Content
- Solution Architect Job Summary 1
- The Most Important Solutions Architect Certifications
- The Multidimensional Skill Set Of A Solution Architect
- Designs Solutions
- Generic Role And Skills Of The It Architect
We’re geographical distributed across the globe and the need for clear communication is increasing with every passing day. Effective communication has always been a key required skill for Solution Architects. In the current time I think, Solution Architects need to add Active Listening as another tool in their Effective communication toolkit. There is always an element of the unknown that can never let a solution architect prepare enough for the future. So, while structuring your moves can contribute to the success of the process, intuitiveness and an element of good luck will ultimately decide the result. If you build landing pages, integrate small modules, or make minor improvements, you don’t need a solution architect. As the solution architect knows the architecture components, they know what people—front end, back end, iOS, Android developers—they need to involve.
To join their ranks, you need to have advanced technical skills and a deep understanding of business. A solutions architect is an IT expert with a client-oriented role in the business world. This person is in charge of upgrading an organization’s information technology architecture.
What role does he play in the software development lifecycle , and can an enterprise do without one? In this comprehensive guide detailing everything you need to know about a Solution Architect, you will find your answers. Their main focus is on the technical decisions being made regarding the solution and how they impact the business outcomes. The rest of the development team will then use the information to implement the solution. That means SAs also understand that project updates need to be tailored to their audience. Depending on who they’re talking to, they may or may not need to get into technical details.
Solution Architects can help shape and execute a strategy to build mindshare and broad use of the GitLab platform with customers by becoming the trusted advisor. The ideal candidate must be self-motivated with a proven track record in software/technology sales or consulting. Proficiency in connecting technology solutions to measurable business value is critical to a Solutions Architect. Candidates should also have a demonstrated skill to think strategically about business, products, and technical problems. When preparing a resume for the solution architect job, you will need to include a section for highlighting your work experience.
Assist capture strategy development through technical leadership, including the creation and marketing of discriminating value propositions. Broad knowledge of business continuity including high availability, disaster recovery, and risk management. Delivers roadmaps specific to domain focus and can translate at an engineering and business level. I spent a lot of time trying to build a matrix for my own team to see who would and wouldn’t make the cut as we transition to this world of hybrid IT and simplified solutions and took a long look in the mirror. Sometimes looking in the mirror can tell you a lot about whether you are drinking your own Kool-Aid.
Build and deliver technical workshops and demos highlighting the Alliance partners’ technologies as they work with GitLab. Build deep relationships with senior technical people within channel environments to enable them to be GitLab advocates. Develop processes and metrics and KPIs to improve effectiveness and efficiency of technical evaluations, workshops, demos, and proof-of-concept engagements. Identify and lead initiatives and programs to scale the organization and its operations for future growth.
Solutions architects evaluate specific business needs before selecting, building, and integrating the information and computer systems that will allow the organization to meet its goals. Communication and team building are key to the successful role of the enterprise architect. The mix of good technical skill and the ability to lead are crucial to the job. The enterprise architect should be viewed as a leader in the enterprise by the IT organization, the clients they serve, and management.
Solution Architect Job Summary 1
They are relatively common for defining the skills required for a consultancy and/or project management assignment, to deliver a specific project or work package. They are also widely used by recruitment and search agencies to match candidates and roles.
Meanwhile, PayScale reports that the average solutions architect makes $119,957 annually. If you cannot communicate, present the value proposition, and demonstrate critical thinking, you might as well start looking for a new career. The competition is getting more intense and clients are going to gravitate to those who can break down complex topics into something others can clearly understand.
Solutions architects must communicate effectively with business and technology stakeholders, and getting clear, impactful feedback about how they’re doing helps them navigate positively around this delicate process. To remain adequate, solutions architects must receive feedback from managers that is both specific and timely. A solutions architect also bridges communication between IT and business operations to ensure everyone is aligned in developing and implementing technical solutions for business problems. The process requires regular feedback, adjustments, and problem-solving in order to properly design and implement potential solutions. As the process is always heavy on the budget and highly risky, every company should have a solutions architect to implement new solutions and scale them successfully. A solutions architect can be introduced to a company’s enterprise structure through software architecture consulting services. They take the business requirements and turn them into new software solutions that use a company’s emerging technology.
- The candidate is also required to have over 5 years of experience in leadership, managerial, or high-level advisory roles.
- The following list provides an overview of the best types of education programs.
- This role provides technical guidance and support throughout the entire sales cycle.
- Walgreens Boots Alliance’s Grant Ecker shares his five phases for engaging your organization and aligning your enterprise architecture team with the organization’s needs.
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. Considering that this role entails negotiating with stakeholders, understanding the needs of all parties, managing risks, and product delivery, the lack of communication skills can create a real bottleneck.
The Most Important Solutions Architect Certifications
Even though a solution architect is not a direct cog in the project development machine, he still needs to ensure that every resource is used optimally and effectively. Solution architects offer up architectural descriptions which detail all info pertaining to the cost of the development initiative and the resources required through the SDLC. This allows the client to set up better budgets for their digital transformation aspirations and avoid fine-print costs that may arise along the way. The first step requires the solution architect to scrutinize the various elements of the client’s business. He must expend efforts looking for opportunities where the implementation of technology can add value or be applied to resolve existing issues. At the first glance, many similarities can be noted between the role of a solution architect and that of a technical project manager. Both are responsible for keeping track of project progress throughout the phases of the SDLC.
Don’t overlook the power of letting managers know your desire and work with them to find opportunities to prove yourself. Find opportunities within your current job where you can take on extra responsibility.
Technical leaders need to start looking at their employees based on what their skill sets are outside of the technical specifications. Most product specialist jobs will be highly consolidated by the manufacturers. The technologies themselves are getting more and more simple to use and deploy.
The Multidimensional Skill Set Of A Solution Architect
Many programmers and developers are simply uninterested in handling ongoing requests from and reporting to customers. They’re very happy to leave those tasks to solutions architects so they can dig in and get the work done. Even when they need to focus on a single section of code or a single component, a solutions architect will consider how that piece fits in with the project as a whole—along with the organization’s objectives. Keep your team on the same page, cut the risk of failure and bridge business goals & technical realities. Solutions architects must be especially good at two things – maintaining positive relationships with clients and business teams and gaining the trust of technical teams.
You will acquire most of these technical skills during the course of your study and in your early career as a solutions architect. Once you get employed, you can consider taking short, specialized courses to boost your skill set. Hence it’s imperative for them to understand all aspects of every system, from both business and technical points of view. Because of the pivotal nature of their role, solutions architects should receive consistent feedback. For example, suppose the solutions architect is not assessing a proposed solution from all angles. In that case, their manager should provide feedback right away before proposing a solution that isn’t feasible or might bring up future problems. And a good architect can use programming to quickly create a proof of concept or demo to show a point or investigate how to use the latest and greatest technologies.
By moving beyond your technical compatibilities and adopting these soft skills, you will build resilience against the new challenges. Expectedly, the role of a solution architect requires technical education and hands-on experience across all major areas of the software development process as well as hardware engineering expertise . You need to forge a link between the existing enterprise architecture and the particular project. Solution architects will guarantee the solution meets the standards of your company environment. Enterprise architecture, which we covered in a dedicated article, focuses on building complex enterprise ecosystems and solves high-level strategic issues. Enterprise architecture defines strategic directions of the business architecture, which then leads to an understanding of what technology facilities are needed to support that architecture. So, in other words, the enterprise architect defines what has to be done, while the solution architect then decides how to do it.
Excellent communication skills – you should be adept at listening to, understanding, and explaining key concepts to managerial and technical resources. Employers look for a wide range of skills in technical architects, including good communication and problem-solving skills, ability to assimilate information, updated technical know-how, and ability to think ahead.
Being able to communicate technical concepts effectively is hands down the number one requirement. The strategic plan of the enterprise architect is tied to the architecture governance process (see 50. Architecture Governance) for the enterprise, so design decisions are not circumvented for tactical convenience.
Solutions architect certifications showcase your knowledge and validate your technical skills. Some education pathways for solutions architects cover the field in general, while others focus on a specific application or vendor platform. You will see that many learning centers teach concepts you must know for certification exams. The following list provides an overview of the best types of education programs. Coding bootcamps offer intensive programs that focus on specific tools that companies use, such as Salesforce and Amazon Web Services . They specialize in teaching in-demand tools and technologies, which are exactly what a solutions architect needs to know about. Solutions architects can also focus on specific domains like retail or telecommunications.
