What Is Solutions Architect? Roles And Responsibilities 2023

The SA has the ultimate responsibility for making the technologies work together. As a result the SA role comes with a requisite level of responsibility for the success of the project. Another approach to becoming a SA is to become a distinguished Development Lead (DL). The SA skill set is slightly broader and requires a bit more finesse, however, fundamentally the same.

  • A technical architect needs to have a strong knowledge and skills in the technical domain, as well as the ability to research and innovate new technologies and solutions.
  • For more senior roles, you may need more experience or education, including a master’s degree.
  • They are monitoring a single application to understand the various interactions between the different components, and other business apps and can define limitations and requirements for source code.
  • Solution architect job candidates should gain a clear understanding of the role, and know whether their qualifications make them a good potential employee.
  • Among the responsibilities of solution architects is making sure the software they work on meets all functional requirements.
  • Stakeholders have to be regularly informed about product development processes, costs, and budgeting.

As a result, many businesses realize the importance of cutting-edge technology and innovation to expand and multiply their efforts. It is where the solutions architect roles and responsibilities come into the picture. If the team follows the Agile methodology, the solution architect’s role is to support the development team, accompanying the project at the implementation stage. At the same time, they can create prototypes to identify tech limitations or delve into product design. Certifications are intended to validate the skills and expertise of solution architects. So, having one or more credentials proves the expert’s proficiency in specific skills.Most of the certification platforms, besides the exam itself, offer training courses, learning materials, and practice tests.

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Senior infrastructure engineers may earn a higher salary than solutions architects, but senior infrastructure engineers earn the most pay in the hospitality industry with an average salary of $123,360. On the other hand, solutions architects receive higher pay in the retail industry, where they earn an average salary of $122,080. A senior infrastructure engineer specializes in designing and developing systems and infrastructures based on client preferences and industry standards. Additionally, a senior infrastructure engineer has the authority to make decisions, train and supervise junior engineers, establish goals and timelines, provide technical support, and implement policies and guidelines. The average pay scale for IT solutions architects varies widely and is influenced by numerous factors.

solution architect roles and responsibilities

Senior system administrators earn the highest salary when working in the finance industry, where they receive an average salary of $104,418. Comparatively, solutions architects have the highest earning potential in the retail industry, with an average salary of $122,080. The annual salary of lead consultants is $13,106 lower than the average salary of solutions architects. The lead consultants oversee the work of a consultant team and are responsible for offering clients their advice and recommendations on the given project.

Defining and Communicating Architecture Vision

What is a solutions architect, their roles and responsibilities, and how they’re different from software engineers and Project managers — find out in this article. There is no set career path to becoming an SA, but most come from a background in architecture, project management, or software development. Solutions architects will use various tools to develop their designs and diagrams.

solution architect roles and responsibilities

It’s a solution architect’s responsibility to ensure that the login process goes as fast and seamless and possible. A Cloud Solution Architect specializes in devising and implementing solutions on cloud platforms like AWS, Google Cloud, or Microsoft Azure. They are responsible for managing the strategy and execution of cloud services and solutions. AWS certifications are valid for 3 years after which the credential holders have to go through recertification to prove their continued expertise and knowledge of the latest AWS technologies and best practices.

Solution Architect

On the other hand, the software development team adheres to the Agile methodology. They create prototypes simultaneously to identify technological constraints or advance the product concept. No matter, whatever might be your business domain, solution architects may work in a variety of industries, including information technology, finance, healthcare, and retail, among others.

solution architect roles and responsibilities

An effective approach for companies is combining enterprise architecture activities with solution and technical architecture activities. 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. If you want to catch all details quickly, check out our video about a solution architect role. A solution architect is a professional responsible for designing, planning, and implementing solutions within an organization.

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Suppose, let us take an example – You are developing a medicine delivery app; the solutions architect will make sure the app should be HIPPA compliant. All the software projects should meet a set number of non-functional requirements which define the system’s characteristics. 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. The role of a Solution Architect requires a mixture of both technical and business skills. The tech architecture strategy directly depends on the technology stack architects choose. According to the Pulse report, only 62% of projects met original goals, 53% were completed within the original budget, and 49% were completed on time.

solution architect roles and responsibilities

The name “infrastructure architect” usually highlights the fact that this specialist designs and implements software solutions based on the current infrastructure of the customer’s business. In terms of software development, this is the goal behind solution architecture – to describe, design, and manage how things should be in order to achieve business goals and solve problems. While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren’t so similar. Experienced and dedicated solutions architect clearly communicates their technological vision to their development team.

Match solutions with the business environment

A solution architect is the most general and broad role in solution architecture. A solution architect oversees the entire solution lifecycle, from the initial analysis and design to the implementation and testing. A solution architect needs to have a solid understanding of the business domain, cloud security companies the technical domain, and the best practices and methodologies for solution design and delivery. A technical solution architect’s roles and responsibilities, their qualifications, and the situations when their assistance is required, aren’t limited by thе description presented in this piece.

An infrastructure architect is much like a technical architect but with a focus on a corporate on-premises server or cloud systems employed by an organization. This means that an infrastructure specialist helps grow and maintain the production side of a corporate software ecosystem, rather than software development itself. So, the lines between these two roles are blurred.Solution architecture describes how different components of business, information, and technology architectures are used in a particular solution. As solution architecture is more focused on details and solution technologies to address a specific business problem, it provides a channel between enterprise architecture and technical architecture.

Business Hours

Solutions architects are a vital role in any organization that wants to align its business goals and needs with IT services, products, software, and infrastructure. A Solutions Architect must collaborate with sales, marketing, project management, QA, and development teams. Solution architects make sure the product meets business requirements, will be delivered on time and within budget. Cleveroad is a professional software development company that helps startups, SMBs, and enterprises deliver custom digital solutions that improve their performance and customer experience. If many teams are involved in the process, you may need an IT solution architect who’ll manage software architects to produce a quality outcome. Solution architects position appeared in сompanies that create software on an industrial scale.

Is a solution architect a good job?

These are the five types of solutions architect roles every business owner must know. So first, it is essential to define the business requirements and then hire dedicated solutions architect accordingly. They typically have a strong custom software development, system design, and project management background and may also have specialized knowledge in a particular industry or technology domain. We hope now you have got an idea of – What is a solutions architect and can move further with the process. Further to this, they decide what products or services can solve the problem at hand, and they choose an appropriate technology stack (databases, architectural patterns, standards, etc).

So, continuing the previous example, the software architect determines what exactly has to be done and how the result can be maintained. Solution architecture itself encompasses business, system, information, security, application and technology architecture. Some examples of solutions architecture include developing cloud infrastructure for efficiency, implementing microservices for ecommerce, or adopting security measures for data, systems, and networks. 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.

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