An Introduction to

Architecture and Architects

Warren Weinmeyer
May 2012
Updated: Sept. 2014
Contents
• What is Architecture?
• How does Architecture benefit an organization?
• A closer look: how its structured and delivered
• Architect Roles & Responsibilities
• What to look for in a resume

2
Tip: This presentation is best
viewed in slide-show mode

3
What is Architecture?

4
Architecture is an answer to the problems caused by
compartmentalization in complex organizations.

• At it’s essence, Architecture is all about recognizing the importance to

understand a problem, think through a solution to that problem and
methodically drive towards that solution. It seems so easy!

act plan see

see plan act

• But even if everyone did that, there would still be problems, because there’s
no-one looking at how all these different ideas interact: it’s all done in a silo.

see plan act see plan act

see plan act see plan act see plan act

• Architecture addresses this by looking at problems and opportunities at all

levels and scope of an organization, understanding how these may be related,
identifying an overall plan, and managing the coordinated realization of
harmonious solutions through a reliable process. Architecture is disciplined
planning that is holistically integrated with disciplined delivery.
5
Architecture is a Discipline, not a Profession
• The difference between the two is the standardization of ideas, approaches and
qualifications – a profession has that, a discipline is “working on it”
• Architecture as a discipline is similar to Project Management as a discipline:
• Project Management has evolved over time to its current state:
• PM used to be done by people who had a “knack” for it: the result was
that project success was highly unpredictable. Companies soon
recognized that being a PM required specific skills.
• Project Management established itself as a defined discipline as full-
time PMs became common, and formalized their lessons learned into
best practices that work.
• Now, we have established PM standards and certifications, and good
professionals know about them and use.
• Architecture has followed this same trajectory fairly rapidly, but:
• has not standardized to the same degree as Project Management,
• Project Management was developed to focus on a fairly specific area, but
Architecture as a concept is very broad, so there is a wide variation in what
Architecture means from one company to the next and there is wide
variation in the qualifications of people who call themselves “architect”
• This makes interviewing for an Architect very challenging: you have to look
past the candidate’s role titles and instead look closely at the activities they
performed. 6
Architecture has Matured
• Despite the variation in how Architecture is being practiced in companies, there
is a fairly good agreement on where Architecture as a concept is today
• Architecture philosophies and best practices have been consolidated into
just a handful of architecture frameworks
• These frameworks have become increasingly specific and prescriptive,
becoming more like cook-books than philosophical treatises, providing real
guidance on the full end-to-end spectrum of architectural activities
• The authors of these frameworks have done a good job of comparing how
their frameworks complement or can integrate with the other frameworks
• There is a considerable amount of guidance regarding how these
architecture frameworks complement and integrate with non-architecture
frameworks, such as ITIL, PMBOK, etc.
• Research has shown that companies that have successfully implemented a
modern, full-featured architecture practice:
• have higher project success rates while delivering faster
• significantly reduce standard operational costs
• have an improved ability for IT to deliver strategic competitive advantage
for the rest of the enterprise
• enjoy better perceived alignment to the Business, by the Business
themselves

7
Architecture complements other Disciplines
Business Area “Z”
Architecture
Business Area “Y”
Business Area “X”
See the Plan how to get
Implement the Plan
Business Opportunity there

Solutions to Short- Manage Solution

Transformation Long-term Detailed
Requirements Develop
current term Resources technical
opportunities planning & Design ment &
problems planning & Risk design
Delivery

Business Analysis Business Analysis

Hardware/Software Engineering

Project Management
Project
Business Management Management

Architecture

• Architecture integrates its best practices with the best practices of the other
disciplines to provide a holistic and cross-enterprise level of coordination. A
fundamental role of the Architect is to bring people together and span silos.
8
How does Architecture
benefit the organization?

9
To be able to coordinate all the activities from original idea to resulting solutions, IT Mgmt
Architects interact with people across the entire company: the Architecture team is
virtually the only group that works horizontally across the organizational silos.

Security

• Capability Modeling
• Capacity Planning
Executive Business •
Objectives • Risk Assessment
• Strategic Vision,
IT Business • Planning & Roadmaps
Security • Objectives
Operations Compliance • Security • Strategic & Technical
Policy Forecasting Business
Governance • and • Demand
Segment
• Current State Support Standards Prioritization
Landscape • Gap & Dependency Business
• Operational Identification
Standards • Issues Segment
• Impact
& Ref Arch
Capacity • Analysis Business
Architecture • Business Strategy & Priorities Business
Planning Segment
Technical •
Roadmaps Segment
Operational • • Business • Business • Opportunity • Needs & • Capability
Issues Models Roadmaps Identification Solutions Modeling
Current State • Facilitation
Landscape • Standards • Pending
Business
& Ref Arch Segment
Application • Application Project • Resource Demand
Roadmaps Dependencies
Services Project • • Pending
• Application • Capacity
Project Demand
Portfolio Mgmt Pending • Planning Prioritization
Landscape Changes • Risk Standards •
Assessment & Ref Arch • Project
Visibility
• Technical Program Roadmaps •
Dependencies Risk Assessment •
Current State Landscape •
Change Program Architectural Oversight •
Mgmt Solution Discipline & SDLC • PMO
Identification •
of Required Project
Technical Skills/Roles

10
 Architecture is key to achieve transformative capabilities in
Planning and Delivery (not so much for daily Operations):

At a high level:

11
Operations is ITIL’s strength

Strategic Architecture

Planning
Horizon
PM
Tactical

ITSM
Operational

Med High
Maturity

By applying both Architecture and ITIL best practices with

Project Management for projects, the full conceptual life-cycle,
from idea to solution to working system, is covered.
12
Let’s take a closer look at
how Architecture is
structured and delivered...

13
 Architecture Overview – Architecture Domains
• The scope of concerns that Architecture deals with is so broad that we divide it into different
categories, typically called domains. A very common definition of architectural domains is:
• Business Architecture:
Vision, Strategy, Objectives,
Processes, Principles, Capabilities,
Actors, Use Cases, Organization,
etc.

• Application Architecture:
Systems, Applications, Services,
Protocols, Messages, Interfaces,
Transactions, etc.

• Information Architecture:
Information Entities, Ontologies,
Taxonomies, Data Relationships,
Schemas, etc.

• Technical Architecture:
Network, Servers, Storage,
Communications, Platforms,
etc.
Note: this visualization was adapted from the Software
AG/IDS Scheer ARIS manual…so… thanks, ARIS!
14
 Architecture Overview – Architecture Tiers
Organizational
Scope • The industry recognizes 3
general tiers, or levels, of
architecture. These can be
Scope of Problem Domain visualized using a grid of
Problem Domain scope,
Enterprise Architecture
Technology Horizon (depth of
technology, and Organizational
Technology Horizon

scope)
• Enterprise Architecture (EA)
looks at the goals,
opportunities and challenges
facing the company, and seeks
to propose solutions that can
holistically improve the
enterprise.
• EA takes a strategic, inclusive
and long-term view, thinking in
terms of the enterprise
Capabilities, Business Processes
and Services rather than
focusing on technological
15 details.
 Architecture Overview – Architecture Tiers
Organizational
Scope

• Segment Architecture is much like

EA but is applied to a specific sub-
Scope of Problem Domain section (segment) of the
enterprise.
• A segment can be a Portfolio, a
Enterprise Architecture
Line-of-Business, a Capability, a
Technology Horizon

technology or any other division

that makes sense to the company.
• Segment Architecture, because
Segment
Architecture the scope is more focused, takes
a closer look at the technology
and information landscape than at
the enterprise level.

16
 Architecture Overview – Architecture Tiers
Organizational
Scope

• Some companies choose the term

Portfolio Architecture instead
Scope of Problem Domain of Segment Architecture.
• Portfolio Architecture can address
technological details to a greater
Enterprise Architecture
degree than EA, but does not
Technology Horizon

have the visibility across the

enterprise that EA does.
• In some companies, Portfolio
Portfolio
Architecture
Architecture is just folded into EA,
so each enterprise architect is
assigned a portfolio to manage.

Portfolio Architecture = Segment Architecture

17
 Architecture Overview – Architecture Tiers
• Solution Architecture is focused
Organizational
Scope on a specific solution and is
concerned with compliance to
standards, roadmaps and greater
strategic objectives, in addition to
Scope of Problem Domain
finding a solid solution.
• Solution Architecture addresses
Enterprise Architecture technological details to the level
required to ensure the resulting
Technology Horizon

solution is compliant in all

relevant ways (the rest are part of
Detailed Design).
Portfolio
Architecture • Unlike EA and Portfolio
Architecture, which are
continuous activities, the activity
of Solution Architecture is
Solution
typically tied to a project lifecycle
Architecture or delivery of some similar work
product.

18
 Enterprise, Portfolio & Solution Architects

Organizational
Scope
• Architects at each of these
three tiers (i.e., Enterprise,
Scope of Problem Domain
Portfolio, and Solution)
address all four architectural
domains (i.e., Business,
Enterprise Architecture Application, Information, and
Technical) – but they do so
Technology Horizon

based on their different

scopes of mandate.

Portfolio • Project Architects operate in a niche

Architecture
and can be brought into a project
under the oversight of the Solution
Architect in order to provide
specialist expertise or to lighten the
workload of the SA.
• Often, a lead programmer or
Solution
Architecture technical specialist is actually what’s
Project Project Project Project Project Project Etc.
required, not a specialist architect.
Business Information Application Technical Integration Database
Architect Architect Architect Architect Architect Architect

19
 Tiers and Domains does NOT mean Silos!

Organizational
Scope • These divisions are simply
tools to understand where
and how to apply
Scope of Problem Domain
architectural discipline, and
to break down the challenge
Enterprise Architecture into parts that are easier to
grasp.
Technology Horizon

• The actual process of

Architecture is continuous
Portfolio
and holistic – it is a complete
Architecture
continuous-improvement
lifecycle.

Solution
Architecture

20
Architecture Overview – Architecture Lifecycle
• The grand-father of the
continuous-improvement
concept is the Deming Cycle.
• The Deming Cycle is an
iterative process (originating in
the manufacturing sector) for
Act Plan quality management and
continuous improvement.
Deming
• It consists of 4 steps:
Cycle
• Plan: Establish objectives
Check Do
• Do: Implement the plan
• Check: Study the results
• Act: Adjust to bring results in
line with objectives

21
Architecture Overview – Architecture Lifecycle
• Many companies base their
Architecture approach on
TOGAF, which applies a
type of Deming Cycle where
all 3 tiers of architecture are
blended into a continuous
cycle:
• The TOGAF lifecycle (ADM)
is intended for Enterprise
Architecture but can serve
equally well as a lifecycle
model for the Portfolio and
Solution tiers (levels) of
Architecture (though the
Solution tier is likely to be a
single iteration of the cycle).
• Activities in a higher level of
Architecture may spawn
individual threads of
lifecycle at the lower level of
Architecture.
22
Architecture Overview – Architecture Lifecycle

• Note that ITIL also

consists of a type of
Deming Cycle.

• This diagram highlights

how well-integrated ITIL
and Architecture practices
should be.

23
Architect Roles &
Responsibilities

24
 Architecture Overview – Roles & Responsibilities Summary
Enterprise Architect
• Facilitate Management to elaborate enterprise strategic goals and produce roadmaps to execute on them
• Assist Management to understand the risks/impacts of business and technical choices on IT and the enterprise
• Establish Architecture principles, standards and best-practices
• Assist IT Management to prioritize project demand in the context of enterprise priorities
• Provide leadership and vision to the rest of the Architecture team; act as a catalyst for team identity
• Identify cross-Portfolio interdependencies and risks and ensure inter-Portfolio coordination

Portfolio Architect
• Facilitate the creation of Portfolio strategy and roadmaps, as well as any Program roadmaps, in alignment with
enterprise, IT, and Architecture strategic roadmaps
• Formalize the intellectual capital of the enterprise through Business and Technical Models that describe what the
Business does, and how the technology supports that
• Identify interdependencies and risks associated with items on the Portfolio roadmap
• Assess strategic alignment and value of projects and solutions in the context of the Portfolio
• Alert EA of capability gaps in relation to identified project and operational needs as well as interdependencies.
• Apply capacity planning to advise of potential future resource shortages or conflicts in order to avoid them.
• Approve solution architectures for portfolio projects and identify potential new standards

Solution Architect
• Create solution architectures (conceptual, logical and physical), in alignment with enterprise and portfolio
standards and goals.
• Provide guidance and governance to the project for the disciplined identification and delivery of solutions

25
The Enterprise Architect:
 Provides the engagement of Architecture with the rest of IT and the Business

 Provides the expertise to align Business strategy and current issues with IT strategy and current
issues and come up with a strategy to deliver solutions based on industry trends, technology trends and
current best practices

 Is a source of advice on methodologies and best practices in areas relevant to strategy, goal-setting,
strategic planning, governance and the application of frameworks and structured methodologies

 Works inclusively to bring affected/relevant stakeholders together

 Provides risk/impact/predictive analytics

 Has the seniority and maturity to advise executives and senior management

 Provides leadership and mentoring to the rest of the architecture team

 Is involved in the initial activities of the Architecture Lifecycle that generate the ideas and strategies
which are ultimately deployed as solutions later on in the Architecture Lifecycle

 Provide a wide and long-term perspective to problems, opportunities and solutions that enables a
more mature context for understanding what is best for the enterprise

 Understands intimately the role of Architecture within a modern organization

 Exposes Portfolio Architects to influences/dependencies/issues/opportunities beyond their portfolio and

ensures information and coordination between portfolios is maintained

 Leads or participates in initiatives that are inherently enterprise-wide, such as Information

Management, Business Process Improvement, SOA, etc.

26
 The Portfolio Architect:
Tactical Roadmap
Strategy Map Service Catalog
IT Portfolio Managed
Lifecycle
Strategic
Alignment

Project Delivery Managed Landscape

Strategic Roadmap

New
Solutions

Program
ITPM Ranked Proposals Management

• A Portfolio coves the entire IT scope of activities of Planning, Developing and Operating:
• OPERATIONS: the managed current-state landscape: the solutions (set of
technology, applications, information and processes) to support a business area.
• PLANNING: the roadmaps for the strategically-aligned evolution of the portfolio as
well as the tactical lifecycle/enhancement planning of the solutions in the portfolio.
• Development: in-flight projects to deliver new or improved solutions into the
managed current-state landscape.
 The Portfolio Architect in Portfolio Operations
• Operations addresses the performance of the
IT Portfolio managed landscape.
Capability Service • The Portfolio Architect:
Model Catalog
• Ensures that processes are in place so that the
Service to
Capability application inventory is maintained and accurate.
Mapping
• Constructs metrics to assess the performance (fit-for-
purpose, age, supportability, etc.) and value (business
Service fit, technical fit) of applications and technology in the
Mapping managed landscape, and reviews the performance
Managed Landscape
results to help with strategic and investment planning.
• Identifies the application-to-Service mapping of
applications in the managed landscape.
• Identifies areas of potential under-investment and
over-investment, based on their strategic value.
• Is accountable to ensure that the Business
Architecture, the Application Architecture, the
Information architecture and the Technical architecture
for the portfolio are captured in the architecture
repository.
• Ensures that the strength provided by Architecture
methods in Planning is smoothly integrated with the
strength provided by ITIL methods in Operations.

28
 The Portfolio Architect in Portfolio Planning
• Planning happens on at least 2 levels: a strategic,
IT Portfolio Service-based level and on a tactical,
application/technology-based level.
Strategy Map Service Catalog
• Large Services may be divided into smaller
Services, so there may be multiple strategic levels
Strategic
Alignment of planning
• The Portfolio Architect:
Strategic Roadmap
Capability Model • Facilitates the Portfolio Manager to define the
portfolio strategic objectives, and ensures they
are in alignment with enterprise and Architecture
strategic plans; creates the strategic alignment
deliverables (Vision-Goals-Principles, Strategy
Map).
Tactical Roadmap • Facilitates the Portfolio Manager to construct
Managed
strategic, Service-oriented roadmaps.
Lifecycle
• Facilitates the Portfolio Manager to construct
tactical, application-oriented roadmaps that have
touch-points into the Service-oriented roadmaps.
Managed Landscape
• Identifies dependencies and synergies between
roadmaps and mitigates or exploits these to
optimize delivery effectiveness.
• Maps Services to “heat-mapped” Capabilities to
assist enterprise-level value assessment

29
 The Portfolio Architect in Development Projects
IT Portfolio
Project Delivery Managed Landscape
Strategic Roadmap

New
Solutions

• Development originates as
Program Demand from the Portfolio.
ITPM Ranked Proposals
Management • Development is managed
from within the Portfolio.

• The Portfolio Architect:

• Facilitates the Portfolio Manager to identify potential projects from the portfolio roadmaps.
• Assists the Portfolio Manager to assess the value and strategic alignment of projects.
• Provides any required architectural oversight for one or more Programs (typically, around
roadmapping and dependency identification).
• Provides architect FTE estimates to assist the PM with resourcing requirements.
• Provides oversight and mentoring for solution architects working on projects within the portfolio.
• Reviews and approves/denies solutions proposed by the solution architects working on projects
within the portfolio.

30
The Solution Architect:
 Provides an assessment of solution alternatives.

 Provides analysis and specification of the target solution.

 Provides identification, documentation and mitigation of architecturally significant

risk.

 Provides technical content for RFP/RFI documents.

 Creates all required architectural deliverables.

 Ensures the timely provisioning of the technical environment.

 Manages interaction with external technical representatives.

 Assists with engagement with other IT Governance bodies (eg, ensure any
required Security assessments happen).

 Assists with Test Planning, Detail Design (if needed, where appropriate), QA,
Transition to Operations.

 Stewards the technical aspects of the solution delivery through to “go live” and
the warranty period.

 Is responsible for the quality of the solution, the compatibility of the solution to
the organizational and technical environments, and for the alignment of the
solution to IT roadmaps and standards.
31
 Architect Working Relationship: Enterprise-Portfolio
• Enterprise Architects are responsible for establishing
the enterprise architectural vision and strategy, in
alignment with the corporate business vision and
strategy, and must ensure that Portfolio Architects
share that vision and support the strategy.

• Portfolio Architects are responsible for establishing

the portfolio architectural vision and strategy, in
alignment with the enterprise vision. Portfolio
Enterprise architects Architects maintain a dialogue with Enterprise
Architects to help ensure the enterprise vision and
strategy is pragmatic and effective.
standards
Shared vision potential new standards • Enterprise Architects specify the enterprise standards
big picture & strategy & reference architectures and best practices.
visibility
• Portfolio Architects enforce the enterprise standards
oversight delivery visibility
and best practices. Additionally, Portfolio Architects
& support may propose solutions from their portfolio as
candidates for new enterprise standards to promote
continual improvements in standards and practices.

• Enterprise Architects provide information about the

larger context to the Portfolio Architects, as well as
general oversight and support, while the Portfolio
Portfolio architects
Architects provide visibility into the specific context of
their portfolios to the Enterprise Architects.

32
Architect Working Relationship: Portfolio-Solution
• Portfolio Architects are responsible for
establishing the portfolio architectural vision
and strategy (high-level, long-term roadmaps),
and must ensure that Solution Architects share
that vision.

• Portfolio Architects enforce the enterprise

standards and best practices, which the
Portfolio architects Solution Architects leverage to deliver solutions.
Conversely, Solution Architects may contribute
architectural solutions that may be proposed by
standards
the Portfolio Architects as enterprise standards.
Shared vision potential new standards
big picture & strategy & reference architectures
visibility • Portfolio Architects oversee the work quality
and compliance of Solution Architects, as well
delivery visibility
oversight as provide mentoring and support where
& support needed.

• Portfolio Architects provide information about

the larger context to the Solution Architects,
while the Solution Architects provide visibility
into the specific context of their projects to the
Solution architects Portfolio Architects.

33
 Architecture Engagement Over a Typical Project SDLC
Project (Pre-
Phase Project) Inception Elaboration Construction Transition
Analyze Design Test Chg Deploy Support &
& Build Mgmt Warranty

Strategic Business
Roadmap Case

Portfolio Tactical Project

Architect Roadmap Charter

Non-funct RFx Detailed Detailed Test Deploymt Transition Retirement

Requirmts Non-funct Soln Arch Plan Plan Plan Plan
Requirmts

Conceptual System Operational

& Logical Selectn Support
Soln Arch Model
Blue indicates the
Iterations
or Sprints
Solution Architect contributes
Architect content to the
deliverable Implementation
Black indicates the Plan
Architect should either
author at least or be
Accountable for the
Legend deliverable

Architectural inputs 34
Architectural deliverable
 Architecture Engagement Over a Typical Project SDLC
Note that Architecture is involved through the entire course of the project
(Pre- and beyond: Architects do not just pop out a solution design and then
leave.
Project) Inception Elaboration Construction
The Portfolio Architect (PA) is involved before a Project is even approved Transition
(while it is still just an “opportunity”, and often handles the initial stages
of the Project, until funds are provided to obtain a Solution Architect (SA).
Design Support &
Analyze Test Chg Deploy
After that, the PA will continue to monitor the progress & Buildthe project
of Warranty
Mgmt
through regular dialogue with the SA.
The PA will take over again from the SA when the solution is delivered into
Strategic their operational portfolio.
Business
Roadmap Case

Portfolio Tactical Project

Architect Roadmap Charter

Non-funct RFx Detailed Detailed Test Deploymt Transition Retirement

Requirmts Non-funct Soln Arch Plan Plan Plan Plan
Requirmts

Conceptual System Operational

& Logical Selectn Support
Soln Arch Model
Iterations
or Sprints
Solution
Architect Implementation
Plan

Legend

Architectural inputs 35
Architectural deliverable
 Architecture Engagement Over a Typical Project SDLC
Project (Demand
Phase Planning) Inception Elaboration Construction Transition
Portfolio, Investment
Theme and Program Analyze Design Test Chg Deploy Support &
strategic roadmaps & Build Mgmt Warranty
PA provides Architect FTE estimate Detailed SA reviews SA provides technology
for budgeting, and provides tasks Logical development retirement, resource
Strategic & work estimates for scheduling reclamation and
Business architecture team test plans,
Roadmap Case and physical contributes information disposition
architecture; non-functional plans
Requires non-functional Requires non- may be done test plans
Portfolio Tactical Project requirements, functional in iterations SA provides SA provides
Architect Roadmap Charter Conceptual and high- requirements, for agile backup, cut-over plan,
level Logical architecture projects technical including data
Conceptual and high-
to be completed deployment migration
level Logical
Portfolio application architecture to be and rollback
roadmap(s) PA provides complexity completed plans
& tech assessment
content, reads final
doc: this ensures early Non-funct RFx Detailed Detailed Test Deploymt Transition Retirement
visibility into the Requirmts Non-funct Soln Arch Plan Plan Plan Plan
approved project Requirmts
This is the
Conceptual Operational Support
System Sustainment
& Logical Support
Selectn “bible”
Soln Arch Model
Conceptual & high-level Logical Iterations
solution architecture is required or Sprints
Solution before starting an RFx, performing
Architect System Selection, or beginning
detailed architecture and design

Depending on SDLC, may

Legend iterate as far as
development milestones or
all the way to incremental
Architectural inputs 36 deploytments
deployments
Architectural deliverable
What to look for in a resume

(you will likely not find it all)

37
Enterprise Architect Resumes
 Lots of seniority and supervisory experience

 Evidence of mature best practices-based experience and structured methodologies; not

just Architecture frameworks, also others like ITIL, BPM, Six-Sigma, etc.

 Deep experience in at least one of Business, Applications, Information/Data or

Technology, combined with wide experience in as many of these as possible

 Experience working with management and executives

 Knowledge of organizational governance structures and approaches

 Evidence of tying disparate things together holistically, for example solving many
problems or a many-faceted problem in an elegant, integrated manner

 Leadership and vision, big-picture thinking

 Lots of experience from various large and complex development projects

 Evidence of working well with multiple stake-holders, acting as the glue bringing people
together, facilitating meetings and working groups

 Strong strategic planning experience

 Experience with models, meta-models, taxonomies, ontologies, grammars and EA tools

like ARIS, MEGA, or TROUX

Working as an architect at more than 3 corporations

38
Portfolio Architect Resumes
 Think of a Portfolio Architect as an Enterprise Architect that works
within a defined segment of the enterprise: the EA resume hints apply,
but you have room to relax a bit on the seniority/maturity aspect

 Experience creating application landscape, integration, system and

data-flow models

 Experience in the subject domain of the Portfolio in question – doesn’t

always have to be an expert on the domain (depending on the situation)
but definitely has to be a good architect.

 Experience constructing roadmaps

 Experience with Application Portfolio Management, Infrastructure

Portfolio Management and other portfolio-oriented approaches

39
Solution Architect Resumes
 Strong project experience, evidence of leadership on projects

 UML diagrams/models: Activity, Collaboration, Sequence, Interaction, Communication,

Deployment, Package

 Solution architecture formalisms, eg: View model, Viewpoint model, 4+1 (Kruchten
view model)

 Deep experience in at least one of Business, Applications, Information/Data or

Technology, combined with wide experience in as many of these as possible

 Development methodologies: Rational, Agile, SCRUM

 Clear indications that the candidate no longer programs, configures servers or deploys
hardware (or at least that this is only a small portion of their job)

 Has clear experience in network design, application integration, SOA, database design,
coding, high availability, scalability

 Strong analytic and requirements-gathering capabilities

 Strong document-writing capabilities

 Background in the area relevant to the solution domain (where the area is inherently
complex or specialized, such as ERP, ECM, integration platforms, GIS, etc.)

 Evidence of big-picture thinking and the ability to identify

interactions/dependencies/repercussions

40
Project Architect Resumes
 Think of a Project Architect as an Solution Architect that
works within a defined specialty on the project: the SA
resume hints apply, but you have room to relax a bit on
the overall seniority/maturity aspect

 However, you have to be more demanding

regarding expertise in the specialty area being hired
for than you would be for the SA

 Keep in mind this is still Architecture, not

implementation: we want a specialist Architect NOT a
lead programmer, network technician or DBA

 It is worth questioning the requisition for a Project

Architect to confirm that they actually are clear that
they need an Architect – often what they will really
need is in fact a lead developer, technician, DBA, etc.
41
END

42