In today’s world, business and IT go together. Businesses deploy information technology to achieve their objectives, which include, more often than not, improving financial performance and enhancing market competitiveness. An enterprise is always in need of IT solutions.
It is not up to you to determine what solutions your organization needs. When it comes down to software programs and services, the decisions have to be made by a professional, such as a solution architect or a business analyst. Is there any difference between the two?
Naturally, there is a clear distinction. The right person will be able to manage your organization’s technology. The question now is: Who? Your information technology department will need to assign an expert to design a better way to do business. In what follows, we are going to learn more about what the two positions imply and what person you need to hire
Business analyst
Defining a business analyst as an element of change is not enough. Do you know why? Because it is too vague of a characterization. What should be said is that a business analyst is a person that is in charge of understanding the changing needs of a business, evaluating the impact of the alterations in questions, documenting requirements, and maintaining communication with stakeholders.
Just as the name suggests, a business analyst is someone who analyzes an enterprise, as well as its integration with technology.
So as to become a business analyst, it is necessary to possess a bachelor’s degree. The thing is that it is not paramount to major in a technology-related field. It is enough to have a degree in business administration or public administration.
The business analyst is the person who bridged the gap between business and technical people. You need someone like that within your organization. The position necessitates hard and soft skills alike. To be more precise, the professional has to be capable of gathering, evaluating, and reporting data trends, not to mention share that information with others.
Now, let us talk about the soft skills. A business analyst has to interact effectively and harmoniously with other people.
A business analyst performs many tasks, which is the reason why it is so hard to define the position. Among the responsibilities of the business analyst, we can mention the following:
- Business requirements analysis.
- Writing business cases.
- Project management and development.
- Elicitation and collaboration.
- Verifying quality and performance.
It is needless to say, but the list does not end there. The job of the business analyst depends largely on the company that they are working for and the projects that need to be taken care of.
Solution architect
Have you ever stopped to think what a solution architect does? If not, you will find out now. For your own information, a solution architect is the person that is responsible for leading and introducing the new technical vision for a particular solution.
To put it simply, the solution architect makes the big decisions as far as the selection and use of technology are concerned. Solution architecture is the step that your enterprise takes when creating a set of solutions, applications, and processes to address specific issues.
Basically, it is the very first step. Your business needs an expert to make decisions concerning architecture and to build a solid IT infrastructure.
In order to become a solution architect, you have to have a bachelor’s degree in computer science or relating to information technology. This should not come as a surprise, but many professionals have advanced degrees in computer science.
What is more, many of them have years of experience in the field. It takes a long time for solution architects to become accustomed to the software development lifecycle from beginning to end.
Those who manage to acquire enough information and experience 10 years do not have any kind of problems. The years of experience working with information technologies are what make a solution architect efficient.
The solution architect is the person that everybody looks up to. Literally everyone is expecting and demanding guidance from the expert. It is interesting to note that a solution architect does not code so much. They leave the coding up to the developers.
The job of the professional is to listen and intervene the moment that someone is stuck. In addition to advising and communicating, the solution architect designs and creates databases, as well as computer and network systems.
They work together with the management team to implement the technology blueprint and ensure that the solution stays on course.
Deciding between hiring a solution architect or a business analyst
In theory, there is not that great of a difference between a solution architect and a business analyst. Both of them have the power to make IT decisions, carefully considering the needs of the organization and helping the enterprise deal with the issues that are bothering it.
An architect and an analyst may not do the exact same thing, but they support one another. The enterprise needs to operate efficiently, which is realized by minimizing costs and maximizing profitability.
If you are struggling to determine what person is the best fit for your information technology department, we have a little suggestion for you: hire the solution architect.
A person of this kind is capable of coming up with an effective strategy, creating clear connections between executives and organizational intent. It is important to not forget about the fact that a solution architect can bring about new insights and perspectives. Do you really think that you do not need a professional of this sort? You do, trust us.
A solution architect takes the time to understand your business needs and problems, apply their vast knowledge, and manage the delivery of the solution. These are the things that you can expect from a solution architect. The business user is the main beneficiary of the projects. The point is that you are in a vulnerable situation and could use the help of an expert.
All in all, it is your business and you are free to make whatever decision you feel right. Just make sure that you make the right one.
