In any project (specially technical), a Solution Architect (SA) is very much required with balanced mix of technical and business skills who will provide proper strategic direction for the project. Here are top 5 reasons for your considerations:

1.Identifying the candidate solutions within the constraints

The core task of a Solution Architect is to identify a solution. Now that can be a trivial thing depending on who you ask. To consider production scenario and suggest something there is not a trivial task. Add to that all constraints it becomes the job of a dedicated trained person. Significant project constraints like technology, risk, scope, cost, quality, schedule and resources etc. are well planned and efficiently managed only by SA 

2.Cost control, reducing bad expense

Often the SA position is compromised due to budget  and for keeping the costs low. In the long run this always proves to be counter-productive.  Lack of SA may get you through the POC stage, however, for a IT system worthy to be called a product many other things require to be taken into account. Cost control and savings is a key vital task performed by SA throughout the entire process, with the help of different approaches, enforcing reusability of assets, cutting unnecessary expenses and finding optimized & cost saving shortcuts (if available), utilizing various technical tools.

3.Global vision of the project

Project is driven by great vision developed by organization needs which is carried forward by architect throughout the entire life cycle. The project vision occasionally gets evolved on the way, if necessary and SA takes the entire responsibility for ensuring that it’s delivered successfully.

4. Efficient project governance

Having the project vision from the very beginning, SA continuously monitor, attends frequent meetings with the client, identifying bottlenecks renders proper advice to the Group Leaders, provides incremental upgrades in order to achieve a scalable and stable project. Such efficient project governance that has positive influence on time to market cannot be ignored at all.

  5. Final project delivery

And the last but not least, planning, organizing and professional management of project delivery are applied in an integrated fashion to get successful project outcomes. SA is actually positioned as a major player for supervising and tackling all ever increasing hurdles for successful solution delivery.

So, from the enterprise analysis & requirement elicitation to solution assessment, validation and providing constant feedbacks to the stake holders, the role of SA in project governance provides quality outcomes which cannot be ignored.

10 more reasons not to ignore solution architecture.

Having identified the core reasons not to ignore SA. Here are more reasons why you should not ignore solution architecture.

1. Smooth communication with Stakeholders

Needless to explain how important is seamless communication with stakeholders (usually non-technical) during the work phase. Different holistic view sare requested from different stakeholders which must be explained in their own language carefully by SA ensuring quality, usability and time to market.

2. Facing Customer and other project associates

Facing customer including all channel partners & associates, sharing status report, demonstration, or beta releases in regular intervals has good impact on end results.

3. Understanding of business needs, re-engineering model with probable change management

The role with strong business analytical mind with technical acumen cannot be ignored in all projects, and such role is well performed by SA facing all credibility challenges in regards to understanding business requirements, technical aspects, strategy mapping etc.

4. Selecting the technology stack and ensuring most appropriate technology

Having depth knowledge over different tools and technologies. SA formulates techno-engineering strategy adopting various platforms, tools, sharing methodologies covering necessary standards and security measures. Creating alternative technological strategies with costs and benefits required for the project, and afterwards giving appropriate suggestion in selecting perfect optimised solution for the project is conducted none other than SA.

5. Assurance of NFRs

NFRs (non-functional requirements) includes security issues, reliability, maintainability, scalability, usability and other useful concerns which must be evaluated and tested simultaneously, and these are performed exclusively by SA.

6. Fighting hurdles and eradicating issues

Hurdles, conflicts, awkward deadlock type events are common phenomena in every project which are quite impossible to predict at the early stage. Only well experienced SA can handle and manage cleverly such uneasy elements during work phase.

7. In house quality control

Role of SA in quality assurance process conducting proper quality planning, testing and validating all alternative components cannot be ignored.Quality assurance practice supervised by SA evaluates actual performance, comparing with the project goals, and takes appropriate treatment on the difference.

8. Team management, motivation, maintaining ethics

SA keeps the entire working eco-system healthy by managing people, inspiring, motivating them with other means, keeping good inter team relationship;Such consistent effort by SA actually makes the place culturally enjoyable and energetic.

9. Documentation & maintaining project log files

Apart from professional maintenance of all technical documents, specs and drawing materials, an experienced techno-commercial expert is highly required who would keep all important commercial as well as legal documents safely for any legacy project, and will be consulted whenever needed. Obviously for such role a SA would arguably fit the best.

10. Managing unpleasant beauracracy

In almost all projects, it’s necessary to avoid uncomfortable beauacracy which hinders work process, sometimes even plays filthy politics putting the project towards cancellation; SA definitely plays a crucial role in handling such headaches cleverly and keep the project moving ahead smoothly.