What is a Solution Architect: Responsibilities and Role on a Project

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge that you have read and understand our privacy policy and code of conduct. This article is part of a series on Product Management based on my experience. Create & maintain vision, roadmap, product backlog, product goal, release solution architect performance goals plan, etc. The following table compares a few attributes/characteristics of the four roles – Product Owner, Product Manager, Business Analyst & Project Manager. According to Linkedin’s research, the average salary for Solutions Architect IT professionals in the US is $ 80K – $ 172K dollars per year.

  • Specifically, they are responsible for bridging the gap between a company’s business strategy and the technical solutions it purchases or builds.
  • A candidate with an MBA in information systems may also be a good fit for a role as a solutions architect.
  • Solution architecture is concerned with defining and designing the building blocks for a program and a very high level.
  • Solutions architects often have a master’s degree in business administration (MBA) as well.
  • Remember that you as the product manager are responsible for every part of your product, including the technical aspects.

High cohesion means having all the closely related data and functionality in a module with a well defined role. Changes made in a module shouldn’t require substantial changes in other modules. You would want to break it down and bring in Separation of Concerns. Maybe a sub-system which handles payments, another which maintains customers’ information, and one for product information. Consider the following exampleAn order management system, where you have order details which has customer details, product details and payment details.

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In this meeting, call upon the system architect to explain the technical solution. This is not always necessary, like if you are comfortable explaining a straight forward technical solution. Once you have a clear sense of the product requirements, you will need them to help design a solution.

When you ask questions, you ensure that the product and the tech is on the same page, reduces risks. As your knowledge grows, you’ll learn to ask the right questions. I think, in general if you keep the above points in mind and ask a lot of questions and do research as required, you’ll learn a lot about the software design process and understand it better. Engineers try to map business use cases to design as they best understand. If there is a mismatch between how business understands a concept and how the engineering understands it, it can lead to confusion and a steeper learning curve on both sides in the long run.

Understanding of architectural components and patterns

As a result, we can say that a solution architect’s work consists of analytical work, not just technical work. Let us consider a typical large non-manufacturing business today with a complex product portfolio. Such complex product portfolios include software products, BPO services, insurance, warranty services etc.  Some of these products may have come through acquired businesses. A slew of business capabilities are required to deliver these products & services to the market place.

solutions architect vs product manager

Be sure to understand it, and if they ask for your feedback, be honest about what you do and do not understand. They will explain it, and in doing so, makes the solution even more clear. Benefits of program and product management is more opportunities since it can be carried outside of the tech world in case I ever want to leave it and has higher visibility. Downside (for me) is the constant meetings, having to always stay on top of things (and more), and having to chase rabbits asking for “status” can get a bit tiring for me. The outcomes of a Product Owner’s work are the product’s face, the understanding of value among the Developers, the relationship with the users, customers and/or sponsors, and the product’s usefulness in their hands.

Planning your Programming Project

They take business requirements and transform them into new software solutions using the latest technology from the company. A technical architect primarily oversees software architecture, technical development, and implementation technology. Their main task is to provide technical guidance and make decisions about the most important parts of the system being developed. Although some of the most common degrees solutions architects hold are bachelor’s degrees in information technology, computer science, or software information. According to Zippia, 66 percent of solutions architects have a bachelor’s degree, and 24 percent have a master’s [3].

solutions architect vs product manager

Solution architecture is concerned with defining and designing the building blocks for a program and a very high level. It is about understanding the current state, its impact on the overall architecture, and defining new blocks and their interfaces. The initial high-level design will need to be monitored to confirm that it is consistent and compared with the solution’s overall design.

Main processes covered by solution architecture

The critical user review displayed is selected from the most helpful 1,2 or 3 star review. In turn, the consumer data turns into the function and interface of the software. BPMInstitute.org provides training courses https://www.globalcloudteam.com/ online and in person for individuals and groups. View courses related to the material you are reading on this page. Find centralized, trusted content and collaborate around the technologies you use most.

solutions architect vs product manager

As a rule, this person has industry-specific expertise, so he or she understands what stakeholders want and why they want it. A solution architect role also presupposes strong technical skills that help him or her communicate a product vision to a development team. Simply put, solution architecture is a high-level description of a software product in the context of the problems it solves. In other words, solution architecture shows how a system and its specific features help a company reach its determined business goals.

Why Web UI Development Is So Hard?

The developed solution should guarantee compatibility with existing business logic and products. A solutions architect typically needs at least a bachelor’s degree in computer science or another related field. They might also need experience working as a software developer or engineer. Solutions architects often have a master’s degree in business administration (MBA) as well. This combination of technical and business skills helps them understand how to develop software that meets the needs of a company. A Product Manager is responsible for the development and management of a company’s products.

Consider a course in software architecture to better familiarize yourself with the most common solution architectures. Or consider a specialization such as IBM’s for DevOps, Cloud, and Agile Foundations to learn some of the most popular concepts and methodologies for managing the development process. From there, the solutions architect creates an overall strategic technical vision—not unlike an architect designing a blueprint for a building. They develop a budget for producing a software product based on that vision. A Solutions Architect is responsible for the overall design and implementation of technology solutions that meet the business needs of an organization. They work closely with business units to understand their goals and objectives, then translate those into technical requirements.

Solutions Architect vs. Product Manager

Product managers make sure that the product is meeting customer expectations and resolves issues if it doesn’t. Now, the word “architect” not only pertains to someone who wears a helmet to inspect a site. But, it also refers to a professional working on enterprise solutions or involved in the coding life cycle. It’s all too easy to get caught in the trap of looking at your target customers through the lens of each product instead of just looking at their business without any product bias. That biased view inhibits your ability to focus on broader activities that are mission critical to their business. Answering these questions will give more visibility and enable the engineer to make independent judgements on how much effort needs to be invested in various aspects of the design.

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