Solutions Architect: Roles and Responsibilities

An enterprise architect is a role that defines and governs the overall architecture of an organization, across multiple domains, systems, and solutions. An enterprise architect establishes the enterprise architecture vision and strategy, as well as the enterprise architecture framework and principles. An enterprise architect also aligns the enterprise architecture with the business strategy and objectives, and ensures that the enterprise architecture supports the current and future needs of the organization. An enterprise architect needs to have a holistic and systemic view of the organization, as well as the ability to communicate and collaborate with various stakeholders and levels.

As this change is quite complicated, every brand seeks an expert holding the required skillset and proficiency in balancing the business requirements with distinct modifications of technology solutions. Or we can say, as per the time’s demand, businesses need to run the digital transformation of their primary operations of transferring core processes to software solutions efficiently. The solution architect is the person responsible for the vision of the solution architecture, its refinement, and realization according to the business’ needs and goals. In a way, it is the ultimate form of a developer’s evolution (pokemon final form).

Lead Architect

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This ensures their databases, apps, or other data systems conform to the framework. Depending on the development of their data unit, they would also need to coordinate with third-party data suppliers to develop architecture-compliant guidelines. A data architect calculates how information is safeguarded and who can control it. Further, this professional must ensure compliance with data-related rules, regulations, and guidelines. Consider healthcare data that contains confidential details, referred to as protected health information (PHI), and is bound by HIPAA regulations. If an organization works with medical records and paperwork not stored in medical facilities, it is the data architect’s job to set up access controls, data encryption, anonymity, and additional security measures.

Risk Identification And Management

Strategic considerations should include opportunities to either facilitate these algorithms and devices, or even create new custobots. Intelligent Applications
Intelligent applications include intelligence — which Gartner defines as learned adaptation to respond appropriately and autonomously — as a capability. This intelligence can be utilized in many use cases to better augment or automate work.

So, being the one who knows the ultimate target, they guide the development process accordingly. Securing the expertise of a solutions architect on your team, whether internally or through a development partner, guarantees a host of undeniable benefits. With their invaluable contributions, you can be confident in achieving optimal project outcomes. Their expertise permeates throughout the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC), spanning from gathering and understanding specifications to assessing existing systems and synergizing with stakeholders. The primary responsibility of a Solutions Architect is to understand the business needs and objectives thoroughly.

Solutions Architect

The architect determines how the other members of the data science team and the company as a whole will construct these systems and manage stored data. As the name suggests, a technical architect focuses on engineering aspects of architecture and usually does not make financial or strategic decisions, unlike infrastructure or enterprise architects. These specialists determine how exactly software technologies should be used to meet the customer’s demands. So, if enterprise architects use strategic thinking and decide what needs to be done, then technical architects are tacticians who decide how things should be done. Obviously, there’s no need for an individual solution architect for every product.

• An IT solution architect guides your processes when your target is enterprise solutions or to make your existing product grow.
• 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.
• For instance, the SA may test to see if USB or serial port access is available from Java if there’s a need to read a device without downloading software.
• Their core task is to create exhaustive documentation, e.g. well-elaborated specifications and thorough diagrams.
• Multiple programming languages, libraries, frameworks, standards, and architectural patterns are available, and each has different tech stack requirements.
• Finally, a solution architect participates in making the most crucial technical decision that may impact the project’s ultimate results (for example, technology stack and integration with third-party systems).
• He directs all product initiatives, worldwide sales and marketing, and business enablement.

Deep analytical skills and the ability to see the connections between layers of business operations. 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. Every project has a constraint that keeps varying from one type of project to the other. The most common project constraints incorporate – Money, time, risk, limitation, and licensing. Since The Open Group does not recognize a unique Solution Architect role, a relevant link for these mentioned artifacts can be to the Business and Systems Analyst roles.

Solutions Architect Vs. Enterprise Architect Vs. Technical Architect

Solution architecture is the practice of designing, describing, and managing solution engineering to match it with specific business problems. For example, protecting customer data under GDPR and other privacy regulations is a business-level problem. Solution architecture defines how those requirements would translate into the way a given software operates.

The distributed software of the global world requires more effort on the part of the SA and increases their need. It’s not like winning the lottery where one day your name is drawn out of the proverbial hat. A person may find their way to this coveted role within only a few years of professional experience but more frequently it takes a dozen or more years to consistently find themselves in this role.

Roles & Responsibilities Of Solution Architect

At the same time, the ACWF drives business results and positive impact for key stakeholders. GenAI applications can make vast sources of information — internal and external — accessible and available to business users. This means the rapid adoption of GenAI will significantly democratize knowledge and skills in the enterprise. Large language models enable enterprises to connect their workers with knowledge in a conversational style with rich semantic understanding.

Their scope goes beyond individual projects or technologies, venturing into a holistic understanding of the organization’s technology infrastructure, processes, and strategic goals. Looking for a way to build solution architect performance goals your skills and expertise as a solutions architect and add to your existing resume? Consider a course in software architecture to better familiarize yourself with the most common solution architectures.

Estimation of Project Outcomes

You will have a better chance of finding the ideal candidate if you are open to new possibilities. The stated average earnings for solutions architects in San Jose and San Francisco are $144,000 and $132,000 annually, respectively. It is important to note that all of the architectural roles described are highly intertwined, and in a number of companies they can be combined under two or even one position. At the moment, there is no clear generally accepted division of responsibilities for the roles of architects, so indifferent companies, may differ and even have a different name. These professionals can help to prepare a work plan, so that the solution they have suggested aligns with the business’ goals, and they can ensure that a project is completed on time and within budget.

Solutions Architect: Roles and Responsibilities