If you’re interested in learning more about Fresh’s approach to consulting and development, feel free to explore our pages on Technology and Software Architecture as well. If architected properly, the system will be easily scalable, manageable, affordable, and will bring business value, fast. The return on investment is how we decide if we’re going to invest in it or not. If that return is high and fast, yet affordable to start with, there is no reason why a business wouldn’t decide to go for it. Designing a safe car that runs reliably, is comfortable, and is easy to use is proof that great architecture provides great cars.

As in any business, you reduce overhead as you find ways of supporting the capabilities required using alternate means. Going through this process, the solution architect first gains an understanding of what the enterprise application does and how it does it. Frequently, this will involve working closely with application developers, vendors, and enterprise applications administrators in order to gain as much information about the application as possible. The solution architect needs to know what logic the enterprise application uses when making decisions, what the inbound and outbound data is, and how the application operates at a functional level. This will guide the solution architect on how they can integrate the new enterprise application within the corporation. Solution Architects have experience in developing technology solutions and a deep understanding of business processes.

Solution architect role description and responsibilities

In short, Solution Architecture is the process of designing solutions that meet a company’s set of needs. Normally, the solution architecture is overseen and directed by a Solution Architect, and here is where we go deep. They take business requirements and transform them into new software solutions using the latest technology. A technical architect primarily oversees software architecture, technical development, and implementation technology.

The average salary for a solutions architect is $119,000 per year, according to data from PayScale. Reported salaries range from $75,000 to $160,000 per year, and entry-level workers average around $76,000 per year. The highest paid solutions architects are located in San Jose and San Francisco, where the reported average salaries are $144,000 and $132,000 per year, respectively. If you’re already an IT architect, hopefully, you have a better understanding of your peers that are working hard to help put the systems you help create to good use.

How do you become a solution architect?

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. At the same time, solution architecture is responsible for the technological support of such execution.

Each system is different, driven by the process definition and related workflows designed for fulfilling specific operations. It would be lovely to know everything you needed to know about any big life decision. But what if there were such a person who was not only a subject matter expert on a certain product or solution but also had your best interests at heart beyond the purpose of selling?

Solutions architect certification

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). The solution architect works directly on the project while the business analyst develops the requirements. These specialists are responsible for the project vision that underlies the solution and translates that vision into reality.

It can then be viewed as a combination of roles, processes and documentation that are intended to address specific business needs, requirements or problems through the design and development of applications and information systems. Perhaps the most critical skills for the SA are the ability to create consensus and understanding around the architecture. While a development lead my need to involve a few people in their detailed design the architecture of the application touches every member of the what does solution architect do team and there’s a need to get them to understand it and agree with it. Once the SA has created the architecture it’s time to communicate and sell it. In addition to mastery of UML and database design, it’s sometimes necessary for the SA to have experience with specific tools and processes when the organization has decided upon a specific process for software development. Other tools and processes exist the ones that the SA will have to master are based on what the organization has chosen.

Solution Architects focus on:

With that in mind, we know at this point the application that needs to be implemented, the functionality that it provides, and the business capabilities that are impacted by that functionality. In addition, we know what other enterprise applications exist within those business capabilities already https://www.globalcloudteam.com/ and may have some direction from the enterprise architecture perspective on how to handle any conflicts. For this example, let’s assume that the only business capability where there is a true conflict of functionality is that of the SAP application in the Fulfillment business capability.

• They evaluate the existing environment and examine how different elements of business, information, and technology can be applied to solve a specific problem.
• The enterprise architect has the broadest view of the company’s current state of architecture and goals.
• In recent years, the concept of a Solution Architect has been floating around all over the software development world, but it’s done without a clear sense of direction.
• The solution architect should consider all software development requirements and provide updates about the development process, expenses, etc.
• I just had to add cloud technologies there and add all the new cool stuff that the cool kids play with these days.
• Even though enterprise architects sometimes deal with technical questions, they delegate specific tasks to solution architects who then craft appropriate solutions.
• 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.

Therefore, the role of a solution architect can be compared to a technical project manager who keeps track of the project throughout all phases. As the name already suggests, enterprise architecture paints a big picture of the enterprise that includes all business entities and their relationship to technology and applications. EA is particularly concerned with the lifecycle of applications and defining IT strategies. In solution architecture, the client needs are expanded to business needs that in one way or another are related to technology.

Solution architect vs. software engineer

Generally speaking, a software product’s goal is aimed at solving a particular collection of tasks. Traditionally, this would be a niche application that adequately solves issues and meets user needs in terms of calculations, storage, and data processing. The average salary for a solution architect in the United States is $100,000 per year and those with extensive experience can earn up to $250,000 annually. If you are thinking about moving into this career field, then it is important that you research how much money other people are making in cities across the United States before deciding which city to settle down in.

In-memory data processing solutions like Qlikview need to be tested further for advanced reporting requirements, depending on the success and adoption of the new stack of technologies. Solution architects are critical to modern businesses due to their ability to bridge the gap between technical and business use cases. Companies operating across all sectors need a robust technology foundation; in many cases, technology represents the key differentiator for a company in terms of business performance against its peers. This is one crucial point, as there are many different practices related to platforms, programming languages, and tools. The architect needs to determine which of the technologies will be most suitable for a particular project. This is a daunting task that requires experience with different technologies and highly relevant assessments.

Best AI Tools for Developers

Technical architecture is like analyzing and defining each brush stroke on the painting, an even deeper level of analysis than examining the parts of a painting. The software as service (SaaS) culture has transformed the digital landscape and often demands a system overhaul. Solution architects use system architecture to design new software entities that automate processes. In their conceptual model, they also determine the placement and behavior of each software component.