Solution Architect: Processes, Role Description,

Responsibilities, and Certifications

What is a solution architect?

Solution architecture is a practice of designing, describing, and managing the solution engineering in
relation to specific business problems.

A solution architect is the person in charge of leading the practice and introducing the overall technical
vision for a particular solution.

While the practice can be managed in-house, there are companies that provide solution architecture
consulting as a specific set of services.

Enterprise architect vs solution architect vs technical architect

Solution architecture is a complex process – with many sub-processes – that bridges the gap between
business problems and technology solutions. It encompasses:

 Finding the best tech solution among all possible to solve the existing business problems.

 Describing the structure, characteristics, behavior, and other aspects of software to project
stakeholders.

 Defining features, phases, and solution requirements.

 Providing specifications according to which the solution is defined, managed, and delivered.

However, there are two more architect-level positions that are often confused: the enterprise
architect and the software architect. Let’s clarify the main differences.


What is an enterprise architect?

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.

The enterprise architect has the broadest view of the company’s current state of architecture and target
goals. It is this expert who is responsible for creating a strategic plan of implementing technical changes.
This person works closely with top-level executives and decision-makers as he or she demonstrates
them the business value of suggested technical initiatives.

What is a software architect?

A software or technical architect is mainly in charge of engineering problems and software architecture.
We have a detailed article describing the role of a software architect and the importance of this position
to the company’s success.

Unlike the solution architect, the software architect typically doesn’t deal with financial and
organizational issues. This person focuses on all the aspects related to software engineering on a
particular project, i.e., development, implementation, maintenance, support, and evolution. Software
architects closely collaborate with development teams and control the entire development process. So,
continuing the previous example, the software architect determines what exactly has to be done and
how the result can be maintained.

Having discussed the peculiarities of the other two roles, we can see that a solution architect’s position
is in between the top-level, business-oriented enterprise architect and the more technical and detail-
oriented software architect.

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. The latter is focused only on technical issues. An effective
approach for companies is combining enterprise architecture activities with solution and technical
architecture activities.

Solution architecture and its main processes

Well-built solution architecture helps teams develop the product on time and on budget and ensures
that it solves the problem it was designed to solve. So, what tasks does solution architecture actually
carry out?

Matching solutions with the corporate environment

Usually, companies already have operating systems, an information context, and integration
requirements. The solution architecture helps ensure that a new system will fit the existing enterprise
environment. To perform this task, a solution architect has to understand how all parts of the business
model work together including processes, operating systems, and application architectures.
Understanding these processes, they will be able to design a specific solution that fits the environment
best.

Meeting the requirements of all stakeholders

One of the most important challenges of software product development is meeting the stakeholders’
requirements. Usually, a product has a number of stakeholders that are both technical and non-
technical specialists. Solution architecture’s aim is to ensure that all their requirements are taken into
account. Stakeholders have to be regularly informed about product development processes, costs, and
budgeting. These tasks are usually done by a solution architect who translates technical project details
into a language that management and non-technical stakeholders can understand.

Accounting for project constraints

Each project has its limitations usually referred to as constraints. These include:

 technology

 risks

 scope

 cost

 quality

 time

 resources

For instance, a product is built with technologies that must suit the requirements of its particular
modules. A project scope is a part of software documentation that defines specific goals, tasks, features,
and functions. All projects also have an allocated budget.

While these aspects are constraints in themselves, each of them has its own limitations. The solution
architect must understand all these constraints, compare them, and then make a number of
technological and managerial decisions to reconcile these restrictions with project goals.

Selecting the project technology stack

A vital part of creating solution architecture is the selection of technologies for product development.
The technical architecture strategy will directly depend on the chosen technology stack. There are a lot
of different practices associated with platforms, programming languages, and tools. The solution
architecture function here is to find which of them will be the most suitable for a particular project. It’s
not an ordinary task requiring technology assessment and comparison.

Compliance with non-functional requirements

All software projects have to meet a number of non-functional requirements that describe the
characteristics of the system. These are also known as quality attributes. While the exact list of non-
functional requirements depends on the complexity of each individual product, the most common of
them are security, performance, maintainability, scalability, usability, and reliability of a product. The
solution architect’s role is to analyze all non-functional requirements and ensure that further product
engineering will meet them.

Since we’ve discussed high-level goals of solution architecture adoption, let’s break them down into
specific responsibilities and underlying skillsets.

Solution architect role description and responsibilities

The solution architect’s job focuses on solution-level decisions and analysis of their impact on the overall
business goals and outcomes. Just like the architect in the construction industry creating a general
blueprint of a future building, a person at this position must have a profound knowledge of available
technologies to suggest the best solution according to the incoming requirements and existing
environment. So, we can say that the product of a solution architect’s job is the set of technological
solutions and the strategy of their implementation.

After developing a strategic technical vision of the product, the solution architect is involved in
estimating the budget and presenting it to the stakeholders. Once everything is agreed upon, he or she
monitors the process of development and keeps stakeholders informed about the progress.

A solution architect’s responsibilities directly derive from processes in practice:

 Analyzing the technology environment

 Analyzing enterprise specifics

 Analyzing and documenting requirements

 Setting the collaboration framework

 Creating a solution prototype

 Participating in technology selection

 Controlling solution development

 Supporting project management

While most of these responsibilities require a leadership role from a solution architect, this person just
supports PM activities to ensure that resources, risk recognition, and planning stay aligned with the
solution goals.

Solution architect skillset and background

If you have already realized the importance of solution architecture in your projects, the next step is to
source and hire the person for the role. We’ve considered the core skills that a good solution architect
must possess.
Technical background and experience

To provide management and engineering teams with technical advice, a solution architect must have a
technical background with at least eight years of work experience in one or more IT areas including but
not limited to:

 IT architecture, infrastructure, and cloud development

 Engineering and software architecture design

 Business analysis

 DevOps

 Project and product management

Excellent communication skills

A vital part of the solution architect’s competence is communication. 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 position requires working
closely with enterprise and software architects, business analysts, and project teams. So, an experienced
solution architect should be able to listen, advise, empathize, and explain.
Deep analytical skills

Designing a solution requires understanding how different parts of the business work together. The
architect must recognize the corporate strategy and realize all business processes that define how a
company achieves its strategic goals. But, the architect must also understand tech specifics. As a result,
solution architects constantly deal with analytical work and move between various business layers.

Project and resource management skills

While a solution architect doesn’t directly get involved in project management, accounting for deadlines
and given resources is inevitable. Solution architects must be able to make decisions about which
solutions are advantageous and which are worthless in the particular situation. They must be focused on
business results and understand how to achieve them according to the given timeframes and resources.

Besides that, it’s important that solution architects consider the project in a long-term perspective and
understand that the solution might need to scale and adapt to possible changes in the future. So, being
the one who knows the ultimate target, they guide the development process accordingly.

Solution architect certification

Certifications are intended to validate the skills and expertise of the solution architects. They assess their
knowledge, abilities, and experience. 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. Other resources can also be helpful to prepare and practice such as Udemy, Coursera,
or MeasureUp. However, the exam can be taken without previous preparation — all that is required is
deep knowledge of the architecture concepts and principles and a vast hands-on experience in the
industry.

There are a lot of IT architect certifications available, with most of them being vendor-specific, i.e.,
focused on mastering a specific technology. Here’s a brief overview of the most popular ones.

AWS solution architect certification

The AWS Certified Solutions Architect program offers certifications at associate and professional levels,

depending on your experience. Both of them target architects that work with AWS technologies to build
and deploy applications and systems.

The AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate exam takes 130 minutes and costs $150. Amazon
recommends candidates have at least 1 year of hands-on experience before taking the test. Here’s a list
of the main content domains of this exam:
List of the main content domains and their weightings, source:  Exam Guide

The AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional exam is for senior architects with 2 or more years
of experience and an associate credential. It takes 180 minutes to complete, and it’s priced at $300.
Here’s a content outline:

List of the main content domains and their weightings, source:  Exam Guide

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.

Azure solution architect certification

Microsoft has a variety of credentials for solution architects, the most well-known being the Microsoft
Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert. This one is for candidates that specialize in solutions that run
on Microsoft Azure and have advanced knowledge of Azure infrastructure.

The Azure Solutions Architect Expert certification can be obtained after taking two exams: AZ-303:
Microsoft Azure Architect Technologies and AZ-304: Microsoft Azure Architect Design (previously AZ-300
and AZ-301). The price for each of them is based on the country in which the exam is proctored ($165
for the United States).

Here’s an overview of the skills measured by these tests. In a nutshell, AZ-303 is focused on technical
tasks, such as:

 implement and monitor an Azure infrastructure,

 implement management and security solutions,

 implement solutions for apps, and

 implement and manage data platforms.

The content of AZ-304 is assessing such skills as:

 design monitoring,

 design identity and security,

 design data storage,

 design business continuity, and

 design infrastructure.
ITIL certification

ITIL is the industry-recognized set of qualifications that includes 5 levels. The highest credential is
the ITIL Master for those professionals who work in IT service management and have extensive
experience with ITIL practices. It’s not exactly a role-based certification specifically for solution
architects, but since ITIL is a popular management framework, the person that mastered its principles
would be a valuable asset in any managerial position.

The description states that to be certified, you must be able to “explain and justify how you have
personally selected and applied a range of knowledge, principles, methods and techniques from the ITIL
Framework and supporting management techniques, to achieve desired business outcomes in one or
more practical assignments.” So, there is no training course or fixed syllabus for this exam since every
candidate will be tested within their own unique range of experience.

The ITIL Expert certificate is a prerequisite for gaining this credential. The candidate is also required to
have over 5 years of experience in leadership, managerial, or high-level advisory roles. Once these
conditions are fulfilled, the hopeful will have to register with PeopleCert (the approved Axelos
Examination Institute), fill out the application, and present their CV. Next, the proposal for a business
improvement has to be submitted together with the work package that shows the candidate’s practical
skills in applying the ITIL principles in real-world business cases. After that, the applicants will have to
successfully pass an interview with an assessment panel where they will be questioned on their
experience.

The cost of both the exam and the training courses vary by location.

Google cloud architect certification

Google also offers a number of role-based certifications. Professional Cloud Architect is the one for
experts who use Google Cloud technologies in their solutions. For the second year in a row, it is the
highest-paying IT certification, according to the survey by Global Knowledge. Again, it’s not only for
solution architects, but for any professional dealing with Google cloud architecture.

The exam is 2 hours long with a registration fee of $200. Google recommends at least 3 years of
experience before one attempts to take the test. It’s also important to remember that it requires
recertification every two years. The exam guide (as well as learning materials and sample questions) is
available and lists 6 aspects of the exam:

1. Designing and planning a cloud solution architecture;

2. Managing and provisioning a solution infrastructure;

3. Designing for security and compliance;

4. Analyzing and optimizing technical and business processes;

5. Managing implementation; and

6. Ensuring solution and operations reliability.

When a company needs solution architecture consulting

Solution architecture can be introduced to the corporate structure by technology consulting
organizations if the process of integrating new software systems isn’t systematic. On top of that, there is
no need to have a solution architect for every single project. If you implement a single tech module that
is proven to be working in similar contexts, you don’t need a solution architect. Once software
engineering projects grow more complicated and entail a bigger number of processes and risks, it’s
better to consider solution architecture consulting services.

Let’s have a look at the cases when solution architecture consulting is recommended:

You don’t know which solution fits the enterprise ecosystem best. 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. For example, if you move a number of existing
back-office processes to cloud, a solution architect is in charge of analyzing multiple options and
suggesting the most relevant ones in terms of technology, human, and financial resources.

You run a digital transformation project. Digital transformation requires businesses to reconsider
either how they deliver value to their customers or what  they will eventually deliver. There’s no way to
answer these questions without linking technology and business perspectives, which is squarely in a
solution architect’s wheelhouse.

You face a lot of risks. A solution architect is necessary in projects where many technology risks are
present, uncertain requirements can appear, multiple products must be implemented at once, or the
underlying technologies aren’t approved yet.

You must pitch a product roadmap to investors. If you must present a future product to investors and
stakeholders, a solution architect will suggest the technologies that will match product requirements
and communicate the reasoning in plain and clear business terms.

You need to set up communications between stakeholders and engineers. A solution architect will help
to fill the communication gap between technical and non-technical specialists. Also, by collaborating
with the project management team, solution architects cover the risks of product misalignment with
stakeholder requirements and ensure that the solution fits the defined purpose.

Many teams are involved in the project. You may have a large project that requires someone to manage
designers, technical or business architect teams to produce a quality technical project outcome.

Final words

Solution architecture is the underpinning for any IT project, regardless of whether you actually adopt
this practice or not. By deliberately introducing solution architecture, you build the framework that
aligns technology, resources, and skills with defined business goals.

Prior to considering solution architecture, we recommend exploring enterprise architecture

frameworks that combine both solution and enterprise levels.

Traditionally, small and mid-size businesses consider neither the practice of solution architecture nor the
respective role justified. Addressing solution architecture problems is delegated and shared across other
roles within a product team. And, it’s a viable option for small projects with predictable outcomes.
However, if you have a complex enterprise architecture that introduces multiple software products into
a functioning ecosystem, you need to fully rebuild your legacy software, or make a set of strategic
technological decisions, the relevance of a dedicated specialist is obvious.