Solutions architects design and implement IT solutions that align technology with the company’s business objectives. They bridge the gap between business and technology by developing scalable and future-ready architecture in close cooperation with development teams and stakeholders. As businesses continue to expand, skilled solutions architects are in high demand.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of computer network architects, a role that often overlaps with solutions architects, is projected to grow 13 percent from 2023 to 2033, much faster than the average for all occupations​. This reflects the increasing reliance on complex IT systems and the need for scalable and efficient solutions across industries.

1 What Is a Solutions Architect?

Solutions architects are responsible for evaluating existing systems and developing strategies to integrate new technologies. They ensure that systems are cost-effective and scalable while maintaining robust data and system security.

what is a solutions architect

Solutions architects often provide advice prior to and regular support during implementation, ensuring that the process unfolds in line with the company’s business goals.

A solutions architect should have a strong technical background complemented by great problem-solving capabilities in order to explain complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders.

2 Solutions Architect vs Other Architect-Level Positions

Architect-level positions play a pivotal role in aligning technology with business needs. Among these, Solutions Architects, Enterprise Architects, and Software Architects stand out as the most critical. Above, we have considered the position of a solo architect, here’s how their roles differ and when to hire each.

What is an Enterprise Architect?

An Enterprise Architect is responsible for the organization’s overall IT strategy, ensuring all systems align with long-term business objectives. They focus on creating a cohesive technology roadmap for the entire company.

Key Responsibilities:

  • Defining the IT architecture across the organization.
  • Ensuring alignment of technology with business goals.
  • Planning for future scalability and integration.

Best For: Organizations looking for strategic IT planning and system-wide alignment.

What is a Software Architect?

A Software Architect specializes in the structure and design of software applications. They focus on ensuring the software is maintainable, scalable, and performs optimally.

Key Responsibilities:

  • Designing the internal structure of applications.
  • Establishing coding standards and frameworks.
  • Optimizing performance and maintainability.

Best For: Businesses building complex software solutions that require robust internal architecture.

Unlock the Power of Strategic IT Solutions

Achieve your business goals with tailored IT solutions for efficiency, scalability, and security. Start optimizing your systems today.

Consult Now
Portfolio

3 Solutions Architect Role and Responsibilities

A solutions architect can participate in every stage of a project, depending on its size and duration. However, their role is particularly crucial in the presale and discovery stages, when key architectural decisions are made.

Presale Responsibilities

During the presale stage, a solutions architect collaborates with a business analyst to define the project’s foundational elements. We identify:

  • Project Needs: Outline the project’s scope and objectives.
  • Business Goals: Set goals, such as increasing revenue with a new product.
  • Functional and Technical Requirements: Define the software’s functionality and technical specifications.
  • Non-Functional Requirements: Specify attributes like reliability, maintainability, and scalability.
  • Risks: Find potential risks, such as scalability issues.
  • Concerns: Evaluate the feasibility of the client’s business requirements.
  • Technical Constraints: Address constraints, such as migrating on-premises software to cloud architecture.
  • Business Constraints: Ensure compliance with industry requirements, such as HIPAA for healthcare or PCI for FinTech.

Discovery Stage Responsibilities

During the discovery stage, a software architect works on refining the project proposal, designing the architectural vision, and creating a roadmap. Key tasks include:

  • Preparing a Proposal: Collaborating with the team to present a comprehensive proposal to the client.
  • Creating Architectural Vision and Design: Establishing the overall architecture and design of the software.
  • Building Roadmap and Estimation: Outlining the project’s timeline and estimating required resources.
  • Selecting the Team: Forming the project team based on required skills.

4 Solutions Architect Skills

Success as a solutions architect requires a diverse and comprehensive set of abilities. From technical expertise to strong interpersonal skills, the role demands a well-rounded skill set to navigate the complex challenges of modern IT environments.

Mark Richards, a practical software architect and acclaimed author on software architecture, outlines the essential soft skills and expertise a solution architect should possess:

Leadership and Communication

Strong communication skills will enable a software architect to explain and justify their decisions to all project stakeholders, be they technical or non-technical. Good leadership will let the software architect guide the development team towards the project’s goals.

Technical Knowledge

Solutions architects should have deep knowledge of the technologies they deal with daily. On the other hand, they need to be open to growth and pursue new technologies and their possible uses. This kind of knowledge, even at the conceptual level, can help architects make informed decisions and move in step with the changing technological landscape.

Business Domain Knowledge

Each industry has its own buzzwords, trends, and competitive landscape. Familiarity with these can help a software architect design a relevant and effective architecture. Business domain knowledge builds trust with stakeholders and facilitates smooth communication among team members, clients, and other key stakeholders.

Business Requirements as the Core of Architecture Design

A software architect must align their architectural decisions with business requirements, which form the foundation of Software Architecture Design (SAD). Only by understanding business goals can a software architect design solutions that are both effective and sustainable.

Build Future-Ready IT Systems with Expert Guidance

Design and implement cutting-edge solutions that drive success and align with your business strategy. Secure your competitive edge now.

Talk to a Solutions Architect Today
Portfolio

5 Solutions Architect Certifications

Certifications recognize a solutions architect’s proficiency in key areas such as cloud computing, system integration, and project management. They demonstrate to employers and clients that an individual has undergone rigorous testing and possesses the knowledge and skills necessary to design effective and scalable solutions tailored to meet specific business needs and technical requirements.

Certifications can also differentiate one candidate from another in a competitive job market, providing a tangible way to demonstrate mastery of specific skills.

Solution Architect Certification

AWS Certified Solutions Architect (Associate/Professional)

Amazon Web Services (AWS) is one of the leading cloud platforms in the world, and AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate/Professional certification validates a solutions architect’s ability to design and deploy scalable, reliable, and secure systems using AWS technologies. 

The Associate certification focuses on foundational skills, while the Professional certification is more advanced and requires a deeper understanding of AWS architecture.

Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert

This Microsoft certification demonstrates expertise in designing cloud and hybrid solutions using Microsoft Azure technologies. It covers computing, networking, storage, security, and DevOps.

Google Professional Cloud Architect

Google Cloud is gaining popularity as a robust cloud platform, and the Google Professional Cloud Architect certification validates an individual’s ability to design, develop, and manage secure and scalable solutions on Google Cloud Platform. The certification focuses on cloud environment security, operations, and application deployment.

Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)

While not specific to solutions architecture, this certification demonstrates a deep understanding of security architecture, which is crucial for many solutions architects working on systems that handle sensitive data. CISSP is globally recognized and is ideal for architects focused on security compliance and risk management.

The Open Group Architecture Framework (TOGAF)

TOGAF is an enterprise architecture framework that helps solutions architects design, plan, implement, and manage the architecture of large-scale IT projects. TOGAF certification is valuable for solutions architects who must ensure alignment with broader enterprise architecture standards.

6 How a Software Architect Processes Business Requirements

One of the first steps a software architect should take is gathering and analyzing business requirements to shape the software design. This involves breaking down requirements into key components:

  • Functionality
  • Constraints
  • Quality Attributes

While functionality and constraints are crucial to the design, we are focusing on quality attributes here because they define the critical non-functional aspects that ensure the software meets performance standards, user expectations, and long-term maintainability. These quality attributes guide the architecture to fulfill both business and technical needs effectively.

Quality Attributes

Quality attributes define essential characteristics the software should exhibit. Key quality attributes include:

  • Functional Suitability: Does the system functionality align with user objectives and needs?
  • Performance Efficiency: How quickly does the software load and execute key functions?
  • Compatibility: Can the system seamlessly exchange data with other systems or components?
  • Usability: Is the system user-friendly and easy to navigate?
  • Reliability: Does the system ensure access and fault tolerance when users need it?
  • Security: Can the system securely handle and store user data?
  • Maintainability: How straightforward is it to update, test, or enhance the software?
  • Portability: Can the system adapt to different environments?

Every project is different in terms of its critical quality attributes. For example, security is of the utmost importance for FinTech applications, while 24/7 availability may be of less importance. 

Just as you need to prioritize what to pack when going on vacation, you need to prioritize quality characteristics when building a software product. We can’t fit everything we might want into a single suitcase — or into a single piece of software. Strategic prioritization ensures that your product achieves your aims and attracts its target audience.

Methods for Processing Quality Attributes

A software architect employs specific methods to define and prioritize quality attributes:

  • Quality Attribute Workshop (QAW)

A QAW helps stakeholders, including project teams, business owners, developers, and end users, to identify and prioritize quality attributes. This ensures alignment on critical features and priorities that directly impact the success of the product or system.

  • Attribute-Driven Design (ADD)

ADD enables architects to establish the appropriate software architecture and model, driven by prioritized project quality attributes.

  • Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method (ATAM)

ATAM evaluates the architectural design from the ADD process, helping to assess whether it meets both business objectives and quality attributes. Also known as a risk identification method, ATAM helps to mitigate potential risks early in the software development lifecycle (SDLC).

Key Components of ATAM

  • Risks: Architectural decisions that may lead to inefficiency or suboptimal outcomes for the project.
  • Trade-offs: Prioritizing quality attributes, such as choosing high performance at the expense of security.
  • Sensitivity Points: Identifying positive outcomes resulting from favorable architectural decisions that align with desired quality attributes.

Using these methods, a software architect can select the optimal software architecture that aligns with business goals and quality attributes.

7 When Do You Need to Consult on Your Solution Architecture?

Solution architecture consulting is essential when aligning IT infrastructure with evolving business needs. You may need it when:

  • Scaling Your Business: Scalable systems are important to scale up operations, workloads, and data processing capabilities. They ensure that your business can handle increased user demands, larger datasets, and higher transaction volumes without performance degradation.
  • Introducing New Technology: Seamlessly integrate cloud, AI, or IoT into existing systems to ensure long-term success.
  • Migrating a Legacy System: Maintain data integrity and performance by migrating outdated systems to modern platforms or cloud-based infrastructures with minimal disruption.
  • Developing Complex Systems: Most ERP or CRM projects require a structured architecture to enhance the system’s efficiency and decrease maintenance costs.
  • Prioritizing security: Design secure systems, protect data, and assure compliance, all with no compromise to performance.
  • Optimizing Costs: This involves staying within budgets and avoiding over-investment by optimizing existing systems and concentrating resources where they are truly needed.
  • Improving Performance: Identify performance bottlenecks and find solutions for fast and efficient operations.
  • Preparing for Digital Transformation: Ensure your strategy aligns with your business goals for a smooth transformation.
  • Integrating Cross-Department Systems: Enable seamless workflows and better decision-making across departments.
  • Addressing Technical Debt: Optimize outdated systems to reduce costs and prepare for future growth.

Solution architecture consulting can drive long-term success by aligning technology with business needs.

! Conclusion

A solutions architect is essential for aligning business requirements with effective IT solutions. By collaborating with teams and stakeholders, a solutions architect designs scalable and secure architectures that support current and future business goals.

As organizations continue to depend on complex IT systems, the role of solutions architects is becoming increasingly important, making it a critical and growing profession.

FAQs

Who is an IT solutions architect?

An IT solutions architect designs and implements technology systems that meet a company’s business needs. Acting as a bridge between technical and business teams, they ensure that the chosen technologies and system structures align with the company’s goals, focusing on creating efficient, scalable, and secure solutions.

What does a solutions architect do?

A solutions architect analyzes business needs and designs a system that meets them. They select the appropriate tools, define workflows, identify risks, and ensure smooth collaboration between development teams. They also oversee implementation of the system they have designed and manage expectations of both the business and technical sides.

What is a solution architect’s salary?

In the U.S., a solution architect’s salary could range from $110,000 to $150,000 annually, while salaries in Europe are typically between €70,000 and €100,000. The salary of a particular solutions architect will depend on the industry as well as their experience and location. A solutions architect job description often highlights expertise in designing scalable systems. Skilled solutions architects are highly sought after, particularly in the finance and healthcare sectors.

What are the skills of a solutions architect?

Key competencies that a solutions architect should possess (and their associated responsibilities) include the following:

  • Technical Expertise: Possess knowledge of cloud computing, software development, and systems integration 
  • Analytical Thinking: Evaluate business needs and create logical solutions
  • Communication Skills: Effectively communicate with technical and non-technical stakeholders 
  • Problem-Solving: Recognize design functionality issues and propose solutions
  • Project Management: Oversee the project development process, resources, timetables, and budgets to achieve project objectives
  • Leadership: Lead teams in delivering the technical vision

These skills will enable the solutions architect to deliver systems that are both technically sound and align with the business objectives.