What is a solutions architect? Know the roles and responsibilities
With the technology space constantly evolving, businesses have started getting inclined towards bringing adjustments in their operating methods. An inclination that would prepare them to meet emerging challenges and the constantly changing customer demands.
This change, although necessary, can prove to be very complicated, which is why businesses look for experts who hold the essential proficiency and skill set for balancing business needs with distinct technological solutions.
This is where solutions architects come into the picture.
In layman’s terms, the true success of an IT project would depend heavily on the inputs that a solutions architect gives through their:
- Business analysis skills
- Technical knowledge
- Project management skill set
But who are these solutions architects, and what role do they play in businesses’ success? We will dive into that in this article which is all about what is a solutions architect and his/her role.
A solutions architect is responsible for the evaluation of the business needs and identifying how the IT system can support those needs using hardware, software, and infrastructure. They help determine, develop, and improve the technical solutions that are aligned with business objectives.
They also link business and IT teams, ensuring that everyone is aligned with developing and implementing technical solutions for business.
Overview of different IT architecture roles
In the IT world, there are three primary architecture roles – Solutions Architect, Enterprise Architect, and Technical Architect.
Now since this article is focused on IT solutions architects, let us look into the other two roles here for the time being.
Enterprise Architect
They are individuals who look over the complete enterprise in terms of properties, business entities, relationships, and external ecosystems. They work on creating solutions that address critical business issues.
Technical Architect
They offer guidance and leadership to the development teams. These individuals are responsible for engineering, creating software architecture, and implementing technology.
IT solutions architect roles and responsibilities
This far, we have established how a solutions architect helps IT and business teams with building products on time and on budget while ensuring that problems get solved. But when it comes to day-to-day operations, what tasks do they perform? Here’s what the solution architect roles entail.
When does a company need a solutions architect?
Once a business’s software becomes complicated and starts getting introduced with risks and processes, know it’s time for hiring a solutions architect.
Let’s have a look at the top cases where it is recommended to have a solutions architect:
You are unsure of which solution would fit in the enterprise. When you have to add a link between the current enterprise and the specific project, business solution architects would be able to help you with the best solution.
You are running a digital transformation task. Digital transformation needs businesses to think over what value they are delivering to their customer today and what they will have to deliver later. Now these decisions cannot be taken by keeping business and technology in silos. This is also where you will need the help of a technical solutions architect.
You are facing multiple risks. Someone will be needed for projects where there are a lot of uncertainties and multiple risks, and different products have to be implemented. That someone can be a business solution architect with his/her advanced technical skill set.
Multiple teams are a part of the project. You might be working on a complex project that needs someone to manage the technical, design, and architecture teams. This is where technical solutions architects come into the picture. They will play a role in talking to the stakeholders as well, converting technical information into layman’s.
