What Is a Software Architect? Basics and Why They're Important

More businesses than ever need proprietary software due to the changing career landscape. A software architect is a professional who can create operating systems customized to companies’ internal processes.

However, to design a system tailor-made to your company’s unique needs, you need a strong software development team. So, to fulfill their evolving needs, organizations have begun to mine the global treasure trove that is independent talent.

All software architects are not created equally, nor is that the only kind of professional in the software development field. Understanding the different software development roles is the first step in deciding what your company may require. It may be that one type is a better fit for your team than another.

This guide will explain what software architects do and go over the different roles within the software development field. The information here can help readers evaluate whether their company would benefit from hiring a software architect, and if so, what kind would be best suitable.

What is a software architect?

A software architect is a high-level expert who dictates coding standards and digital platform design. These workers typically have a fair amount of seasoning in entry positions, such as software development and project management, lending them a strong sense of how productive software is created.

When you engage a software architect, it’s important to understand that they won’t be writing the code but rather will be generating charts, diagrams, and high-level design options that will go directly into the code. Software architects are generally given a set of parameters and expectations by the company. The software architects then interpret the best methodology for the hardware and software to produce the specifications listed in those parameters.

A few more specific aspects of a software architect’s role include:

• Acute interpretation of the company’s software needs: The first task your software architect will face is making an accurate assessment of what the current system lacks and what the new one should have. A good software architect can tell you whether your old system needs to be scrapped and replaced, or whether there are areas where growth and development are possible.
  

• Generating software requirement reports: Your software architect will need to provide your company detailed documents that specify the levels at which your software is currently performing versus where you want it to be and the methodologies for getting it there. This task will require the software architect to conduct a deep forensic examination of your company’s setup.
  

• Designing product specifications: This is where your software architect gets down to business, creating charts, graphs, and other pictorial/data-driven representations of your company’s unique software needs. The product specifications designed during this step will directly inform the blueprints that your software engineers and developers will use to write the code.
  

• Creating software blueprints: A software architect generates all-encompassing documents or files to provide the team developers with the outline they need to write code designed to serve your company’s needs. Software blueprints can be incredibly elaborate or quite simple, depending on what kinds of changes are needed and where your company wants to go with its front-end development.
  

• Testing the final product: Your software architect will be the one to make sure that whatever the developers create meets the exact requirements set forth in the original software parameters provided and is functional for the daily usage of the business.
  

Software architect vs. engineer vs. developer: Understanding the different roles

Differentiating between various software development professionals can pose a significant challenge at first. Knowing how to engage these team members and determining who your company needs presents several decisions. You can begin to narrow your options by obtaining a firmer grasp on what skills and services separate a software architect from an engineer or web developer.

The following list can help you compare the duties associated with the three types of software development professionals:

• Software architects: This team member closely examines the operating system your company has, and by listening to specified parameters and suggesting updates, creates a blueprint for your business’s custom code. This professional would be considered one of the more senior members of your team and will often have direct oversight in managing the work of engineers and developers.
  

• Software engineers: This team member applies algorithmic software principles coordinated to your company’s needs by the software architect. These workers are involved in the development life cycle, operational feasibility, and testing phases of the code that will run your new system. This is a mid-level position wherein most professionals will have a bachelor’s or master’s in computer science and roughly five years of software development experience under their belts.
  

• Software developers: This team member is the programmer who writes the code for your new software. A software developer inhabits a baseline position answerable to both engineers and architects and is responsible for implementing code that meets the technical requirements set forth by both.

How a software architect could help your business

It may be that your software development undertakings are simplistic enough that the specific skills of a software architect are not necessarily needed. Depending on the tasks delegated to your team and the plans you have for your operational upgrades, a software engineer or developer may be the most sensible way to go.

That being said, there are distinct advantages to hiring a software architect that only come with engaging a professional in this higher-level position. The following represent five of the benefits of having a software architect as part of your flexible team.‍

Offers custom code design

Ultimately, the prospect of your company’s operating system being nonduplicable and reserved exclusively for your own usage is worth its weight in gold. As a competitive advantage, it allows your team members and product to advance in a manner that cannot be replicated by other companies in your field. From the reputational standpoint, it will represent an attractive selling point for all of your company’s future partners and workers.

Enhances software scalability

Utilizing a software architect’s services means you can order your company’s projected growth to be built right in. If you are expecting to add teams or even whole departments, having a tailored platform means you will not have to start over to add workers, no matter how much growth you experience.

Increases company platform quality and complexity

Many companies face gaps in ability and function when using prefabricated or commercial platforms. Having a platform designed to address your company’s day-to-day needs allows for a higher quality experience and the ability to factor in company-specific complexities at the coding level. Another reason to engage a software architect includes enjoying the immediate expertise involved with knowing which web development frameworks and libraries will perform best with your company’s stated aims.‍

Overall savings

While some businesses may hesitate to hire web development professionals due to the initial outlay of costs, the reality is that overall savings are enjoyed by companies that use software architects because these professionals eliminate the need for large future upgrades.

Software enhancements or replacements are not just costly in the financial sense; they are also costly in terms of time. Letting an independent software architect come in one time, at one expense, to lay out the perfect code for your company’s foreseeable future is much cheaper than calling in a professional every time your company outgrows its current setup.

Implementing a vision

If your company has long-term growth and development goals that are wide in scope and singular in nature, you need a team member who can help you implement that vision on a functional level. Software architects lend your business the ability to distinguish itself not just by its product or service but also by the efficiency with which you get projects done and how they are accomplished. You can use the skills of a software architect to give your company a stamp truly all its own and the kind that ideally becomes its calling card.‍

Need a software architect? Think independent first

Software development is experiencing newfound popularity in the wake of the many changes brought by 2020. The good news is that whether your company’s digital transformation requires a small upgrade or a massive software overhaul, Upwork supplies access to a global pool of independent talent that can meet your needs. Check out Upwork today and take advantage of our wide-ranging online resources geared toward helping you build your remote team the right way.