The most obvious answer to the question 'What do Solution Architects do?' is 'Solution Architecture', leading to the question 'What is Solution Architecture? ', the subject of another article .

But we're not going to go with the short answer to the question. Instead, we'll explore the basic responsibilities of the role and also take a peek into the intangible, but often looked-for, qualities of a Solution Architect.

By the conclusion, whether you are a business manager, project manager, technologist (manager / constructor), business analyst, solution architect or some other interested party, the responsibilities & benefits of this emerging professional role should be apparent and, I hope, will stimulate some discussion.

Basic Responsibilities

A Solution Architect is usually engaged as a member of a project team, where their fundamental project responsibilities will include:

1. Assessment of the business requirements for an initiative or problem
2. Shortlist & compare feasible technical solutions
3. Articulate the selected solution into a design
4. Support the specification & construction of the design to completion

Therefore, the Solution Architect translates business need to a coherent & feasible technical design that can then used by constructors to build the solution.

The parallels with the architect role in the Civil Engineering construction industry are obvious. All key stakeholders in building a new apartment block, skyscraper, etc., require a blueprint to ensure the client gets what they want, the project manager can estimate the building costs & completion times effectively, and the various contractors are building to a cohesive design, avoiding unexpected incompatibilities.

Likewise, Solution Architects include in their design all elements of construction & function that will guide key stakeholders in their decision-making.

Solution Architects are also responsible for ensuring that the 'materials' that will be used in construction are up to the job they're being designed for. This means that architects will:

• Research & select appropriate technology
• Define the integration of components of the design & the rest of the enterprise (interfaces)
• Calculate the capacity & reliability required for each 'stress point' in the design (introducing 'scaling factors' where necessary)
• Investigate patterns of design to ensure the fruits of lessons learned by others are enjoyed by the solution design
• Align the selected technologies & design with the rest of the enterprise

Communication & Relationships

As mentioned earlier, the architectural / solution design should have enough detail to permit the key stakeholders to make decisions without extensive dialogue:

• The customer (or client) needs to be able to appreciate that the design will deliver the product or solution they desire
• The project manager needs to know which constructor teams to engage & include in the project team and compile a project plan (with estimates from the constructors)
• The constructors need to be able to estimate the effort & cost of building the design for the project manager

Therefore, the package of an architectural design must service these three key perspectives, requiring the Solution Architect be eloquent to these audiences.

Also, since an architectural design typically spans two or more constructor teams & often building with different technologies, the architect will need to be able to communicate the design in the context of each constructor without introducing incoherency or ambiguity to the overall design.

Since we're all human (I hope!), relationships factor greatly in ensuring effective communication. Therefore, Solution Architects should possess excellent relationship building & management skills, regularly engaging in direct dialogue with each key stakeholder.

Egos often do get in the way, especially in a large corporate environment where recognition for high-profile initiatives is a high-value currency. Therefore, good Solution Architects will have honed excellent diplomatic skills and maintain a focus on their objective ... facilitating the implementation of the selected solution.

Creativity

This is important; Solution Architecture is a creative profession that utilises technology to realise design. Frequently, the assumption is that, being in 'IT', a Solution Architect will be highly technical, wear socks with sandals and be incapable of communication without a keyboard.

Personally, I'm not the most numerate, prefer talking to people than sending emails, have never worn socks & sandals (no beard either!) and use an A3 pad whenever I start a new design concept.

There's no formula to being a Solution Architect, but the most effective are those who are highly creative since, from creativity springs design. There's no use in possessing deep technical knowledge if that cannot be translated to a creative design inspired by real needs. Creativity consumes knowledge; nothing good comes of the converse.

Multidisciplinary

Regardless of the importance of creativity in Solution Architecture, the materials used in realising design are technical in nature, creating opportunity for various levels of specialisation by technology & domain. The effective Solution Architect will have, at least, a detailed appreciation of the nature of the materials at his / her disposal.

Frequently, solution architects are specialised in either or both of the following categories:

• Vendor-specific technology (especially the integration of the technology with other technologies or the business / user)
• Architectural domain (e.g., software, network, security, information, etc.)

The more experienced an architect is, the broader the set of disciplines s/he will have and, as a result, the more rapidly a design is likely to be reached.

In my opinion, a Solution Architect usually will design end-to-end solutions spanning multiple domains / technologies. Where the subject of design is specific to a domain or technology (e.g., software architecture), the appropriate title should be used for no other reason than the title quickly identifies what the architect is designing.

Conclusion

Therefore, Solution Architects:

• Assist in the refinement of business requirements
• Respond to business requirements with feasible technical solutions
• Provide an architectural design for the selected solution that:

• Helps the customer verify that they're satisfied with what they're getting
• Provides a blueprint for the project manager to plan with
• Informs the constructors so that they can estimate cost & effort

• Liaise with:

• The customer to ensure alignment with requirements
• The project manager to identify appropriate constructor engagement
• Constructors to validate feasibility & provide support throughout construction

• Write & present eloquently with the appropriate audience perspective in mind
• Build & maintain excellent relations with key stakeholders
• Apply their creative skills & talents in devising effective designs (a.k.a. thought leadership)
• Continuously expand their knowledge & specialisation of technology & design patterns

I hope that this will generate some interesting discussions either here, as comments, or in the Discussion Forum.