skillsets. The enterprise architect has the broadest view of the company’s current state of architecture and goals. It is this expert who is responsible for creating a strategic plan for implementing technical changes. This person works closely with top-level executives and decision-makers as he or she demonstrates to them the business value of suggested technical initiatives. Solution architecture belongs to the list of most important practices executed before any tech solution development begins. In this article, we’ll discuss what solution architecture is, describe the role of a solution architect, and explain how the adoption of this expertise can help solve business problems.

  • Moreover, solution architects collaborate with the IT development team to translate architectural solutions into effectual and robust implementation.
  • In practice, the Solution AE role is most likely a team rather than one individual, with the team typically operating under the auspices of a ‘Chief Architect’ or ‘Chief Engineer’.
  • While enterprise architecture focuses on strategy, solution architecture focuses on detailed planning.
  • As experience rises to mid-career, the average reported salary ranges from $115,000 to $137,000 per year.
  • The characteristics of a company ecosystem will largely determine the optimal tech stack for the project in question.
  • Understanding how to achieve such solutions and goals according to their given timeframes and available resources.
  • Software architects closely collaborate with development teams and control the entire development process.

To support this, AEs can use ranges (e.g., The vehicle’s recharging time is within 20 to 30 minutes) in system specifications that become fixed based on the knowledge gained as teams explore alternative designs. Requirements can also be expressed in the ‘language of intent’ instead of ‘shall statements’ that often constrain the implementation. Evaluating emerging technology – Solution AEs are responsible for tracking the technology innovations applicable to their solutions. In addition, they define Enablers to explore technical alternatives, create new knowledge, and drive optimal technology decisions to achieve the Solution’s Vision.

Solution architect role description and responsibilities

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.

The rest of the development team will then use the information to implement the solution. If you are creative, analytical, outgoing, pragmatic, and can explain problems and solutions on both a technical and non-technical level, you could have a future as a solutions architect. In this program, you’ll learn in-demand skills that will have you job-ready in less than six months.

Solutions architect skills

A solution architect accounts for budget, resources, and deadlines, and should be result-oriented and business-focused. At this stage, the Solution Architect’s role is to oversee the progress of the project in accordance with the solution goals and enterprise resources. When introducing a new product or system as part of an IT solution, solution architects make sure that it fits into existing information security practices. How the project complies with each regulation is formally documented at the beginning of a project. Get to know everything about what solution architecture is, the differences between solution architecture and enterprise architecture, and the benefits. These virtual models, also called ‘digital twins’, are validated by information collected from the physical and operational environments, as shown by the feedback loops in Figure 3.

solution architect meaning

This involves overseeing time schedules, monitoring technological risks, and ensuring that each activity aligns with the business requirements described in the solution. Therefore, the role of a solution architect can be compared to a technical project manager who keeps track of the project throughout all phases. 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. Moreover, solution architects collaborate with the IT development team to translate architectural solutions into effectual and robust implementation.

The roles of a solution architect vary from one organization to another. Solution architects should be keen on details and have excellent skills and knowledge to perform all the tasks effectively. Most employers want a solution architect who has relevant experience to ensure the success of their organization.

The characteristics of a company ecosystem will largely determine the optimal tech stack for the project in question. The solutions architect has to choose the optimal set of technologies to develop a particular solution. This choice will also have a decisive impact on the product’s technical architecture. It’s important to understand that enterprise architects and solution architects are not opposed to each other but form a synergy with technical architects. All three are integral elements when it comes to maximizing the value that a company can generate through the use of technology.

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Lead brainstorming sessions to develop potential solutions for business needs or problems. Product discoveryDefine the functionality of your future product and get a visual prototype to solicit market feedback. Defining which solutions are beneficial and which are inefficient for a particular business need. After that, it would be a good thing to extract insights out of it and understand how it contributes to the improvement of the product or service. Track technology across the supplier landscape – Solution AEs continually track technology innovations across the broad domain of vendors and assess their value to accelerate business needs.

Answers to frequently asked questions on Solution Architecture

Digital transformation requires businesses to reconsider either how they deliver value to their customers or what they will eventually deliver. There’s no way to answer these questions without linking technology and business perspectives, which is squarely https://globalcloudteam.com/ in a solution architect’s wheelhouse. Besides that, it’s important that solution architects consider the project from a long-term perspective and understand that the solution might need to scale and adapt to possible changes in the future.

Large solutions require significant coordinationAs shown in Figure 2, the Solution AE role has a primary collaboration with two other SAFe roles. They work with System AEs to design the solution and support Solution and Product Management efforts to define it. Of course, even that is an oversimplification as this role collaborates with many others within the solution train. Solution AEs define the Solution Context and collaborate with Solution Management to develop the Solution Vision, Solution Roadmap, and the Capabilities required to meet them. They also work with Solution Management to align the Solution Train’s ARTs and Suppliers on what to build and how to build it by establishing the Solution Intent repository. And they play a critical role in solution train events, including Pre- and Post-PI Planning, Solution and System Demos, the Solution Train Sync, and the ART and solution train Inspect and Adapt (I&A) Workshops.

While the scope of the job can vary depending on a business’ specific needs, there are certain responsibilities, skills, and qualifications that solutions architects will need to meet to get the job. 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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