The architect plays a very important role in the development of an IT solution. Enterprise, application, technological or even data architects, all have the mandate to design part of a solution to be deployed.

They are visionaries and designers who guarantee standards. The architect is involved in the 4 phases of an IT project: feasibility, start-up, design and deployment. In recent years, the generalization of “project” management has modified and refined this role. Overview of the role of the architect in the 4 phases of a project.

1 — The feasibility stage

This step is critical because it determines whether or not the project is created. The solution architect is in high demand here and his actions represent 40% of his total intervention in a project.

On the one hand, he must understand the client's business requirements and technical constraints. On the other hand, it must assess what exists on the market. Her sense of active listening, her analytical mind, her visionary side and her technological knowledge are valuable assets.

Conducted jointly with the agents or promoters of the business lines, a process of elimination follows. The envisaged technical solution is then discussed with the project manager to assess costs and deadlines.

2 — The start-up stage

Once the green light is given, the solution architect works to determine and identify the skills required for the technical part of the project. He must also find the resources available to complete the project. It is also during this phase that recruitment is launched, if necessary.

At the same time, the solution architect defines and establishes the rules and standards to be followed according to the enterprise architecture. It always takes industry best practices into account. This second stage corresponds to approximately 30% of his intervention in the project.

3 — The design stage

The project is now in full swing: the development, testing and integration teams are hard at work. The essence of the architect here is to demonstrate the attractiveness of the solution and to guide the technical team leader (Tech lead) in its construction.

Its responsibility also extends to the respect of rules and standards by the teams. He also makes sure to document the architecture of the solution (standards, strategy, integration diagrams, data models, etc.). This stage represents 25% of his intervention.

4 — The deployment stage

When the solution is ready to be deployed, the expertise of the architect is still needed. It allows you to modify certain aspects of the project according to the constraints encountered. For example, a gradual deployment will not have the same implications as a big-bang deployment.

It is also during this phase that the architect will transfer the guidelines concerning the standards to the application support group. This step accounts for 5% of the total intervention of the solution architect.

As we have seen, the technical and conceptual expertise of the architect is essential. The same goes for his ability to analyze and communicate. Doing without an architect in an IT project can cause design problems, but also for motivation in technical teams. In addition, the project manager and the architect have a great interest in working hand in hand. The smooth running of a project is at stake.

Curious to discover the role of the various members of a project management team? We invite you to read the article by our affiliate Louis-Martin Parent On the Role of the business analyst in IT projects.